New-York tribune., 1903-05-11
FINE FRENCH PICTURES.
The Thirteenth Exhibition of tha
National Society of Fine Arts.
Paris. April 1s

still popularity known that OF "the Champs
de Mars" become more and more subdued. Soft
melting grays. pale yellows. delicate mauves,
and above all, chrornatic scales IN white predom-
mate. The few exceptions are Roll. who gives
the young mother in his masterpiece Mater
nifty" already described by cable. red gownI
CASTOR La Touche. whose golden bIazes OF yeI-
low orange and crimson vivid
ever; Besnard. who in his delicious riversids
nymphs bathing retains his fondness for blues.
greens and reds: Jean Bereaud. who presents for
the second time a scarlet Christ. ard whose
picture of the thirty members Of the family &C
the Duo de Doudeauville IL respIendent with
reds greens and blues Jean Weber In his half
dozen inirnitable caricatures Is lavish with tho
brightest hues OF the rainbow and Truchet. IN his
amusing pictures Of the Bal des Quartres Arts.
remains faithful TO dazzling flesh tints. luminous
whites and brilliant yeIlows- AS TO the subjects
OF the pictures. II is happily TO be noted that
gigantic Official historic are less nuHer-
Gus than ever before. Singulariy enough. por-
traits of women are by no means so plentiful al
hitherto. and portraits of men are exceedingly
rare while nudes are few and far between. On the
other hand landscapes. picturesque anecdotes
and character studies have come into unprece-
dented favor and more numerous than ever
before
Let US first glance at the portraits Certainly
the most striking portrait IN the Salon is that
of Professor Runeberg. dean OF the faculty ot
medicine of Helsingfors. painted IN mastery
manner by EdefeIt. The color scheme IS white.
The white haired professor. wearing white hos
pitaI costume stands. auseultatioE instrument IN
hand, beside nude male patient reclining in
bed II is strong work. quite equal to anything
Edelfeit has yet done. Lucien Simon exhibits
some capital portraits lady IN street dress
and hat about to- go for a walk. another lady
seated In her drawing room surrounded
by children-both treated IN delicate shades
of whites, grays and blacks. IN what
ia called the room OF honor are facs
to face with a characteristic full length
portrait by Carolus-Duran Of Mrs Charles
Henry. In white silk evening dress and wearing
a black hat Here We have the gloss. sheen and
luminous bruliancy upon which the masters rep
utation rests The reflection OF the rays from
the pearl white satin contrast Iuxuriantly with
the black velvet mantle. There are also charming
portraits by Carolus-Duran OF children with
pink cheeks bright. laughing eyes. and with
the color notes tuned 70 the right pitch oy
adroitIy placed roses. The head OF Sem, the
clean shaven Partisan carfcaturist. cleverly and
nervously painted by Boldini Is full Of ex-
preston and viyacity-it IS more virile than
anything yet done by the clever italian portrait
ist. The portrait OF James Gordon Bennett By
portrait of the vicomtesse Leon de Janze by
the same artist Lavery exhibits two excellent
full length portraits. one OF a young lady in gray
dress with a large bunch Of blue gauZs in her
hair, and the other. more loosely composed, in
dark brown Abel Faivre. who has hitherto
confined himself to carfcature. exhibits the poT-
trait of a young lady accompanied by her little
daughter. There is profusion Of flowers in the
background. and the excessive elaboration with
which the dress Is painted detracts attention
from the face. Dagnan-Bouveret exhibits the
portrait OF the Duchesss de Marchena, deli
cate Spanish lady seated. holding fan in the
half extended hand: the background IS com
posed of rnauves and greens. sargents portrait
of the three Misses Hunter, exhibited last year
at the Royal Academy. appears less favOraoly IN
Paris than In London The family group OF Mr..
and Mrs Francis viele-Grffin and their four
daughters Is a work Of open air portraiture.
suggestive OF the old English masters. The half
dozen heads by the same painter are effective
Caro-DeIvaille whose picture OF the Manicure
had such success two years ago in the rival
Salon of the French Artists. Is newcomer az
the Salon of the National Society. and his large
portrait In gray and white OF Mime L. with
her little daughter is an ambitious work, some
what carelessly drawn, but the composition IS
at once captivating and audacious. There Is an
exquisite three-quarter length portrait OF Miss
Bessie Abbott. the American soprano. at the
Opera, by Claude Marief, which IS greatly ad-
mired- The color tones are in soft harmonious
grays and pale straw yellows. It is a capital
likeness and pleasing picture Albert Besnard
exhibits two portraits one OF Mime. Besnard. an
elderly lady bathed IN a flood OF sunshine that
nluminates her white hair. executed in whites
and grays. while in striking contrast 20 this is
bust portrait of Mime. r. with merry laugh
ing countenance. done In brilliant yellows and
pinks. The two female portraits by Anan Jean
one In blue and the other In rubicund tones
have distinction and harmony. Albert Herter.
of New-York. has some clever portraits OF men
composed with distinction
Seldom has the Salon OF the National Society
contained such excellent landscapes. Loon Lher-
mite has taken departure from the
familiar harvesters and cleaners. and lis large.
broadly brushed picture OF the River Marns.
with running water and grand luminosity and
atmosphere with far distant horizon. whils
anglers are casting their flies for roach or chuo.
is a superb and delightful work Fritz ThaulOw
puts In his usual appearance with three pict-
ures OF water running gayly as hitherto. but
his most interesting exhibit Is italian land
scape with autumnal foliage. ths central object
being a delicately painted white marble arch
with veinlike reflections from blue Lombardy
sky Menard has never executed anything more
pleasing or sentimental than his large brown
and blue picture Of the tramps. Les Errants
reposing in a sandy nook OF beach overlooking
a reach of the sea- That rugged Norman strong
hold the Chateau Gaillard. near Andelys on the
Seine is admirably painted by Rene Biotte-
The slanting rays OF the waning lend golden
barYnoutes To the gray masonry OF the