through two of the 'glorious days' which | Duke, it was expected, would, on looking at the crowned the resistance with victory. paper, frame some sort of declaration' in reply to the missive.

'At the Bridge of Neuilly, Scheffer wanted sadly to get rid of his neighbors in the blouses.' Pretending to descry some of the king's troops at a distance, he cried out, Ah! here come our friends, I see it is the royal guard!' Whereupon the two attendants judged it prudent to wish them 'good morning,' and to turn their horses' heads the other way. The two envoys quickly arrived at the Château de Neuilly. M.

been related above) gave me no details of what passed within its walls, except to mention one circumstance, viz., that Madame Adelaide, addressing her brother, had said, 'Sire! conduisezvous en Roi.' [An odd expression, as he was not yet king.]

"On the morrow of the third and decisive day of July, that is, on the 30th, Scheffer, fairly tired out with the efforts of the three previous days, was in his own house in the Rue Chaptal (the same in which he continued to reside until his death), when he was surprised by the entrance of Monsieur Thiers. Eb bien! Scheffer, me voici! j'ai besoin de vous: j'ai tout fait.' Comment, "tout fait?" calmly inquired Scheffer. Well, I mean that I have been to the Hôtel de Ville, seen the members of the Mu-Scheffer (from whose lips I learned what has nicipal Committee, seen the "Chefs de partis" at Lafitte's, and, in short, I am the bearer of a communication to the Duke of Orleans, which you must assist me in conveying to Neuilly.' Tiens!' replied Scheffer; so, you mean that I am to go with you as a kind of commissioner from the leaders of the party?' 'I do,' rejoined "Let me halt a space here to invite attention M. Thiers, and for this reason, among others, to the singular fate of Scheffer, in reference to that you are known to keep good horses in your his connection with the family of Orleans. Wo stable: for, look you, we can go in no other way have seen that he was first to open up a prosthan by riding on horseback.' 'That is certain,'pect of the crown of France to his royal patron, quoth Scheffer; 'the barricades would render in 1830-eighteen years later, it is again Schefthe passage of a carriage impossible.' But stay,' said Thiers; how shall I manage about my montûre? I shall never be able to sit one of your great beasts.' Thereupon Scheffer has tened to the stables of young Ney (son of the marshal), with whom he was on intimate terms, and, borrowing a small, nimble nag for his friend, they started on their important errand.

"The barricades presented, in truth, some obstacles to their progress, but Scheffer, being a practised horseman, leaped his horse over them. M. Thiers could not manage matters quite so actively. The mob, however, good-naturedly aided him to scramble through, lifting him al

most bodily, over the piles of stones, ect., horse and all, laughing heartily at 'le petit commis for his bad horsemanship. As M. Thiers rode in white stockings and shoes, and wore spectacles, I suspect that his personal appearance did afford some scope for the light-hearted jokes of 'le peuple' on that morning.

When, at length, the two gentlemen found themselves fairly outside of the walls of Paris, a number of men of the lower class crowded about them-' Où allez-vous done, Messieurs?' 'Cela ne vous regarde pas.' Eh bien! then we shall send some of our fellows with you, to see where you go to. A couple of blouses' accordingly accompanied them, cach mounted on horseback, and armed. The party had not trotted far on their road before Thiers said in a quiet tone of voice, to his companion, Ecoutez, mon cher! you are a good rider, whilst I may very easily get a tumble before I reach Neuilly and if this should happen, my hat will inevitably roll off, and the mandat which, before we set off, I put therein for safety, may be discovered, and then I shall get into trouble: I beg you will take charge of it.' Scheffer took the paper, and placed it in his breast pocket. It was a sort of blanc seing, to which the names of Lafayette, Lafitte, Marshals Lobau and Gérard, and one or two other leading men, were appended. The

THIRD SERIES. LIVING AGE.

534

fer, as we shall find, who, by pure accident, hands the King into the remise' which bears him away from his capital-never more to returna dethroned monarch and a fugitive!"-Pp. 30-4.

