The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07
DEATH OF Il RICH WOMAN
IN n PARTISAN CONVENT
NAY BE INVESTIGATED

CONCLUDED FROM PAGE /. PART u
but on condition that | was to write moth
ing about IT. He merely received me 10
oblige the person who favored me with a
letter of Introduction to him and to graf
lily, If possible, any personal curiosity I
might feel about Japanese affairs When
L saw him Chinese affairs seemed In a
violent state Of ebullition and he had just
come from ST. petersburg and Berlin. one
or the things he said was that Japan took
so quickly European varnish because al
ready so thoroughly civilized. She had no
scoria of barbarism to throw off. She had
been civilized from the Korea, while the
greater part of Europe lay i'm darkness.
Japan at no time could have furnished n
great dramatic author with those gruesome
scenes that are so frequent in the his
torical plays of Shakespeare While the
English House of Commons was busy cut
ting off the head of King Charles the Jap
aneSe were settling the conditions on which
the Mikado was TO retire TO a nominal
sovereignty, and they acted toward him
handsomely and respectfully.
The two pillars of European society and
OF her different states, until quite recently
were the headsman and the hangman RAJ
tionalistic ethics and sweet, sociable senti-
ment did more for Japan than Christianity
for Europe. At any rate, so the Marquis
OF Ito imagined. But he modestly added
that he might have judged from Inadequate
evidence, and not sufficiently taken into
account the great fact that the island en-
pire had no military state near her until
Russia had advanced to East Siberia. More
than any other civilized state Japan had,
through the ages, led her own life and de-
velOped on her own lines.
Ito Is Liberal and said on this occasion
that he would have been, if an Englishman,
Gladstonian. He thought the French
approached nearest to the Japanese in
light-nearted playfulness of character and
cheerfulness i'm getting through their work
The Americans had the genius of mechan-
ical invention and commercial affairs and
their ladies seemed TO him born artists.
EXHIBITION OF PICTURES.
Although winter holds us in its grip 1--WE
have had three days running of hard frost,
an event which does not happen so often in
our mild European winters), yet signs of
coming spring are apparent on all sides.
Spring u.s. par excellence, the season Of
picture shows. The most famous ones are,
of course. the salons. but the exhibition of
paintings at the Cercle Volney-a fashion,
able Clubs a well-established social func-
ton. 1t usually marks the beginning of
the season..
The Cercle Volney exhibition which
President Loubet opened yesterday, is in
! teresting chiefly on account of its portraits.
/ The private shows, as / have noticed for
the last year or two. are making this
branch of art more and more a speciality.
NJ. Bouguereau, one of the founders Of
the Volney show. causes a sensation. AS
you are aware (this artist being as well
known in the United tSates as in Franco.
/ Nj. Bouguereau has achieved his fame and
made his fortune by painting, year after
year for thirty or forty years, pictures
with all the grace and all the insipidness
of the most uncompromislng academy style.
/ No master has had so many slavish imi-
tators I'm the old world as well as the new.
Not only Bouguereau himself. but his num-
| berleSS pupils, may be instantly recognized
i by the little angels I'm their pictures
/ painted like Dresden china cherubs and
goddesses that look as if made of iced
| creams
Well Bouguereau has turned impression
list In his Little Girl by the Seaside his
| object seems TO be TO show the world that
! he. too, can paint broadly If he chooses
/ Verdi. Gercme (who died the other day.
| and many other masters have shown SIM
liar changes Of manner at an advanced
| age. The painter Humbert, i'm a recent
| speech at the Academy of Fine Arts. gave
his opinion that a likeness ought TO be
like" adding that. in the case of ladies
| lone may embellish Just a little and hide
| certain defects" This speech came to my
mind on noticing portraits OF some prom
| inent men and women in which Humbert
| has evidently carried out both the above
! rules. NJ Carolus Duran has marked tims
| for the last few years. His younger and
| more successful rival. NJ. Chartrain. has
/ taken away from him most of his Amer.
lean customers and l cannot pity him. NJ
/ Carolus Duran. moreover, is wealthy
/ enough TO give up active work.
| NJ Gabriel Terrier shows I'm his portrai'
of the Comte de. Blois that he has made
| much progress since last year and peopl,
! will look forward with expectation 10 hi.
/ portrait OF Plus y, which he is holding
/ back for the coming salon.
A sensation OF this exhibition is a DO
| litical satire by the well-known speciaiis
in this line, Jean Weber This painter. o.
somewhat reactionary tendencies. pander
| ing TO the anti-republican tastes OF the ma.
jority OF the Nolney Club. shows. in a sym
bolic composition. the French Republic,
i IRA Mi in
/ thousands OF helpless beings on a liliputiar
| scale. The republic in the guise of
coarse-featured, hateful virago. wearing
| the red phrygian cap. has run amucl
among the old-established institutions O
the country and il wrecking everything.
IL is an uncandid and very unjust satir,
on the policy OF Premier COmbes at leas
according TO the clerical gospel