The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-14

| works of art TOR puDNc eXHlDllloii, ia :
just been signed by Governor Tanner
The bill gives a wide scope to the conf
mission. and under it nearly every work
Of art displayed in public will have TO
/ be passed by the commission, which Will
be composed of the Mayor, the Presi-
dents of the park boards, and three
artists, to- be chosen by the Council.
The committee of three, consisting of
Messrs George B. Post. John La Fargo
and j. @. A. Ward, charged with the
selection of a sculptor for the Lafay-
cite memorial to be presented to the
city of Paris, have decided in favor of
Paul w Bartlett. His sketch model
will now have to be submitted to the
French committee, which is composed
/ of NJ. Redon, architect of the Louvre;
NM. Paul Dubois and Guillaune, sculp-
tors, and M. Rougon. director of the
fine arts. Mr.. Bartlett's suggested
! scheme provides for handsome archi-
tectural arrangement. Raised four
steps above the ground level will be a
smooth floor of masonry, about ninety
feet long by seventy wide. While in a
general way oblong, the four sides are
treated with waving lines that produce
a variety of agreeable curves from ev-
cry point of view. Upon each of the
| long sides, following the curves of the
| floor is a parapet in the center of which
is a group of one seated figure and two
children. In the center of the floor
rises a pedestal, also oblong in sugges-
ton, though treated freely. At each
end of it will be a seated figure, repre-
| nd Inc
tice, and upon the sides will be inscrip-
tons. The pedestal appears to be about
thirty feet high Thus far the whole
structure sculpture included, will be OF
granite. The equestrian figure of La
/ fayette, about fifteen feet high, which is
set upon the pedestal, will be the only
part executed in bronze. In this way
due emphasis will be given to the inn
portant feature of the memorial, and all
the rest, through similarity of material
will present a single effect and be di-
rectly contributory to the main idea
The sketch shows great possibilities 1t
is hoped that by the time the exposition
opens, the floor, parapets and pedestal
may be in position in their final form
and material, and that the sculptor may
be able to set up the sculpture in staff
with sufficient approximation to their
ultimate character to afford an oppor-
tunity for visitors to form a good idea
of what the memorial viii be like when
finished
In a paper by the inventor himself,
read at the last meeting of the Society
of Chemical Industry. the new water
color medium oleosulphate Of soda, was
described. Rufus Herrick is the inven-
tor, and the aim of the inventor was to
| make product which would reproduce
many of the desirable features in water
color work which are obtained in oil
color painting by the use of the drying
oil medium. After many experiments
and much study, this product, which
is linoleic acid Or linseed oil, neutralized
by soda, was obtained, and has been
proven by many tests to be valuable.
The tests Of this medium We're conduct
ed under the personal supervision of a
painter of talent and experience, who
had always discouraged the use of any
medium among his pupils, as well as in
his own water color painting. He was
so convinced of it's merits after two
years experimenting that he now uses
H.
Turner, Louis NJ. Harlow and Louis
Prang have spoken we'll of this me-
dunn, which in appearance is a LIQUID
of pale color, brownish in tone. oily.
| flowing in character, drying on without
staining the paper and has no greasy
proclivities. It protects colors against
dampness, foul airs and gases, fastens
colors better and works as we'll upon
papers of COARSE texture as upon smooth
! finished paper. The best results gre
obtained by painting in. the usual man
ner, the only change necessary being
that a little of the medium is stirred in
the water used in painting, from which
| the washes are made.
| It was the prosperity that set in after
the civil war, coupled with the igno-
rance of many of those who acquired
wealth al that time, which tempted the
! importation Of foreign paintings. The
name attached to the canvas meant
more to the ignorant buyer than the
canvas itself Occasionally, a custom
er would ask the dealer if he had any
American paintings. The dealer would
say "Oh yes" and bring out the typical
winter scene showing a church with an
illuminated steeple and stained glass
windows rejecting colored light on the
snow. Then his customer would say
Guess not" and continue to look at
foreign pot boilers
After a while, esta blshments for the
manufacture of foreign masterpieces
started up-sonre are still going-and
''Corots," s'Daubignys," "Rousseaus, y
"Geromes." and "Meisscniers'' were
supplied at wholesale rates, say $40 a
yard This reminds me Of an advertise
ment l once read: Your last chance
to buy one of our genuine old So Strad-
ivarius violins. Only a few left"
cannot imagine a man. however igno-
rant, being impervious to the immcr-
ality that skulks behind falsehood in
art Everything in his house is above
suspicon-his wife, his children he him
self The one false note is that "Corot'
on his parlor wall. 1 have observed
with amusement that since the Clarke
sale the fraudulent Ypicture-factories
have begun to turn out Illnesses
Pictures of sheep huddled together in
snow storm have probably started
more art collections in this country than
any other class Of canvas. 1t is SAID
of a well-known collector, now dead
that he was induced by canvas OF
this kind to enter an art store. He
was very plainly dressed, and the clerk
who showed him around was barely 20
lite to him. He kept asking the prict
of one canvas after another. When h.
had made the round of the store, he
Etold the clerk that he would like to see
the proprietor. The latter was in
formed by his clerk thai there's g