The record-union., 1898-07-17

\CNU
SIR EDWARD BURNE-JONES.
favor accorded Burne-Jones' work,
however, both in this country and in
England, cannot be doubted, and his
recent death, at the age of So, excited
general regret among his many Amer
lean admirers. An excellent portrait
Of the late Academician is published in
"Harpers Weekly for July I'd, to-
gether with a comprehensive account
of his life and work.
When the painters Of to-day compare
the facilities which they enjoy for their
work with those possessed by their pre-
decessors a century or two ago, they
must be forced to the conclusion that
SO far as material help can go they
have an immense advantage over the
ancient masters. In former times,
when the artist wished to set his pal
cite he was obliged to take the pig
ments which he had obtained, often at
great trouble, in their crude forms,
and either grind them himself or have
this operation performed by boy who
was usually both his servant and pu-
pill. The process of grinding up the
dry substances in oil was a slow one,
but the results obtained by it were
good. The grinder procured two fiat
slabs of stone, and, placing the pig
ment between them, he first crushed 1t
to the form Of fine powder, and then,
adding oil enough to make a soft
paste, he continued the grinding by ro-
tating the upper stone upon the lower
until the mixture was reduced to per-
feet smoothness and the exact con-
sistency which experience had proved
to be desirable. This whole process
had to be repeated frequently, to have
the colors fresh, and, because of the
Importance of having pigments Of
good quality, the most celebrated paint
ers used to give their personal atten-
ton to the work, thereby spending
much time upon the preparation of
materials which, under different con-
ditions, they might have devoted to
the painting itself.
Father Anthony" Robert Buchan-
ans novel of Irish life, is to be pub
lished early in the autumn.
DIR. Nansens profits from his book
"Farthest North are said to amount
to S19O.O00. The profits Of his lectures
have added largely to this sum.
A correspondent Of "The London
Academy" says, apropos of an unsuc-
cessful poetic effort upon Gordon in
Africa: THE poet had risen to a
hight of emotion in describing the hor-
rors Of Gordon's life in Khartoum, and
was suddenly reminded of the religious
consultations likely to be present to the
great Generals mind. Hence the line
"a masterpiece
The lions were tearing him piecemeal;
bue he knew it was all for the best! "
Mr. Quaritch says that Mr.. Gladstone
purchased himself some thirty-five
thousand books. A great quantity Of
volumes We're presented to him, the
first OF these being the copy of Hannah
More's Sacred Dramas" which the old
lady gave to him when he was a child
in petticoats. Gladstone, by the way,
was called by Sir Roderick Murchison,
to Eton.''
The keenness of Gladstones collect
ing eye. even in old age. THE Athen-
aeum" says. may be inferred from the
ton. On one of his last visits Mr..
Gladstone paid visit to our informant
and took up nice book In an old
French binding. What's this?' he
said. oh, it is a book from the library
of Catherine de Medici' But there's
no fieur-de-lis in the top lozenge,' re-
torted Mr.. Gladstone, without a second
glance at it."
New York Times: A couple of years
ago a great French critic made bet
that he would pick out a nullity and
make his reputation with a few arti-
cles. To his disgust he soon found he
was succeeding only too well, and that
the painter was fast becoming famous.
.sYou took me in earnest" he cried to
the public. 'but / was only joking," 1t
was too late; his true opinions We're
mistaken for malice and envy. In one
of Daudet's charming stories he tells
of a citizen of Marseilles who, after
years passed in extolling the beauties
of Paris to his friends, became con-
vinced (although he had never visited
the CapitaD that he had passed much
Of his time there. The critics seemed TO
have worked themselves into some such
frame Of mind over Robins statues,
and now honestly believe that they see
the genius they have so long pro-
claimed.
Those familiar with japanese ar'
know of those Japanese painters, yam
ato, Tosa, Kano, Ukioe and, most par
ticularly, the master of them all, Hoku-
sani. This master painter was born IN
1fbO and died at an advanced age II
1S49. In THE Strand" Hokusani's
work is described, and a description
given of painting of his which was
indeed, the biggest picture on record
In 1917 his great success as an illustra-
tor brought about the envy Of fellow
artists, and they declared that he was