The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-23

as a CAPTAIN Of the national guard, and
in 1871 he again volunteered as stan
officer. He followed Napoleon III 70
Italy in 1859, and from this was the
beginning of the long series of mill
tary and NapOleOnic pictures, for 1t
was here that he obtained his first in
spiration. His initial composition was
the Battle of SOlfeTin0, now at the
Luxembourg, Paris; it appeared orlgi-
naIly in the salon of 1861. Napoleon
III Offering little further military IN
aDiration the artist turnad to the Lit
tie Corporal, from whom he received
his greatest impetus.
Three important compositions IOl-
lowed. with long intervals. for Mels-
sonier worked always with great con
scientiOuSness, and let no picture go
from his studio until there was abso-
lutely nothing left for him to do on
the canvas. These works are entitled
1905, 1897" and 1871" and represent
three epOchs in the life of the great
general. The 1897" is owned by the
METROPOLITAN Museum of Art IN New
York City, and is the most important
Of the three. It was purchased olgln-
ally by the late A. T. Stewart, the
great dry goods merchant of New
York. who paid for it the sum Of $50
geo in 1876. 1t had cost the artist the
labor of fifteen years. 1t represents
Napoleon the First reviewing his
troops after the nine-hOUr fight at the
/ battle of FTiedland. The Twelfth CUR
rassiers are gallOping past, waving
/ their swords and cheering their be
loved commander. Portraits Of many
famous generals are given, and the
troops are riding through field or
waving grain. It is a masterpiece OF
detail, though on 50 large scale tho
O. ct FaaT'f Gs
( in smaller panels.
/ In 1855 he painted a famous picture
( of a brawI among some cavaliers.
called La Rixe'' (The Quarrel, which
4 was bought by the queen of England.
! It is remarkable for its action, its de-
/ tail and the realism 81 +he No-77->ost-
/ ton. A list of his pictures, however,
would fill more than a CJlUinA u as
paper They are always small ana
/ generally of men in interiors. OccaSlon-
aIIy he painted out of doors. and hls
/ studies of horses are am0ng the best
ever done. for he made himself COM
! Dlete master Of the animal, famiIariz-
I ing himself with the drawing and the
anatomy until no one exceiled him.
/ During his life his pictures brought
/ him enormous prices, and since he has
died their value has increased. It IS
no exaggeration to say that his panels
are worth more than their weight IN
gold. though this signifies little, since
I they are so small, as a rule. Little
panels on wood, six inches square,
/ have sold for many thousand dollars
AT public auction, and whenever there
is anything by the man announced Tor
sale there is always a scramble 10 OD-
tain poasession OF the picture.
A great German art writer once said
of him;
Precious without originality, in
te1Iigent without imagination, dexter
ous without verve, elegant without
charm. refined and subtle without deli
cacv. Meissonier has all the qualities
that interest and none Of those that
Law hold Of one. He was a painter OF
q distinctneSs which causes astOnish-
ment. but not admiration; not an artist
for epicurgs. but for those Of the sec
ond order. who pay the more highly
for works Of art in proportion as they
value their artifice-
This TO a certain extent IS all true
Yet the man will be accorded a hlgf
Mace when the perspective of time WI
De NIT an unbiased opinion OF MS
talents. His drawing was Temarka Die
his color was just and attractive: ri;
conpositions we're Of astonishing com
pleteness and his choice Of subject
wac always interesting. Surely thss.
ore many qualities to encompass II
ones work. and a man who possesse,
no many Of them can only be regarded
as a great artist. despite certain lach
ings. for Il is given to only q few Il
he absolutely perfect in their art.