ART AND ARTISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2240, 4 February 1897, Page 45

ART AND ARTISTS.

• . • King Humbert has, through the Italian Ambassador, presented President Cleveland with fourteen handsomely-bound volumes relating to Columbus and his discoveries in memory of the recent celebrations in connection with the 500 th anniversary of the discovery of America. • . •An almost priceless acquisition has been recently made for the South Kensington Museum. This consists of one of the finest virginals in existence, on which the art authorities of the institution have kept a covetous eye for about eight years past. .•M. Boguloboff, the "Russian Court painter, who painted the picture of the Russian fleet at Toulon, presented by Alexander 111 to the Paris Circle Militaire, has just aied at the age of 72 years. He caught cold while making sketches of the arrival.of the Czar at Cherbourg for a pioture which Nicholas II had ordered. . • Jan van Beers, the artist, is a Belgian, and he lives in magnificent style in Paris. His particular fancy is to have his dinner table ascend from the kitchen already set. It rises through a trapdoor, and through this ,*p9rture bit guests may perceive bis servants in Breton costume preparing the dishes. His family is of very humble stock. Not long since his sister paid him a visit.- She was amazed at the luxury she witnessed. ,• .* Mr G. F. Watts, R.A., has painted the portraits of more famous contemporaries than any Kving- artistr. They include Ctrljle, JHH, Tennyson, Browning, Muthew Arnold, Rossetti, Cardinal Manning, Lord Lyndhnret, and Lord John Russell. H« has a charmieff house in the midst of the artist; oolony at Kensington. Apart from bis earnings, Mr Watts has a considerable fortune, and in a quiet way has shown great kindness to the less fortunate members of his profession. • . • Paul Jqbert, the official painter to the navy department of France, is a native of Oiemien, in Algiers, where he was born in 1863. His father was President of the Ohamber of Avocati in Algiers. Young Jobert's home was close to the sea, and he early developed a great love for marine art, and studied it under local professors. Ho went to Paris at the ige of 20, and studied for nine yean in the studios of Jules Lefevre and Benjamin Constant. In. 1892 he received a gold medal for his* painting, '"Attack on the Freuob. Flagship by Torpedoes," and in 1893 he received his official title, and wa3 » attached to the Marine Ministry for his painting, " Arrival of the Russian Squadron at Toulon." M. Jobert's painting for this year will represent a fog off Newfoundland, with two fishermen surprised by the sudden appearance of one of the big steamships, the phantom boat they dread so much.

- * . * The winter number of the Qoarto is in the presi, and will ba ready shortly. The nurabtr will contain a foil-page photogravure of " The Salutation of Beatrice," after Dante Gabriel Rossetti, an original etching by D. Y. Cameron, RP.E., a lithograph by Joseph Pennell, and full -page reproduotioDß of drawings by Sir J. E. Millais,

P.R.A., G. F. Watts, R. A., Frank Potter, H. ( Tonkß, T. C. Gotcb, Cyril Goldie, Alfred ' Jones, Harrington Mann, Miss Syrett, Miss Matthews, and literary contributions by Professor Fred Brown on " Winifred Matthews " (with four illustrations), Gleeson White on "The Poor Little Triolet," F. G. Jackson, R.A., on "Staircases," Ray. W. Garrett Hor« der on" Sidney Lanier ana his Poetry," Rer. Alfred Holborn on "Robert Browning's Influence on His Wife's Poetry," &o. The untimely death of Miss Matthews cut short a career of great promise, and the article by ■; Professor Brown" is of special interest. f

• . • Concluding in the December number his Boriea of articles on " Miniature Painting " which have appeared during the present year in the Art Journal, Mr Foster says : — " Imperfect as ie is, we trust we have at any rate been able to show that in any account of the development of British art a history of miniature painting must always be, an important chapter ; moreover, we have furnished evidence of th 6 existence of so many fice portrait* of distinguished personages that tbey constitute of themselves a gallery nob merely of absorbing personal interest, but of national historic value. The existence of these precious relics of the past should not be without ita influence in the future, and should stimulate those \who have the means and the leisure to perpetuate these delightful, memorials to see that they themselves or those near .and. "dear to them are painted in turn. We British folks have been making a great dtal of history, during tnepa»t half-Cflntory, and it. ls possible— nay, it is probable — thrt the men and women who have oro»eed the stage of our national life donng the 60 years of Victoria's reign will, ie days to come and iv tb« eyes of generations yet unhorn, be -regarded with at least as much interest as thooe who lived in the 'spacious times of Queen Elizabeth.' And let it not be said that miniatures cannot be painted nowadays. When ona thinks of the ever-increasing 'nnr&ber of students who leave our school* of art every year one cannot but feel that amongst them there must be some whose delicacy of -touch and power of painting in little cannot be inferior to those who have gone before ; and though we may not see a Cooper or a Petltot arise every day, yet once a demand for high-olass miniature painting made itself felt competent artist* would surely be forthcoming. -If this be so, it rests with the public to say Whether the long and priceless seriesof Bngliah miniature portraits of which we may be justly proud shall-be continued or shall be closed. I repeat, the public must do its share, and by liberal and discriminating patronage foster and ripen to its old perfection this beautiful, valuable, and deeply interesting branch of art."

Italy proposes to take the sale of quinine put of the hands of the druggists, and to make it a Government monopoly. Druggists sell it\ at the rate of from £10 to £20 a pound, while the Government get it for the army at £1 a pound/

In tho public schools in Japan the English l&ngungo is required to be taught by law. The Jupnnese youth in the open ports and commercial cities are all eager to learn EDglish as a passport to wealth, position, and employ* ment.