Evening star., 1914-10-18

devoted himself exclusively to portrait
painting and his reputation soon spread
over continental Europe. From 1872
until 1874 he worked in Vienna, where
he received many orders. In 1875 he
visited Morocco. accompanied by Max
art and Leopold Muller. visiting Egypt
before returning to Europe Honors
bestowed and medals given for work
of his which was exhibited in Berlin,
Munich. Paris and Vienna. The por-
trait of Bismarck, which was painted
in 1892. is considered one of the best
examples of his work. 1t Is 4S by 20
inches square.
Detaille. de Neuville and Meissonier
might properly be described as artists
adventurers. in that all three of them
saw military service. and their paint
ings consequently, are not purely
imaginative. Meissoniers life is OF
interest because 1t was he who brought
Detaille into prominence. He was born
in 1915. at time when deep atten-
Pictures must be Photographic in their
exactness to be artistic. Accuracy was
the prime essential
In his early youth Meissonier made
etchings and book illustrations. He
exhibited at the age of twenty-one,
and seven years later won the prize for
paintings of the f1rst-class. In 1S4S
he again won the medal In this same
class In the Paris exhibitions of 1856.
1857 and 1873 he was awarded the
grand medal of honor. His military
experience was remarkable. In the
year when he won his second prize he
was captain of the National Guards.
and eleven years later served under
Napoleon at Solferino. He also served
with distinction during the siege at
Paris. With his death in 1891, France
lost one of her most popular artists.
Detaille's life is as interesting as that
of his teacher. He was born in Paris.
October 5. 1s4S. and began his study
under Meissonier. He Is known to-
day as the .'favorite pupil of that
great teacher and the most perfect
hibited at the Salon in 1868. where his
painting Halt of Infantry was re-
ceived by the judges with high praise.
In the year following he exhibited
Camp ST. Maur." which established his
reputation as one of the most popular
military painters of the day. He won
medals for his work in 1863. 1870 and
medal of honor. He became president
of the Society of French Artists in
1895. In 1873 he was awarded the cross
of the Legion of Honor and was made
officer of the legion in 1881.
Sixteen years later he was made a
commander in the legion and was
awarded the grand Gordon of the Order
of st. Stanislas of Russia and the mil
itary medal of England, issued during
Queen Victoria's jubilee.
When the Franco-Prussian war broke
out Detaille entered the army with the
double idea of serving his country and
obtaining material for his battle scenes
first hand. He was then twenty-five
years old
-
age battles and the work of intrench-
ing positions which took most of his
time, Detaille managed to fill his note
book with sketches which proved to
be invaluable afterward. Indeed. the
intensely human appeal which he has
put into SO many of his pictures is
the result of a perfect reproduction Of
some scene that passed before his
eyes.
In spite of the exactness with which
he portrays war, he is able to avoid
the CHASTITY horrors which students OF
realism insist must go into their works.
He shows the suffering or war and Its
pathos without revolving The senses.
A number Of his paintings are on ex-
hibition in various galleries. private
and public, throughout the Unitso
states. He died december "a. 1917.
Alphonse de Neuville, has record tor
military service, comoined with arts
wnlcn picturesque as ms cotem-
porary. He was born in SAINT omer'
France, May 81, 1886, ana died IN fariss
May ~, 1905. His teachers were Picot
ana flis. Both he and MelssonIer
were the children of arlstocratlc par
ents, VINO desired them TO Ioiio" some
profession.
To satisfy his parents ambitions. de
Neuville devoted three years OF his lie
to the study OF law. Tne uncertainty
of the man concerning his future IKE
is best Illustrated ny the manner IN
whicn ne abruptly forsook the law ana
entered a naval training scnool, where
he remained Tor more than year.
While there he was constantly skeeGn
ing and the merit apparent IN ms
work led his friends to urge him 70
take up painting seriously.
He did this and his first revenue
came as an illustrator Of books When
the Franco-Prussian war broke out ne
was commissioned an ofticer OF en-
yineers because of his ability as .
draughtsman, and thus came to witness
the struggle at first hand
When the war was over he returned
to Paris and began to paint what he
had seen. Discarding much of the de-
. tail, regarded as SO essential by Meis-
sonier, he sought to put into his pic
lures vividness and force and action.
That he succeeded is established be-
yond question when one remembers
that he is the most popular war paint
er in all France and has his admirers
throughout the world. He was award
ed the Legion of Honor ribbon in 1873
and made an officer of the legion in
1881.
Whether the present war will pro-
duce another Meissonier or Detaille or
de Neuville only, the future can tell.
Undoubtedly in the armies of France.
Russia, England, Austria and Germany
there are hundreds of young artists
who hope when the days of peace ar
rive to become famous. 1t may be that
the founder of some other new school
of art will arise when this war 10
ended.