New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-01

des EOCesl, exhibited in 1613, Is cOhltcu a. "'~ 20
the artists masterpieces. His fame was areauy
established. The third medal awarded him in lao.
was followed by n second medal in l'4l' INST Heol,
in 1913 and 1S4e. and the cross OF the Legion o., ~
Honor in 1o46. He had become shining man S i0 -,
the critics Of the old school, who accused nm ~
always contemplating nature through tIc small i,ir
Of a telescope and 6I studying stuiis, S;;dlIs,
nature is only an accessory But Mci n,'0n5r
School H the famous Salon Of 1853 which contained
Delacroixs PILGRIMS Of Emmaus' ana KOS !,I cv
Horse Fair Meissonicr among 0Lher PlCtoH9 and
a panel painting Of subject from INC oefaIlciL%ii:
noteworthy from the circumsance. rare dc,"s An
Incident Of Civil War" dated 552, and MORGAN anu
Dcs>oic> before Hohenliuden dai-d ~ 4t
the Universal Exhibition of l-55, where ne Tce T
the grand medal" MISSIONER was repe'eten oy ,iy"o
panel paintings small Of course bu' w ~ !' Tbe
Tavern Row, familiar throTgh cGl9rI "a, pr! rbc Slo
PIaycrs" one writer has said that MeiSsonier panIcd
the Dderot" to confute the critics VIC oo vnrI
that he painted the Portrait Of the sergeant a SUD
ject in full ont Of door light; to a,|cr 'D Cd tha,
Ia Rixe~ was his reply 70 those who claimed nt
he could never paint movGmg t. me Prince Cpnsort
Yet critics who had right to be hoard pro'e Ssd
against the tendency persQniied ~ Ne , The new
school of the Trivial DENYING art genius ins'ration'
pcesy to hold to an impossible cult Of reality
historical PICTURES.
pictures little larger in size. but his per
lection of execution and finish remained unln'
haired In 1856 he was made an officer OF the Le-'o'
Of Honor In 1857 his Confidence" called by "ah'e'
"a pearl and a marvel among pictures, ana HIS ,"'
teur in studio first exhibited The SoIu'e'S
at Cards. painted I'm 1853 was sold by the "i'iS i'
- 900 and sold in this city in 1876 for SllooV III"
Fmperor NAPOLEON III. began TO bcStow liberal com
missions upon Messoncr, who visited italy once OF
twice f. secure sketches for The Emperor al tie fa'u'
of SolferinoT picture long announced bnt no' emu
tied until the salon Of 1854. This was te Hr'' W
series Of eight pictures projected By the aIt'' 10 ''"
+rate the NapOleonc cycle" In 1-6O a reInafhaOic
loan exhibition OF modern works was held III IdI'' a.
which MISSIONER was most favorably represented ID
19Gl he was elected member OF the Acaueino u''
Beaux Arts succeeding Pcyol. VI. Chesneau ana o'"'i
thoughtful writer's began 10 analyze the success VI
NclSsOnier as more than change in iashloh-dS ~
nifcant development in French civilization. III i0oi
he exhibited the Portrait Of Madame t. his hIs' poI
trait of a lady. To the English international EAAo
ton of 1sG2 Messoner contributed four pictures u'
noticed in Mr. Palgraves PRODUCTION TO the caaIo-ue
Of the French school, In the same year the Napoleon
in the Campaign of France shown In farls' alu
The Halt was finished for the Due &c MornS any amy
The Retreat Of l5l4.' For the latter PiClulo
Messonier had the coat worn ,Sipc.c ex-
leon COPIED by tso talon element T on himself mounted
wooden horse In his studio, sadded nHe tiic I-P d
rOr's steed and passed hours III stuuyHs ~ IN, be
the fall Of the skirts in mirror ~ aH di e' nov
moved his wooden horse 10 the housciop duil. V tb
cold changed his face to a hvd hue, he patiently
sketched the effects which he saw In the mirror DciV
him. In his studio he had miniature lanutE$P7 nov
and strewn with Willie powder TpesenL ma hr,vy
through which he drew models OF tunbrll' anu 49,, ~ t
that he mght ,6dy a ne ln his dd
capacity for the closest appleton ana the Salon 81
;95eT was 1de9 T he Fn snd "rSsdi to painter
OF these remarkable pictures ana Were so t h 80
BY Edmond About ana oIneT ci cerabIT Of his Hapo
leonic pictures IS the "l7O', "a page OF mS'CrS
i.O?' the arts, worked for fifteen years, ana T lie
mains we believe. the largest Of his works. nc
modelled all the horses In wax ana every FRY hrh the
late A. T. Stewart paid 100000 ana "li,h ~ H.
