The record-union., 1899-05-21

a landscape, with figures, 35x1O inches,
called La Toilette" by Cesot, sold for
$4,000 francs, which is said to be the
highest price ever paid for a Corot at
public sale, the next lower being that
artists sOrpheus," somewhat larger,
but finer canvas, for which Potter
Palmer paid 115, 900 francs at the Cot
tier sale, which took place in Paris
few years ago. Other prices fetched
at the Desfosses sale were 60U00 francs
for huge Courbet, called THE Ate
Her." and chiefly valuable for the small
figure portraits of Courbet's FELLOWSHIP
dents, who have since become famous,
and $4,000 francs for a Cain landscape,
which figured in the exhibition of that
artists work held in New York few
winters ago. Everything considered,
however, the most remarkable price OBJ
tanned in the entire sale was $4,000
francs for 12x16 inches marine, called
THE Bark" by Millet. which came
from the Duncan collection in London,
and therefore seems but little known.
The composition, which is simplicity it
self, consists of an open yawl, with a
clumsy sail, manned by two men.
scudding across the wake of the moon
reflected on the eheppy waves from be-'
hind an obecuring cloud. Other we'll
known artists represented were Troyon,
Rousseau, Daubigny, Diaz, Jules Dupre.
Boudin, Harpignies, Henner, Isabey,
Jongkind, Ribot, Mesnard, Renouard,
Besnard, Delacroix, Daumier, Courbet,
Thaulow, Monet, Sisley, Pissarro and
Raffaelli.
Virginia c.. Johnson. in the April
Art Interchange, condensed for Pub
lie Opinion: Before any one can judge
as to the merits of impressionalism i'll
painting, or as to the right of an artist
to call himself an impressionist, we
must first understand the laws govern
ing sight in an impression. An i'm
preston, you will agree is the effect
upon ones consciousness of a hasty
glance at any object; the mind may
work at its best in that glance, but the
glance must be hasty. You have an
ideas but not full knowledge of the
object viewed. The ordinary impress
slonS of a casual observer should be
the legitimate field of the impression
list. This is not saying that the i'm
pressionist may have but one glance
at an object from which to paint his
picture, for we must take into consid-
Grafton the fallibility and incapacity of
the powers of cognition, on account of
which another and yet another hasty
look is given to verify the first Con-
corning the great law governing the
fixture of an image upon the mind, Sir
William Hamilton's teaching is to the
effect that thousands of objects are
thrown through the pupil of the eye
upon the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
however, failing signally in fixing more
than seven objects or groups of OBJ
JectS upon the retentum or conscious
ness proper at one and the same in
stant the other objects remaining in
what he calls latent impressions. BY
group is meant, for example a tree
in mass or blur, all the rays from
the leaves having passed and crossed
each other, and having been so inter
cepted and fused by the atmosphere as
to seem to be one simple object The
impreSsionist should show upon his
canvas landscape, for instane. as it
would be seen by the casual observer
that is, an observer who however lit
htle of an artist he may be, is neyerthe-
less true observer So to be con-
sistent the impressionist should posi-
bly, never represent more than seven
objects or groups of objects upon his
canvas at once. But the casual OBJ
server, if a lover of beauty, might give.
anywhere from one to seven or ten
glances at a landscape or figure in
passing, SO it seems it might be better
to leave the artist to judge as to the
extent of scrutiny which his subject
demands-the less the better One of
my impressions, made as a test case,
was a landscape; glance showed me
group of reddish woods, purple,
hazy distance, a blush sky, a pale
yellow foreground with brown streaks,
and maybe little green mixed with
the autumnal foliage; my second
glance verified the first, after which 1
looked upon a part only of the scene,
for lover of nature would do that. as
the landscape was exceedingly lovely
and interesting. So I proceeded to
analytic first the sky, then the foliage
etc, taking in from one to seven diff
ferent impressions of each important
section, but endeavoring to keep as
many of the other important points in
my vision with each analysis as pos
sible. The detailist, if 1 may use the
WORD, seems more solicitous in pointing
out the beauties of his subject to the
uninitiated, but / doubt if he is always
as true to nature as the impressionist.
OF course, preference for one or the
other, as rule, is caused by individual
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