The sun., 1897-02-14
LIT Nv rRAYuE.
vere-tcNsgin's Napoleon Pietuv es- -susii
Exhihitiona-No HIner for the SaIons.

.Exhtbttons-No flse~ Tor the salons.
PARIS. Feb. 1.-The interest which the Pa.
risian public takes in the works OF the Russian
painter. voreshagip. is not merely the result
OF the famous alliance. When these inter.
national sympathies were only in their diplo-
matte stage. verestcbngin had become known
here b. series OF pictures on the Russo-Turk.
ith war. followed by another series on tho life
of Christ, and finally By stude. brought back
from journey 10 = sa and the Indies.
His manner OF treatment was always the
same. striking, though a little barbnrous. and
possibly open TO discussion. IL was always Q
series or pictures unfolding various phases
of the same action. like Illustrations. T>s In
spiration vas rather that of the'story or OF the
romance than OF tho painters art. II was. in
short, somewhat cinema Geographic process,
II may be allowed the phrase. For example,
In the exposition OF NcrestchaRin's compost
tions on the Turkish war, there was series Of
three pictures called. believe. "All Quiet on
tho shipka." The first picture represented .
sentinel on picket du;y, around, him spread a
plan covered Will, cloak OF snow in tho
second picture. the wind drivcs-t he.snow in
drifts, the soldier struggles not to be ouried;
in the third picture there is no.longor any trace
of the soldier on the snowy plain. which is
ngain caun. Only ;hc roint of n baynnet
breaking through s-wlnding sheet marks
the place where the sentinel has d ed, n heroic
victim OF duty. Undoubtedly there are tragic
elements in this. but is it not rathcr.the btsi-
ness OF literature to III ousc thes" successive sem
sations. or even OF living pictur"sl N-verthe-
les. there ,,vh notlc"d In Nerestchapin's pi,-
lures desire FOR correctness aud effort to
bc true. something honest. n conscIentiousess
which sor,etines gave to his work n strained
appearance. but which produced often the eff
iect- of tragic rcaiism.
The same qualities. the -nire methods. are
found IN the exhibition which the painter has
just held In the parlors OF The Cerclc Nolney.
ne ha- taken TINS Tine i"r his subject Napoleon
In RussiI. Ii Is Napoleon conquered by his
MI Leaf
ing In couiDlets rout the Russia he had com
SFhia TO his system az oS ma o'T%ds s"h'n, ~
tac Emperor In u serles of pictures. In which
he tries. by accessories studied fron "aturo
anh strangely dramatic, TO Great" e., .. !ot
the moral tica Of Napoleon. such y. .u.nd
has pictured him tn us. AID a. Meissonirr owed
h" muot or may have been: .only IA mar suffer-
ing :on cold at a loss amid his mnrshlls. who
were beginning, with tho exception Of the he
roic Ney mo longer to accept his orders because
they no lOnver nd confidence IN his star. IL
OF real history that the painter has tried 70 set
before us. IL comes oppOr .unely at
ing made In favor OF the legend nf the great
victim. it Is well known that Napoleon lad
Sp M % hns were n%o snort % hm i1
these two detail .: iheI are lacking in distinc.
iicn. and people have resented them. Many
moirs published during the last three years
have. nevertheless. told US of the undranratlo
appcarnI CO Of the great Captain. fleeing from
army. How different from the hero present.
ed 10 US in the celebrated "Isl4" OF Mcisso-
ti"n. upright on horseback. a fur overcoat
is enough for this god impervious TO physical
suffering. His companions In arms who hnso
written memoirs represent him. on the con-
trary. usually in a sledge. always covered with
eHes aud ears WHAT 30 itt. T hat no STsp S5ois h
no white leather breeches. no horse. proud IN
sssT ,Sy ,as and nnn BIS Ala. all those
VI. Ne-estchagin has had the courage tn take
hAy MI uai AZ hat rftt, ,,,t TN.
that Napoleon, dressed like a mere trad",Hau
who Is cold. with his little round belt = Ill
naturtd face. with the wind blowE.- IL,
and, above all his fur capt Is hard To-. rsivo
the the fpr 1i,y CaphMa, Nv, made Gr9seSguc. 81
a word now on the painters biography: It
nature Of his talent. .verestciiagin was
born Oct. Is. 1872. and from childhood was
his father did mot not e encourarc him ' at Sii and
his only coniidant and admircr was his nurse.
That r1,nor sxeelisn, woman man admired overythns
wholly trusted uy me-" writes the pain :er IN his
mem"irs. 70: while admirIng she iil no, al
pride TO hear her exclain. oh. the lovely
COW. when ! have drawn house; perhaps.
cadets of Alexander II. at Tsarkoe Sclo. When
layas and travelled through KRshmir. and it
IS from nature. without master. that he
learned pain ting and drawing. He was obliged
Z, interrupt his journey on account OF tho
Turkish war. in which he served rs an cf cficer,
distinguishing himself on several occasions.
and returning from 1t with notes taken from
nature OF such an intensity OF horror that when
But 1t certainly has had more effect in advo-
cacy OF peace than many learned conteren .c.-
Tot r ,bn bne pfeSenr We p mas ,teH Gown
fte, on the edge OF the forest of -. German.
lie has had two studios built there. one of
gigantic proportions for winter: the other for
sunmer Is not so large, but turns on wheels.
and permits the painter To have the same lighs
all day long.
Parts has a yearly salon fo- women paint
ers and sculptors. II was founded At time
when women were admitted only with diilcul-
ty to the great Official salon. Manners have
changed much since then. and for many years
female names are - be found In large num-
bers in the catalogue of the Champs Eiysces
as well as in that Of the Champs de Mars.
en- are somewhat In the way. who amuse them
selves by exhibiting lot or carefully made liz
with i their sIv products Sslleries that ars al.
ready too small: but gallantry demands IL. 10
seems, and the jury would think II n crime
to Ue unvallant when once principle that
they should be admitted was acccp.cd.
What: then; is the object Of an exhibition
been doubled. the la lies also insisting on
separation. 'iust like the men, and ;ney have
sionists who have exhibited first this year as
the galleries Georges Petit in tho Ru" d. Seze.
which should not lie disc1uraced, hut on
when IL Is unb, coming tn waste mach time.
We shall see th" serious work In MAY. Let mo
mention, however. The work Of Mile, Des-
hordes. the engraving OF Nile. i"onic Bourges.
and OF Miles Chadwick and plimsull
An exhibition ot artists from Franche ComtS
II being held NJ DulRud-kucIs. IL must DO
admitted that IT. is difficult tc see what urtls-
tic bond the province in which thcN arc born
can make among artists'nUwadays, when men
rarely spend dozen wears In the place wners
they are born. There is cause to De glad for
this exhibition for several reasons; the organ
i2ers had the lucky idea Ot using II to bring
before the public again some very lin" things
OF Courbct's. THE Black HOle." The Crest Of
the Jura." storms On the SeashOre." Bus
a.. the Other hurd what regret 'hc SIGHT Of these
works has aroused among the admirers Of the
Master of OruAns. IL IL well known that Cour-
bet naid no attention 10 the purity OF the ma
tertalS which lac used. II IA oven said that he
did not lsdnln To mix with his colors the---oss
Materials which house painters use,
Is thiS "A studio stOrNy We mis- ht easily bo-
leye that H. l. not. III rchoding hoS black
the masters work. have grown, and how much
OF their freshness they have lost forever. In