Hilton purchased from bis estate ana pre- WcIssonicr
painted tic. Marshal Sake and STAFF sold for Se'oo
at a New-York sale in 1870. 100000,
THE ZENITH OF HIS CAREER
Tho vear 1867 NAV be regarded bringing the
elimination OF Meissoners public trumphs In that year
the international Exhibition" held In Paris hcluuou
MAGNIFICENT fine arts section and all the art critics OF
Europe gathered for the fray MISSIONER was rep
resented by fourteen pictures. He received one OK the
eight grand prizes, and when the prizes were pre-
ented by the Emperor his Battle of socFlno' formed
the centre Of the art Trophy" erected In the space
cleared for the ceremony. The same year he was ado
commander Of the Legion Of Honor. Eh6Ish critics
at the exhibition spoke OF MelsSonleFs he'VV
said one: Wonderfully minute are the works OF
MISSIONER and they convey great number OF facts Ia
a very small compass But after all what are these
factsl What does he really tell us OF the JOYS ana
sorrows hopes and fears, loves aud hates OF human
kind Much admire him, does he ever touch our
hearts p But this exhibition showed clearly that
Melssoner although his position unrecognized by
many critics. had become the actual leader OF French
art Since that time he has exhibited infequent!y
at the Salon. At the outbreak Of the Franco
Prussan war MessOnier, who had been nomllaily
attached to the Emperors staff. was made colonel OF
foot regiment, and 1t IL said among other 40
ventures that he narrowly escaped being shut up In
Metz with Bazane. The exhibition of the Wallace col
Iectlons in London in 1879 gave the English better
opportunity for making acquainance with MISSIONER
fire. laurels. In 1877 he sent 10 the salon
portrait of Dumas. He also painted portraits Of Mr.
w. H. N8adeS TeaaG attaT LEAN Mas cd With
hers and destroyed 1t. occasionng no small amount
The unfortunate affair grew the Messoner exhibition
Of May, 1884, intended by the friends Of The artist AZ
] 30 pictures hardly one-third Of his entire woGE.
About fifty Of Mcssonlcr's pictures are owned IN tms
ing The Arrival at the Chateau" Mr. Pr basco Of On,
clnnati bought the Charge Of CulIassci Tor l1OO
are Mrs NJ o. Roberts, Mrs P4raq stevens, Cornelius
vanderbilt J. J. Aston William Waldorf Aston. william
Astor Theron Butler, Mr.. Rockefeller, Jay Could.
D. O. NILS, Theodore Havemeyer, j. II. Stebbins.
George seney "; T. Walters II baltimore ana Iienry
&. Gibson, of Philadelphia MISS Catherine L. NOH'
owned one of MeissOniers water cOlor as well rs two
of his oils, which at the Museum Of Art Mr..
stewart and Mrs. Morgan also owned some OF his
works as also did Mr.. August Belmont and Mr..
Charles J. Osborne
Wessonjer's etchings not numerous. The more
/ imnnrtant are La Sainte Table" "LAddressc du
luther Vullaume" LA Petit FpmcuT" "Le Wen I,
Fnmeur," Les Apprets du DUE" "les Pechenr'
| g n cirnor AnnebaIc.7 Les Rercs.n :" lie S"rgcnt'
and M. Pochnelle." He used an extremely nne
point in his etching but his eulogi,s consider that
Inc mnuteness OF his detail is lost sight OF In gen
craI " lafgcness of effect" .
Meissoner's first wife was a sister OF the artist
Mcissonier In 1850 MISSIONER married Nile Besan-
CHARACTERISTICS OF HIS WORK
Regarded simply to execution. Mcls'onicr's work
ia perfect Those who look for the IDEAL the scnti-
mental or the moral in art regard his pictures WIN
disfavor If is true, however, that his figures arc
oo,e and 10 some superficial extent, EXPIRE ss.vc.