Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-16

there stands his monumental group Of Swift
zerland Aiding Strasbsurg in her Sorrow
while In the Swiss town of that name he
has another great monument Of French SOL
diers killed at Schinanach in 1870.
| learned these things In the Rue d Assas
Paris There. some fifteen years ago. Par
thofdi, after seeking vainly to bhy n NOBLE
old private hotel fronting the Buxem-
bourg Gardens. finally took 1t on a thirty
years lease and proceeded to tear CIT and
fit up an ideal wealthy artists residence
in II.
There now, a sweet-faced, aged lady.
very slender. very aristocratic very white
dr essed all in widows black preserves each
piece of furniture Ind bric-a-brac. each
sketch and painting, each statue. statuette
and clay model. as Bartholdi left It.
The place contains magnificent old Asa
Clan wood-carved cabinets. wardrobes,
desks. clothes press IS. clocks and tables.
The walls of the dining room are literally
covered with old family porcelain.
Apart from the family portraits, Of which
there must be over fifty. the house is full of
paintings. BaTtholdi. indeed, began life as
student of painting under AIRY scheffer.
and while only twenty-five years of age he
was travelling in the east in company with
the seinter Gerome-who, like Bartholdi, af
terward turned very much to sculpture. All
his life Bartholdi had been the associate
and friend of Paris painters, and he had
money to buy up sketches and finished
works that struck his fancy or his benevo-
lerce.
Fa1ntlngs Dy barthotdi
There are quantities of paintings by Bar
thold himself. who never quite gave up
that art Madame Barthold is particularly
proud of two companion canvases. only one
of which she now possesses-the other being
in America.
They are primitive California" and
Modern California" and they represent
Bartholdfs poetical appreciation of the
transformation of the land of gold into a
golden land-in the triumph of the gold of
wheat and fruit. For that matter the de-
ceased sculptor was rather given to such
allegories in painting His widow holds
true gem In this styie-'The Ancient Spirit
Fleeing Before the Modern" where fright
ened fauns and nymphs are getting out of
the way Of an approaching railway train.
What she most values, however. is a very
large collection of hundreds of rapid oil and
water-color sketches and studies of Swiss
lake and mountain scenery, done by her
husband on small wooden plaques as thin
as pasteboard during their summer vaca-
ton trips.
There are two studios proper. two very
spacious and artistically furnished library
studies. long music room Cher favorite
room and full of memories for madameb. a
very spacious billiard room and smoking
parlors and the dining room, complete the
apartments we were shown.
Through 1t all the white-faced aged lady
In black moves like a ghost.
died." she whispered to US. There is where
he satr' (She pointed to the piano stool
beside an Erard srand.1 we played Bach
and Beethoven. His mother played the
flute. the violin and he the piano accom-
paniment- It does not seem so long ago.
Yet 1t was fairly long ago. faded pho
tographs attest. the first few years of their
inhabiting the Rue dAssas house. before
BartholdFs venerable mother died.
Naturally she brought me back again and
again from the fascinating house to the
works Of her beloved husband. Indeed,
there was something almost fanatical In
her ardor for Bartholdfs fame and memory
She had given me more photographs than
/ could use As ! chose among the more
striking. / suggested that certain portrait
of herself would prove OF immense interest
mo" she fiuttered. very positively; and
I saw that It was final. at don't matter.
Put this in instead And she handed me
1.-The Curse Of Alsace."
1t IL the same with the kindly sculptor
Rubin. Bartholdrs old co-worker. who re-