New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-23
THE NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS
Con tinued from hrst page.

Continued from hrst paGe.
Miracle Of the Sacred Fire" in the Churcn OF
the Holy Sepulchre at jerusalem is pre-
Raphaelite masterpiece, strong IN technique
h.autif,,l in color dramatic in action and me-
dieval in spirit and method. 1t portrays the
Easter service around the traditional Holy
sepulchre where pilgrims are improvisins
crude scenes from the Passion Play and enact
ing them without irreverence. Mahometan om-
c,a,s and soldiers are present TO prevent the
Christians from wranglng and are Selling their
prisoners; the sacred fire is flaming from the
side Of the altar and the Greeks and Armenians
are frantic with delight: the Patriarch and
priests are at the door to testify that the miracle
Is real and that the fire has not been brought
into the church: excited spectators are reaching
down from the galleries to light their tapers.
and the pilgrims below them have their candles
ready. The canvas is crowded with figures.
and the whirng scene of religious warfare and
fanaticism is reproduced with the realism and
simplicity characteristic of old-time painters
like Memling This picture has required many
years Of close observation and arduous work.
and offers supreme proof of the sincerity and
consistency OF Mr.. Holman Hunt as the last OF
the English pre- Raphaelites.
or four portraits. this years exhibition. opening
on Monday. is commonplace. There Is only one
Sargent. and this is not sensational one; 1t is
portrait Of Colonel Ian Hamilton. alert. digni
fed, resourceful. but without those elements of
arrested motion and spontaneous effect associ
ated with Mr.. Sargents broad, rapid brush
work Mr.. Watts has a strong portrait Of Lord
Roberts and two characteristic examples Of
Venetian effects in coloring. Mr.. Shannon has
three portraits painted in his best style with
ingenious decorative schemes His best subject
is Lady Henry Cavendsh Bentinck, and the
work is highly artistic in pose and dainty In
coloring The portrait of Mrs. Senior Is also
painted with exquisite refinement. and the work
entitled Magnolia" is most ingenious In color
scheme and the figure is well posed and mod
elled. Mr. Alfred East has the best landscape,
a poetic picture of the land loved by Shake
speare and Mr. Napier Henry the finest marine,
with a dereict boat and strong water painting
Messrs Macwhirter. Boughton. Allan Parsons
and Herbert Marshall have characteristic works.
but there is little painting that is essentially
different from what lie seen every year at the
Academy New men are not coming on MT
Edward Stott has dreamy picture OF trees. a
pool and sheep. with striking effects Of color
and Mr.. Edmond van Hove sends from Bruges
two quaint works; but such originality as there
is must be sought in fantastic color arrange
ment. without drawing or composition.
The Royal Academy exhibition. opening
week hence. does not promise TO be strong in
any branch Of art except landscapes; there Will
be few subject and figure pictures. and little
genre work.
The Society Of Painters in Water Colors has
q large but not brilliant show with private
view to-day. Mr.. Arthur Melville. has two au-
dacious impressionist pictures, and Mr. j. M
Swan a real romance on canvas.
The Fine Art Society has also brought out
series OF paintings and drawings Of London by
signor Pisa and MI r. Cation Woodve's stir
ring picture OF the remnant Of the Light Brig
ade after the famous charge is shown at another
gallery.
There will be six new plays next week at the
theatres the most important being Mr.. Edward
Roses In Days Of Old" at the st. Jamess. and
Change Alley" at the Garrick. The booking
for "Robesperre' at the Lyceum is very heavy,
and a run Of hundred nights is already as
sured. The best answer to the censorious criti-
oism to which Mrs Cragie's play Repentance"
was subjected here Is the fact that she has dis
posed Of the acting rights of the piece for
France Germany. Austro- Hungary and Russia.
IL Will be translated into four languages, anu
produced before the end Of the year in the lead
ing theatres OF those countries. Mr.. Edwin FL
cars "Caractacus' has been received with great
enthusiasm at Albert Hall, and the composer
was repeatedly recalled.
The statement from Vienna that so per cent
of the combined fortunes Of Baron and Baroness
de Hrsch. amounting to nearly f25O000O0. has
been converted into a charity legacy is not yet
authoritativey confirmed. While the late Bar
oness undoubtedly left immense requests for
charities. the fortune at her disposal was much
smaller than credulous writer's for the press
have supposed This IL the opinion Of experts
At Somerset House who know how easily the
value Of great estates is magnihed by the popu-
lar Imagination.
The Quarterly Review" has come TO the
rescue Of lovers OF old oak furniture by printing
an expert article on the subject with practical
tests for detecting the impostures now prac-
tised by dealers who import soft oak from Elan
ders and pass II off a genuine example of
the woodcarver's art in old-time England. Many
OF those famous bargains on which American
tourists plume themselves are spurious copies
Of bastard designs. l. n. F.
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PARIS