Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-26

esuuely situated between the Rue de RiYoli on one side and the rapid flow ing Seine on the other. On this same sita as early as the twelfth century a castle was erected, consisting, like the old louvre of the present, of four wings en- closing quadrangular court. This chat eau was handsomely rebuilt by Charles V for a royal residence. This was all re moved and the present palace begun by Francis l, and the growth of the building from that period may be traced in the architecture. Catherine de Medicis, after the death of Henry II, and during the reigns of her sons continued the erection of new wings. Henry ", too, devoted much of his attention to the continuation of its erection. Work was then suspend ed under Louis XV and Louis XVI and during the revolution, but was resumed under Napoleon l, and these additions are easily discernible by the N and crown of his empire, which is in imitation of Charlemagne's crown, and which, by the way, 1 have seen in the louvre, as also his sword, with hilt of diamonds, valued at 1000 900 francs; beside 1t the regent, perhaps the finest diamond in the world. The crown, too, of Louis XIV, but the gems are false; and finally the palace of the Tuileries and its junction with the louvre was completed under Napoleon IT.
 The older part of the Louvre is intensely interesting in histroical associations. The marriage of the Princess Margaret of Valois with King of Navarro who was afterwards Henry w of France, was sol emnized here, while present were many of the Huguenot chiefs, and only few nights later the signal was given here for the massacre of the HuguenOtS, the first victim of which was the Admiral de Coligny so noble and true In front or the temple del Oratoire. near by and now loo TlfNx hi iC a beautiful statue of Admiral Coligny, erected in 1889. It represents the admiral between his fatherland and his religion, idealiZed by two women figures, all form ing @ most impressive statue. This church, too, is memorable, for it's bells were rung for the massacre. The louvre and courts cover, it is said, an area of about forty-eight acres, and must, no doubt, be one of the most magnificent palaces in the world, and is considered the best work of French architecture.
 The beautiful palace of the Tuileries, however. was destroyed by the eommun- ists in 1871, when many precious manu- scripts and the imperial library were lost and the entire Louvre seriously threat ened. One of Gaze's guides, who by the way, is an Englishman. in describing some of the works of these communists, said: "l believe you say in America they fought for pure cussedness, and he seemed to enjoy 1t very much. It Is more than probable that it would take an en- tire lifetime to gain a thorough concep- tion of the treasures of the louvre among the pictures alone, and it it there l find my interest centers. l wished to see what may be called modern French art and the work of her artists generally. One gal lery could hardly furnish a comprehen- sve survey of French art but so much is found in the louvre and so many works by each artist that at least d good idea can be formed.
 French artists for a long while served an apprenticeship with Netherlanders, Italians and various foreign masters, un- til at length they evolved an original and peculiar style of their own, which has gained them consideration and universal applause, and also much of unique crit icisni, as the "impressionists" may tes- tify. The pictures which gained my at- tention first were those of Jacques Louis David about the middle of the eighteenth century, antiquarian purents, because the fashion and artists resorted to antiquity for their inspirations. Da- vid has been called the father of modern painting in France, although at the pres ent day he is called something of an ad- venturer. His Death of Socrates" "Brutus," Sabine Women (the artists masterpiece printed on the model of an antique medallion) and "Leonidas at Thermopylae" are works of dramatic beauty and strength, in which he aimed at reviying the Greek style of art, while his Coronation of Napoleon r. and of his other pictures of the Napoleonic era are certainly grandly conceived, and ex- ecuted with a dramatic element that ap- peals very strongly to the interest of the beholder A contemporary of David and one who asserted his independence of David's style, was Prud'hon, who en- deavored to attract by refined sentiment and delcacy of coloring. A familiar one to us all by this artist is Meeting of Francis II and Napoleon after the battle of Austerlitz." His Empress Josephine" and his Rape of Psyche" are works so full of rich, refined coloring that they gave him the title of "the French Cor reggio." His "Crucifixion" is striking
 though unfinished. There are many DOT traits of Prud-hon which are admirable works and are rich in coloring, his
 "LAssumption de la Virgin" being a beautiful conception, but lacks the spir- itual quality of such works of the old masters. Chief among painters of the Napoleonic period were Gros and Guerin
 though they lacked the high artistic qualities which immortalize pictures and render them independent of changes of taste and style.
 The picture of "Bonaparte a Arcole,"
 by Gras, is familiar to us all. He has many excellent portraits in the Louvre, too, one especially good of Madame Lu-
 cien Bonaparte, though the portrait has the very questionable background of an immense cascade. I believe modern French art properly begins with the pc riod of the restoration. and the artist who stands pre-eminent at this time is Theodore Gericault, who lived from 1791
 to 1924. He made his reputation by the exhibition of the "Shipwreck of the Me dusa" in 1S19. It was a. French frigate, which went down with 400 men on board, of whom only five were saved on raft. This painting created a great sensation. It is the raft, with possibly fifteen or eighteen life-sized figures. Gericault was the first to give expression to pas- sion and unrestrained emotion. He pre- ferred fidelity to nature to all other aims, it is said, and you can see plainly in this picture how every element is used, vigorous and effective coloring, and cv- cry effort made to enhance the impress sion produced on the spectator. It is a powerful and dramatic work. His Car abinier," and number of small pictures of soldiers and of horses all have this appealing dramatic quality Following
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