ART AND ARTISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2332, 10 November 1898, Page 58

ART AND ARTISTS.

— The largest painting in the world, exclusive of panoramas and cycloramas, is " Paradise," by Tintoretto, in the grand salon of the Doge's palace at Venice, being 84ft wide by TAit high.

— Felicien Rops is dead ; Europe he lost a great artist. From the beginning of his career he seems to have been possessed by a certain type of woman's beauty, which he rendered with an extraordinary power and passion. Years ago we Tieard that he was suffering from a disease of the spinal marrow, which sometimes afflicts the neurotic. Guy de Maupassant suffered from a form of the same disease. Now they are both at rest, having done their work. With that we must be satisfied — for us men " ripeness is all." — Saturday Review.

—As an artist in prose, as a critic of men and manners, as an enthusiast for nature, as a joyous, ironical, pathetic spectator at the world's play, Heine is at his choicest in the " Keisebilder," pictures of travel. " Vielgereist," his expression in the lovely " Berg-Idylle," is not strictly true of him — he did not travel widely. But his tours, and holiday wanderings, and sojournings by the sea in search of health did more for his impressionable and receptive soul than putting a girdle round the globe has done for others. There is nothing in literature quite like those enchanting records. — Daily Chronicle.

— The English autumn season promises to be particularly rich in art books. Ofle of the most important will be entitled " A History of the Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A." which hag been prepared by Mr Algernon Graves and Mr W. V. Cronin. Besides containing reproductions of some 700 engravings after Sir Joshua, details will be given of the history, measurements, description, and engraver of each picture. The work is to be published by subscription through Messrs Graves and Co., the edition being strictly limited to 100 numbered copies. Mr William Heinemann has also two elaborate art works in preparation for this autumn. One is the " Life of Thomas Gainsborough,'' by Mr Walter Armstrong, containing numerous photogravure plates, most of them from photographs specially taken, for this book, and coloured reproductions of his drawings; the other, the " Life of Leonardo da Vinci," is from the pen of Eugem Muntz, Keeper of the Works of Art at the Ecole dcs BeauxArls, and author of the celebrated "Life of Raphael." This will be in two volumes, uniform with Michel's " Rembrandt," and will bo illustrated with photogravure plates ond numerous text blocks.

— Luminous paint has so many uses that expert and amateur alike are interested in everything new concerning it. Most of these self-lighting colours are made of barium sulphide or calcium sulphide. A luminanfc which is highly spoken of is made of calcium, tungstate. To prepare this, put into a Hessian crucible 30 parts calcium chloride, 30 parts sodium tungtslate, and 30 parts sodium chloride, which have been well mixed. Keep it at a rsd heat for several hours. The heat breaks down the mass, which becomes a vitreous paste. After cooling and breaking up, the mixture is thoroughly washed with water. Fine crystals of. calcium • tungstate remain, after process. A coating of strong glue is put over the surface which it is desired to cover, and the crystals are thickly strewn, over the glue, which hardening holds them firmly in place. This is said tc be by far the inof-i brillifnt self-luminant extant.

— The Duchess of York ha-s been giving sittings to Signor Luigi Bernieri, who is painting her miniature. It is an odd thing, says a Home paper, that foreigners should always be employed to do these artistic jobs for our Aristocracy, and leads one naturally to wonder if there is no English talent of a like nature to be procured. Messrs Sargeant and Shannon, both Americans, seen; to have the monopoly now of painting the portraits of ouj Duchesses and faiiest peeresses; the Queen, of course, gives all her commissions to Angeli; the leaders of aristocracy during the last two seasons have had their miniatuvps painted by that clever little American lady, Miss Kussner, and here is our future Queen having hers painted by an Italian. Surely this cannot bo purely the result of accident. It was enly lait year that Luigi Ber-ni-iri commeiiced to work in London, although he has previously exhibited in our smoky metropolis. By birth Signor Bernieri is a Florentine, and he has devoted himself to miniature painting for years. He has studied in. Rome, Paris, and London, ftnd exhibited at all three cities at various times. Although, the greater part of his time is given to tha limning of fair women and children, the mere man is also occasionally found waoug iua subjeota.