The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-25

seems like an old friend. Is the original q
the ~sll-known engraving. "ShskespesTe
and his Friends y j. the work 81
/ Thomas not John. Fsed. scotch painter.
| aEt pupil Of Wilkie and vas engraved by
James Fsed. brother or nephew of the
| artist
| Renoufs Helping Hand Is best known
/ as the original OF print very popular ic-
4 day IL was sent TO France az the request
/ Of the artist and exhibited at the EXPOSE
/ ton q Iss9, under the title Of "Un Coup
\ Dc Main"
The original OF Daniel Huntingtou's
/ "MerCv'S Dream belonged TO the late
/ Marshall % Roberts and vas sold Al thu
/ sale OF his collection year or more ago
/ The picture in the Corcoran Gallery II
! replica. painted by the artist FOR the eu-
/ sTaver and lacks the deliCacy OF T0uch
\ and the refinement OF finish for which
/ the painter Is noted. IL s a source OF
/ annoyance 10 him that the picture IS on
/ exhibition as an original. and he has made
! vain efforts 10 set It into his own posses
/ sion.
q. Historic Value.
Another class OF pictures. interesting
/ not so much from an artistic as from
/ historical standpoint includes those
/ painted 10 commemorate notable events
/ in American history. Among these. that
/ representing THE Geneva Conference
/ Is noteworthy. II was painted by the
/ distinguished French artist Armand-Dum-
aresq. a painter who has several times
+ shown fondness for American subjects.
I having painted The Signing Of the Dec
/ iaratiOn of Independence and The sur
D p nd Of Nz-t
traits hangs underneath this picture The
/ lack of this important assistant TO the
| proper understanding OF such paintings
renders the large canvas showing the old
/ House Of Representatives OF comparative
b " little historical value This old picture
/ is, however. most interesting q 5 an early
work OF Samuel +. 3. Morse, who. In
later life. was World-renowned as
/ scientist. This forgotten picture was dis
I covered rolled up and neglected among
the rubbish Of dealers basement by an
afust who recognized &c, bought II for a
I tIlne, cieaned,and restored IL. Congress was
| asked TO purchase it for the Capitol and
/ In all probability would have done 40
but for the fact that il was impossible to
/ ldentify many Of the distinguished men
/ represented
To mention the beautiful and sati.fsc-
/ tory works Of art which abound In this
gallery would make this article far ex
/ Ceeu us limit, nor Is a description of such
| pictures necessary. Every one can admire
/ the softnesS OF the Landscape in Corot's
I WOOD Gatherers,' the spirited action Of
/ the figures in knaus' "Forester's Home"
/ the grandeur Of Bierstadts Mount Cor
! coran,' and the pathos OF Muller's famous
/ Charlotte Corday." Boughton's Heir
Presumptive," Truesdelrs Going to Pas
/ ture.' the lovely sesscape by Richards,
and the wonderfully realistic war scenes
/ by Detaille will always attract the atten-
ton of visitors by their artistic perfec-
/ ton; while the names OF Inness. Bridg-
/ man. Rousseau, Kensett, Clifford and 9th
/ ers equally we'll known will always draw
| admirers to the works bearing them
/ most interesting and noteworthy pic
/ tGre is Beckers historical canvas repre-
I senting Pope Julius ii. Raphael. Michel
angelo, Bramante, and Vittoria C0lonns
examining the statue Of the Apollo Bel
vedere. which had been disco ycred at the
close Of the fifteenth century I'm a villa at
| GTstta FeTrata. The portraits of the dig
( tirguished persons are taken from au-
+. thentic and contemporary work. that OF
! the Pope being copy Of Raphaers IA
/ nous portrait Of the art-loving pOntif. At
! first glance the statue in the foreground
seems disprOportiOnately large. but the
fine cast OF the Apollo in the collection on
the first floor of the gallery Affords an
/ orIortunity for contrasting IL win the
human figure and will convince the critic
that the artist has preserved the due
| sense Of proportion.
Portraits and Plaster Casts.
Among the numerous portraits in he
gallery the series Of the Presidents of he
/ United States from Washington 10 Lin
/ con- are said TO have been ordered by
| Louis Philippe for the gallery Of N"rsail-
les 1t is not stated why they were not de-
! liVered nor can il be told with certainty.
| Presumably the unstable government OF
the citizen King came 20 an untmely end
before the contract could lie carried out.
There are two portraits by Rembrandt
Peale. not very interesting or important
! examples Of his work, and no less than
six by the veteran artist, Daniel Hun
| tingtOn, who. now in his etghty-thlrd
| year. is still painting with undated Wig
or. Of these the portraits of Mr.. and Mrs.
Kendall, whose name is perpetuated in
Kendall Green, have recently been pre-
scented TO the gallery by their grand
daughter.
The collection OF casts or celebrated
pieces Of ancient and modern sculpture
| exhibited on the ground floor Of the Cor
cOran Building is important and well set
one serious error in the labelling should
be corrected; the group OF the Vista
ton" No. 1.341. Is ascribed to Della Rob-
( ba," and the wherea bOuts of the original
is not apparently known. Neither Luca
della Robbia, nor his relatives. Andrea
and Giovanni, and their sons. ever exc
! cuted complete statues. Their fame rests
entirely on their bas-reliefs. The marble
group OF the Visitation" g. IN the
/ Church Of San Giovanni Fuorcivitas In
the little town of PistOia, and is attrib-
uted by MuntZ and other authorities 10
I Fra Paolino. a monk OF that city and a
follower Of Fra Bartolomeo
OF modern American sculpture the most
/ important example IS the celebrated
! Greek slave by Hiram Powers. An in
| teFesting colossal statue Of Alexander
Hamilton, by William Partridge, Is now
on temporary exhibition by the courtesy
or the artist.
No mention can be made in this article
| OF the valuable collection OF Barye
| brOnZes. nor OF the treasures OF glass and
cioisOnne, nor can We examine the repro
Z ductlOn Of carvings and minor works Of
I art, although these collections would re-
! pay careful study.
| The pictures IL this gallery are well
/ and distinctly labeled. and the catalogue
shows that IL has been prepared With
1 care.
HENRIETTA IRVING BOLTON.
L0BSTERS ARE SCARCE.