The sun., 1905-12-17

bring their misery to the personal notice
OF their Little Father, the Car of all the
Russias Led by Father Gapon they went
In their thousands.
In the immense square in front of
the Winter Palace they saw, drawn up
before their Little Fathers house, his
soldiers, and without delay or warning of
any kind the foot soldiers delivered his
welcome-three murderous volleys. And
while the helpless folk still stood in their first
daze Of utter bewilderment. while their
wounded still writhed in their first sharp
agony, ere the bodies OF their dead had
time to lie at rest, the Little Fathers horse
soldiers we're hurled upon them, slashing
them with sabres and trampline them un-
der foot.
That event, red on the page Of history
as was then the peoples blood on the snow,
is the subject OF kossaks picture. AL
though not present at the time, the artist
hastened to st. Petersburg on hearing
Of the happenings. Hemade studies on the
spot and got particulars from eyewitnesses,
and this graphic presentment is the result.
OF works OF this kind one does not, per-
haps, demand much more than that they
shall be reasonably convincing. Red
ouuudy ID ltlllDly
and the more 80 because the painter has
been careful to avoid all that savors Of
cheap sensationhlism.
There are no ghastly wounds, no horrible
distortions, nothing that distracts atten-
tion from the big facts, and these are con-
Veyed 80 forcibly that the spectators feel
ing is rather that Of one who actually partici-
pates in the scene than that of one who
L i.
The illusory effect is surprisingly good. The
soene is, Of course, the square on which
the Winter Palace faces, and the procession
has reached the lofty column in the centre
OF that great square the column bearing
aloft the statue Of the Angel of Peace.
The centre of the square is also the centre
Of the picture, and all about the columns
base are the people, brought to a stand
still, decmated by the startling volleys
from the infantry drawn up in line before
the palace, on the right Of the picture.
The bullets have played their part and
into the dense ranks of the crowd now
ride the dragoon guards. The leading
squadron has just reached the people.
Above their heads you see the fierce faces
of the troopers, the lifted sabres and plung-
ing horses
Opposed to these, at the head Of the
people, stands Father Gapon holding high
D great crucifi1; and a troopers horse
swerves to avoid the resolute man. Still
more conspicuous, in the foreground Of
the picture is frenzied workman, aflame
with enthusiasm, tearing apart his dress to
bare his breast to the bullets.
Behind these is the crowd-a priest with
an ikon, shrinking beneath descending
Al u.
dren; an old man supporting a dying girl;
men, women and children thrown In a
huddle starting apart turning to flee,
begging for mercy, bending over PROSTATE
forms, waving banners wildly, or stock
still In amazement or fear, Scattered
about where they fell staining the snow
with their blood are the wounded and
dead.
Here student breaks out of the ranks,
and there, at the left, is another. seized
by the police. From bver at the back, at
the left the police are rushing UP, and
people turn from the sabres OF the dra-
Roons to the revolvers Of the police.
Above is the high, clear sky. Across the
foreground is the shadow of a cloud, but
further away the sunlight lies soft and
bright on the snow and on the house of the
Little Father. 1t was fine day a day that
brought out all the children. Twenty-six
children fell dead when the Little Fathers
Soldiers fired.
Such are the doings commemorated by
Albert dc Kossak, q man possessing special
qualifications for carrying this kind Of
undertaking to successful issue. Born in
Paris in 1851, the son Of Jules Kossak, the
Polish painter and teacher and tho god