Milford chronicle., 1901-07-19
1.-THE WOOD sAWYERS."

In The Century Frederick Keppel
writes thus of AIillet's 1.-The Wood Saw
yers''
1t is well known that although the pic
lures Of Jean-FrancOis Millet were sadly |
neglected during the artists lifetime, yet
very shortly after his death not only were |
his finished paintings, aquarelles, draw
ings and etchings eagerly collected, classl- |
fed and studied, but even the slightest
scrap of a sketch from his hand was dig
nified into a Tot and eagerly competed
for at the auction sales of the Hotel
DruOt in Paris, and it may be regarded
as an extraordinary thing that his
wood Sawyers," a finished painting
which may rank among his very finest
should with propriety now be presented
| in monthly magazine as a sort Of nov
city.
Why is not "The Wood Sawyers" as
well known as the universally known
"Angelus" Both pictures are the prod
net Of about the same period, are Of near
ly similar size and Importance, and on
one memorable though little known Oc-
casion, when these two masterpieces were
placed side by side and offered for sale to
an enlightened and wealthy collector, he
selected "The Wood Sawyers" and re-
4
after the time when Millet was very glad
to sell the latter picture for 1900 francs
but long before NJ. Chauchard Of Paris
paid 10000 francs for it-that it drifted
into the possession Of NJ. Deschamps, a
Frenchman of great taste and knowledge
OF pictures who was at that time doing
business in London. One Of his clients in
England was the eminent Greek mer-
. chant Constantine IOnides, who long re-
sided at Brighton, where he recently died
after having made a collection Of pic
= lures of unsurpassed quality.
: NJ. Deschamps, knowing that Ionide'
q had long desired to procure an example
= Of Millet which would satisfy his exact
:. ing requirements, sent word to the grea
merchant that he could offer him not onl!
> one, but two such pictures. 1t is know
- that IOnides was himself a capital judge
:, yet he seldom would venture to buy a pic
: ture unless his own opinion of it cOul
, be Endorsed by that of still another em
!. nent foreigner resident in England. Thi
= was AlphOnse LegrOs, painter, sculptor
: etcher and for 20 years Slade prOfessO
~ OF art at University college, London. q
IN will be remembered that John Ruski
~ filed the corresponding Slade professor
" ship at OxfOrd.)
70 This was the man, then, whom Coz
,a stantine IOnides took with him when /
went to the house Of Deschamps to pu
NJ chase picture by Millet. The tw
Dt paintings were placed side by side befOl
or the visitors. "The Wood Sawyers" WI
10 slightly the larger canvas, measuriI
20 about SO inches in width, and its pri'
70 was 1900, while the price Of "The A
al gelus" was $500. IOnides, desiring
to have the better picture, was inclined
n take the dearer one, but declared that
rs would be guided in his choice by LegrC
A. Thus appealed TO, LegrOs made answt
"a IF you want the really great picture
,ir these two, take THE Wood Sawyers,
nh and thus the choice was made. The p
lilo ture has since been clustered in the ma
IN sion at Brighton, while its eompani
cd was destined to cross the Atlantic twi
before finding its present resting place
Paris.
The seclusion which has been the Il
Of the picture under consideration seen
in measure, also to have followed
VI, single reproduction Of it which has hi
We ertO been made. This reproduction
le- rather translation Of it into the languG
nc OF black and Whites the wonderful
40 able etching done from Millet's paint
"a by the Scottish artist William HI
N' This etching was issued In very limi
edition and has now become scarce