The sun., 1899-05-14

time. and IL is quite understood that II any
power now assumed to veto" the Cardinals
would hold that the custom had fallen into dis
use, and would ignore 1t.
The young American artist Kuhne Beveridge.
has completed fine bronze figure for Mr..
Alfred Bert's new house in Park lane. She has
named her creation Rhodesia- "a figure repre-
senting tho spirit OF new empire 1t Ia that
OF n woman divinely formed. She has cast
from her hand the map OF Africa and. shading
her eyes from the glare Of politics and intrigue.
looks hopefully. searchingly into the uneN-
plored The figure. which is life size. is seated
on rough stone. with the right arm lifted
against the forehead to shade the eyes. and is
beautiful and ennoblng in every way.
There can be no doubt that the New Gallery
is dcteriorating sadly. 1t is acquiring the
faults which, In opposition to the Academy. n
was created to avoid. and the artistic merit OF
itscahvases does not go as far toward the miti-
CATION Of those faults rs In tho case OF the
older institution Until last year there was
always the vivifying influence Of mir Edward
Burne-Jones. who not only placed here his
finest pictures Of the year. but took n keen per-
sonal interest IN the choice OF pictures and their
arrangement on the walls. He Is sadly missed
this year. and that touch OF distinction which
he gave to the rooms In Regent street seems to
have vanished. One feels this year that the
whole show Is commonplace 1t Is true that
some OF its former lights have been promoted
to the Academy, loyalty to which body has
induced them to keep their best work for it.
But there is another reason often brought
forward to account for the mediocrity both Of
the New Gallery and the Academy itself. 1t IL
that times have been so bad for English artists.
the sale OF pictures so limited. and tho prices
SO low that painters have lost heart and con-
ldence. and that the loss OF tn e.luaties has
shown itself in their work. The New Gallery
has one advantage at least over the Academy
In that there is one picture which draws the
attention OF all comers and affords abundant
opportunity for discussion and remark. This
Is Holman Hunts great canvas representing
THE Miracle Of the Sacred Fire in the Church
OF the Sepulchre at Jerusalem" This Is a
service which takes place in the rotunda sur
rounding the traditional tomb OF Christ on the
morning ofthe Greek Faster Eve The pilgrims
come from Russia. Greece. Albania. Egypt
and Abyssnia. The Greek Patriarch enters
| the tomb. which 10 quite empty. and shortly
afterward opens two windows in the shrine
aud the miracuously produced fame Is thrust
out. Everybody has candle ready. which is
lit either at the sacred flame or from a candle
which has been lit thereat. Each pilgrim then
kisses his neighbor before blowing out his
candle and wrapping 1t up for final use at
his burial. This is the scene which
Holman Hunt has portrayed in accord
ance with his peculiar principles and methods.
The enormous crowd OF gayly but diversely
dressed pilgrims. the tawdry architecture and
decoration OF the rotunda itself. with its dec
GRATED shrine in the centre. are enough to in
| spre any artist. Hunt OF course has painted
| each separate figure with almost microscopic
| definition and detail. but he has made not the
| least endcavor to weave them into one
| harmonious whole. Instead OF SYM
phony we have an orchestra. each instru-
ment OF which plays a different air 1t
| is not even pre- -Raphaelistic painting 1t more
nearly approaches to the missal decoration Of
| the laborious monks Of the thirteenth century.
| but misses entirely one element OF the missal
painters charm. his quaintness and his humor.
1t Is painted. OF course. absolutely without an y
| atmosphere. But on its own lines and from its
| own point OF view 1t Is very extraordinary
| example OF a craftsmans excellence.
| 1t Is In portraits especially that the exhibit
| ton Ia strong. There is one OF the most strk- =
| ing examples OF Sargent's which has been ex-
| hibted this year. namely. his Col Jan Hamil-
| ton. which seems to speak In every touch OF
the brush OF the British soldier OF popular
imagination. Aquine in face. spare in
| figure. but admirably set up. here IS the
type OF man who as a matter OF every
day business and by almost imperceptible
degrees has gained for England one part at
least Of her vast empire. Another American
| painter Mr.. ]. ]. Shannon has sent three eX-
| amples. two OF which are charming women.
| Mrs Senior and Lady Cavendish Bentinck.
while the third is an idealist study. under the
name Magnolia" OF his own daughter
| Thinly painted, almost with the effect OF pas =
| tel. this is n fine treatment OF q beautiful
| theme A lovely child faces us in white robe
| delicately embroidered in gold and color.
| partly covered with a black velvet fur
trimmed coat and holding In her hand bunch
OF magnolia flowers. G. F. Watts. r. A.. sends
| two OF his wonderful symbolical pictures.
Dedication" blue-robed angel bending
over an altar. and Peace and Goodwill "
Peace. a fine figure in yellow holding the child
Good will in her arms. as she lies in a grace
! ful pose and also an exceedingly fine portrait
Of Field Marshal Lord Roberts That typical
soldierly quality which Is so noticeable in Sar-
| gents picture is almost entirely absent in Mr.
| Watts's presentation OF the greatest Indian
| fighter Of our generation. the Bobs" beloved
by Tommy Atkins. But the man with his
kindly blue eyes and solid weatherbeaten face
| is there. as no one better than Watts could
| have shown him.
| There is nothing by Abbey here. but George
Fl. Boughton helps to uphold the Stars and
Stripes by what ia presumably portrait OF q
delightful eighteenth century girl with her
| black hat coGuettishly pulled down over the
! white lace cap she wears. and breathes the
| very atmosphere Of
| Teacup times Of hood and hoop.
And when the patch worn.
He also sends small landscape quite out ol
| his usual manner. which he calls An August
| Day in Scotland" which represents a low
lying stretch OF green pasture land. Alfred
| Parsons has the most noticeable landscape oil
the show. Sea Holly and Sea Lavender" the
estuary OF little sluggish stream almost
choked by the wide stretches OF the beautiful.
toned lavender while the grayish green
sea holly forms an effective background
| Though not as striking as his Academy
picture. this landscape OF Parsons s is pleasant
from every point OF view. Mr.. Alfred Fast fol.
lows him close with his rcstful glimpse ot
| Warwckshire. under the title OF THE Land
That Shakespeare Loved" But the show Is
! deficient in pictures OF the newer schools or o
| hn man nj DrOmiCn Just nj ha tim