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One of the favorite painters of Paris is Ingres, renowned especially
for the beauty of his designs from the human figure, and the sweetness
of his coloring. Eight years ago he was commissioned by M. de Luynes,
who then wore the title of Duke--which, it must be said, he is
still called by, though the Republic frowns on such aristocratic
distinctions--to paint two historical pictures in fresco, for a
country-house near Paris. The subjects were left to the choice of
the artist, who was to have 100,000 francs (or £20,000) for the two
pictures, one quarter of which was paid him in advance. During these
eight years Mr. Ingres has begun various designs, and done his best
to satisfy himself in the planning and execution of the pictures; but
in vain did he blot out one design and labor long and earnestly upon
another--success still fled from his pencil. At last, after eight
years' fruitless exertion, he despaired, and going to M. de Luynes,
told him that he could not make the pictures. At the same time he
offered to return the £5,000; but M. de Luynes, one of the most
munificent gentlemen in France, refused to receive it. Madame Ingres,
however, arranged the difficulty. She remembered that during these
eight years her kitchen had been regularly supplied with vegetables
from M. de Luynes' garden, and these she insisted on paying for. "Very
well," said M. de Luynes, "if you will have it so, my gardener shall
bring you his bill." Accordingly, not long after, the gardener brought
a bill for twenty-five francs. "My friend," said Madame Ingres to him,
"you are mistaken in the amount: this is very natural, considering the
length of the time. I have a better memory: your master will find in
this envelope the exact sum." When M. de Luynes opened the envelope,
he found in it bills for twenty thousand francs.
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LESTER, BRADY & DAVIGNON's "_Gallery of Illustrious Americans_," is
very favorably noticed generally by the foreign critics. _The Art
Journal_ says of it: "This work is, as its title imports, of a
strictly national character, consisting of portraits and biographical
sketches of twenty-four of the most eminent of the citizens of the
Republic, since the death of Washington; beautifully lithographed from
daguerreotypes. Each number is devoted to a portrait and memoir, the
first being that of General Taylor (eleventh President of the United
States), the second, of John C. Calhoun. Certainly, we have never seen
more truthful copies of nature than these portraits; they carry in
them an indelible stamp of all that earnestness and power for which
our trans-Atlantic brethren have become famous, and are such heads as
Lavater would have delighted to look upon. They are, truly, speaking
likenesses, and impress all who see them with the certainty of their
accuracy, so self-evident is their character. We are always rejoiced
to notice a great nation doing honor to its great men; it is a noble
duty which when properly done honors all concerned therewith. We see
no reason to doubt that America may in this instance rank with the
greatest."
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DR. WAAGEN, so well known for his writings on Art, is at present in
England for the purpose of adding to his knowledge of the private
collection of pictures there, but principally to make himself
acquainted with ancient illuminated manuscripts in several British
collections.
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A MONUMENT IN HONOR OF COWPER, THE POET, is proposed to be erected in
Westminster Abbey, from a design by Marshall, the Sculptor, exhibited
at the Royal Academy in 1849.
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