ART AND ARTISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2284, 9 December 1897, Page 46

ART AND ARTISTS.

• . • It is interesting to note that th,e artistic vein which runs through the Qaeen'e family is appealing in the third generation in the person of the Princess Alice, the youngest daughter of the late Dake of Albany. Amongst her Majesty's children the Princess Louise is an accomplished sculptor and painter, the Empress Frederick of Germany is skilled with pencil and brush, and the Prince of Wales has a decided gift for art, which hs has lacked leisure- or industry to develop. If report ppeaks truly, however. Princess Alice of Albany, who is only 14 years old, promises to take the foremost place amongst our royal artists.

.• . Professor Herkomer has been telling the atory of his celebrated picture "The Cheleea Pensioners in Church." The picture, b.3 said, was painted against the advice of every frisnd he had. Never, he said, was a paintiDg sent to the Academy with such trepidation as this one was. But after five days' anxious waiting there came letters not of rejection but of commendation from Lord Leighton (then Mr L<?sghton) and Mr George Richmond.- He was watching by a sickbed at the time, and he is not ashamed to state that when he received these letters he broke down and wept. The acceptance of that picture -was the first striking success of his career.

• . ' Prince Sciarra owns oce *of the most important and prettiest art galleries of Italy. The possession of this treasura does not appear to have always been a source of unalloyed pleasure to the Prince, inasmuch as, being in financial difficulties and finding no one in Italy able to purchase the works of arr, he endeavoured to send them abroad, despite the law which prohibits the exportation of Italian masterpieces. His attempt was, hoy/ever, discovered ; he was committed for trial, and sentenced to a heavy fine and imprisonment." It is now reported that an agreement has been entered into between the Italian Government and Prince Sciarra, by which the Prince undertake 3to present to the Government several of the most valuable paintings and 10 statues, while the Govern-

ment accords to the Prince the right to send abroad the whole of the remaining works in the gallery. • ' Michael Lieb, better known by his assumed name of Munkacsy, the famous painter, was brought up by an uncle of a very determined character. This relative, while genuinely fond of the orphan lad, tried to rear him according to Spartan principles. Little Michael was generally hungry, and suffered greatly from the cold for want o sufficient clothing, but bis guardian silence f bis complaints by teaching him that d would never grow up to be a strong and useful man unless he learned to put up with small discomforts. After Michael had worked six years as a furniture dealer's apprentice, he began seriously to study painting, regardless of bis uncle's disfavour. Once, when travelling on foot to Buda-Pesth, befell

in with a gipsy, who predicted that he would

J force Fortnne to pay him back for a poor | childhood. His early successes reconciled Lira to his uncle, and the whole world knows

the extent to whioh he has since become Fortune's debtor.