The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-11
In the Art World >.
BY Lucy B. Jerome

It's pictures and pictures all the time
and everywhere in France, says the
Paris correspondent of the Chicago
Post In the salon there are 1857 oil
paintings and 2.O6S pieces of sculpture.
In the great permanent building,
which was erected at the time of the
last exposition. there are two sections.
The larger one, occupied by the exhibit
ton of the Societe des Artistes Fran
Gals is the exhibition every one knows
as the salon, dating back to 1850. But
of late years the Junior salon has had
its exhibitions and the visitor to Paris
can go from one to the other by the
payment of one franc, or 20 cents.
At all the annual exhibitions there
are several immense canvases bought
by the government; in fact, ordered by
the government for use in the govern
ment buildings scattered through
France. These big pictures show one
the doors and windows in the rooms
where they are expected to go The
doors and windows (painted) are cut
out when the big pictures go in place
TO remain for all tire.
Art is fostered and helped all the
time by the national government and
by the local towns. There is no reason
why our great corporations in America
might not serve the public equally
will be giving it an opportunity to be-
hold and learn to appreciate MASTER
pieces.
When one sees the name of an
American artist in the salon like
Hubert Vos Dutch, but more than half
American), Walter McEwen,- Alexander
Harrison, F. A Bridgman, Thomas
Wentworth and others. one wishes that
their important work might be placed
where the hurrying American public
man and clerk and wOrkingman might
see some of it in their city halls. their
railway stations, courtrooms. banks, etc.
In many cities there are great panels
of patterned marble, very expensive
which might be replaced by fine paint
ings by American artists, of whom
there are plenty able and willing to
meet the call.
The description of the new. decorative
panel just completed by John Singer
Sargent. destined for the Boston public
library and now on exhibition at the
Royal academy, London, as told by the
Philadelphia Ledger, is of interest.
In the center of the lunette sits a
massive, brooding figure. presumably
that Of the deity No face is visible
only the outline of a bent head
SQTOuQRd III the DIOdn uttp AOAUS u q
mantle, winglike in its breadth and
sweep. one mighty arm is bent in
ward and upward toward the yelled
face. and from it springs a scroll bear
ing in Hebrew characters words of the
law. The other arm droops, carries
the scroll across the figure and SEEM
ingly holds it there. The brooding at
titude of the figure, the outstretched
and falling mantle and the massive
legs enfold a vaulted space.
Within it, with uplifted eyes, is the
half kneeling. half crouched figure of
a boy The cast of the pale, slender
oval face is distinctly Semitic; the eyes
seek the deity in wonder, while the up
raised hands seem less clasped in
prayer than expressing some ancient
and cabalistic symbol On each side OF
the deity are three angels with swords.
In the foreground. to right and to left
each angel faces the observer and helps
to bear the scroll of the law.
Behind to the left. another angel
rests on Bonded knee, in watchful pose