The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-08-02
SMITH WON THE RUBBER.
A FATAL PAUSE BEFORE A MODERN
.rni FRENCH PICTURE.
An Exciting Series of Foot Races Through
the Art Galleries of Europe-4PeriIs
OF the Amateur Art Critic Edin-
burgh's Charms-Letter No. a..

burEh's Charms--Letter No. q.
One of the most beautiful cities of Europe
is Edinburgh. Its well-kept streets, its hand
some modern buildings, its beautiful gardens,
It's picturesque old houses, Holyrood Palace,
the historic castles, the churches, galleries,
and colleges, and the charming people make
Edinburgh one Of the most delightful places
the European traveller can visit. After having
engaged room we yet had several hours for
sightseeing before night. Did you ever
notice the long twilight in this region? About
three years ago landed for the first time at
Glasgow. We went ashore about D. m.
While waiting for the luggage purchased
paper and read. 1t was 9:15 O'Clock before
we left the wharf and at that time in early
June found no difficulty in reading fine
print by twilight This prolonged twilight
makes it possible to sight-see till late in the
evening There is gallery in Edinburgh
Wnlch our guide book said should not be
missed. We found this was a free day antis
That there yet remained couple of hours be-
lore the gallery closed. Five minutes walk
brought us to the door. / am not an artist,
put several years ago was under the impress
sion 81 That knew good picture when saw
it. But after having mistaken inferior
daabs Tor masterpieces and admired them ex-
travagantly till found out nv mistake.
have concluded that art is subject too subtle
and complex for my rse-grained intellect.
Let 1t be distinctly understood, then that /
now lay no claims whatever to being an art
connoisseur. The first humiliating proof of
my inability to recognize good picture when
saw 1t occurred in the National Gallery in
London about three years ago. Armed with
amining carefully each picture, and at the
same time reading the full catalogue descrip-
tion OF 1t. l think after about six hours of
this thing had progressed nine feet six
incnes or perhaps ten feet on my way through
the half mile of gallery. Ny time in London
was limited to two weeks, and as there were
several other objects of interest in the me-
tropolisI desired to see, concluded to read
up only on those pictures marked tsgood.''
AS most OF them ayere marked good, found
my gain in speed to be about six inches an
nour, and when the gallery closed that even
ing had nearly finished the ante-room ad
joining the hall on the right. Afterward in
looking over the plan in my catalogue saw
must expedite matters or it would take all
summer to see that picture gallery. I con
GUIDED therefore to read up and examine care
fully only those marked ''excellent,p and
started in the next morning as soon as the
gallery opened with this object In view.
was now enabled to make several feet an
hour more, but this becoming monotonous,
about noon that day left off reading alto
gether except the names. By this plan |
could reel off room an hour and 'sdid'' the
last half OF that gallery In the time ittook me
70 examine a small Titan at the beginning.
It was when 1 was reading only s'excellents''
that | made the blunder. 1t was a case of
mistaken identity. No. 243 read in nv
catalogue something like this (" Dignity and
lmpudence' is one OF Landseer's finest pro-
ductions, The pose, action, and coloripg. are
considered faultless. Dignity and .impu-
dence' are supposed to be the great masters
favorite pets. This picture is valued'' etc.
Having read the description given under 243
proceeded to admire this truly great work.
described in that picture. Notice the coloring
in the sky, water, and foliage. Look at that
sail on the bay; can almost see it move
Then the perspective is faultless. The objects
positively stand out from the canvas. It's
to see such q work as this These
modern daubs make one disgusted with art.n
Thus stood enraptured over that landscape.
dignity and lmpudencen struck me as being
rather strange name for this picture.
thought OF it several times but then these
often have obscure names, and
concluded it had originated in some way
to the author of the catalogue, as
ne did not explain it. Slime picture that,nI
said to gentleman standing near me.
!, ,Whlch 7" ne replied. "That Landseer,
Dignity and Impudence' one of his finest
works; here, No, 243,' and pointed to the
number in my guide book. "Oh p' he replied,
ooking very much amused. ''You have an
)lu catalogue, see. The pictures have since
oeen remembered. This landscape is by one
1f the amateurs here in the art school. The
picture to your right, No. 245, those two dogs,
S Landseer's Dignity aud Impudence'n
AS we entered this Edlnburg gallery, there
ore, determined to be very reserved in nv
comments for, how did know, perhaps the
pictures had been REMEMBERED since our
catalogue was printed Smith, however, was
more enthusiastic When we entered room
would lounge around ON the seats while Smith
examined the pictures He carried our
never use catalogues now-and
would read number, find the correspond
ng picture and begin an examination.
lie would first place himself directly
n front of the picture, shade his
yes with his hand and take in the general
fleet. Then he would try the side views
irst the right and then the left After this
10 would approach the railing, lean over, and
With his nose not two inches from the canvas,
Examine 1.-THE picture not his ose-in detail.
lie would then back off, still keeping his ewes
IN the picture, and probably succeed in knock
ng over a child or two, and humping into
everal ladies who would chance to be stand
ng near. He didn't mind hard looks for this,
'ut would swerYe around sideways in semi
ircle, never once taking his eyes off the
picture. Dogs, children, and women, suffered
he same fate if they didn't keep out of his