Mrs. Grote's narrative of the part taken by Scheffer in the flight of the royal family is even more curious and graphic than the passage we have just quoted: but we prefer to turn to the more pleasing subject of Scheffer's private intercourse with his illustrious friends, and to his qualities as a painter.

It was by Baron Gérard that Ary Scheffer was introduced, in 1826, to the family of the Duke and Duchess of Orleans; and as Mrs. Grote observes, this event was destined to exercise a sensible influence over his whole life. Within this circle he contracted relations of the purest and most delightful char(acter, devoid alike of subserviency on the one side and of patronage on the other. The poetic and sentimental side of Scheffer's mind found nurture and encouragement there, whilst his love of political progress derived support from the sympathy of the head of the house for the liberal cause. Thus, although he had entered Neuilly chiefly as the instructor of the royal children in drawing, he soon became the friend of their parents and of his former pupils in after life. In good and in evil fortune he remained attached to the members of that illustrious family, which has shone, and still shines, not less by its serene dignity in exile, than by the genius, the heroism, the varied accomplishments, and the private virtues of its members. The last work of Scheffer's hand was the portrait of Queen Amélie, painted at Claremont in 1857, which is now in the gallery of Orleans House

at Twickenham; and the last effort of his life inative faculty. Within the space of two years, was to attend the funeral of the Duchess of Orleans at Weybridge.

When we apply the word "genius" to a member of the royal family of France, it will readily be understood that we allude particularly to the late Princess Marie of Wirtemberg, whose works in sculpture entitle her to that disignation. The noble and pathetic figure of Joan of Arc, executed by the princess for the Versailles Museum, ranks, without doubt, among the finest productions of modern art; and if we recall to mind the associations connected with it, no marble in existence can inspire a purer or more touching emotion. Between the Princess Marie and Scheffer a high degree of intimacy arose from their congenial tastes, from their profound sympathy in art, and perhaps also from a common tinge of adventure and independence in their characters. Mrs. Grote has been fortunate enough to obtain from the family of M. Scheffer some notes written by himself for his brother Arnold in 1839, shortly after the death of his charming and lamented friend and pupil. They are alike honorable to both of them :

she executed more than fifty drawings; all of them showing a certain power of design, carried out with originality and good general effect, though faulty in drawing, and but indifferently de Malet, the scruples of the queen, and the reverential feeling in my own breast, as towards maidenly purity and reserve all these offered serious impediments to regular artistic instruction; so that, being restricted to the copying of draped figures, (and those abundantly draped,) the princess remained, of necessity, wholly unacquainted with the structure of the human body.

colored. The contracted notions of Madame

and executing unskilfully, she became out of "At length, weary of composing cleverly, humor with her drawing; and one day she inquired of me, whether I could not find something for her to do, less dull and monotonous, and less like what other people did?' To say the truth, I was myself somewhat tired of having continually to correct her bad drawing of legs and arms, often distorted and out of all shape. I suggested, then, to the princess the idea of trying her hand at modelling and sculpture: a walk of art wherein I was equally unpractised with herself, and which therefore offered to both of us the attraction of novelty.

66

Our first essay was the small bas-relief of 'Göetz and Martin;' very simply designed, and executed with the imperfect skill of mere nov

"To furnish you, my dear Arnold, with what you require of me, viz., some particulars respect-ices. This was not a very encouraging begining the Princess Maric of Orleans, is no easy

task for me to attempt.

"She was brought up after the manner of all princesses, by Madame de Malet, a person of education, and religiously disposed, but having exceedingly narrow and restricted ideas of things. The princess was, as a child, impertinent, heedless, and wild to a degree; yet she learned what she was taught-languages, history, and so forth-though habitually indulging in saucy sallies at the expense of her instructors. One of these alone (M. Pradher) managed to control the princess, and, by an inflexible sternness, untinged with angry temper, to inspire his pupil with respect. He also directed (and with ability) her musical talent, which, in itself, was above the ordinary level.

ning, certainly; but it happened that on the day when the plaster cast of the clay model was sent home, M. Quinet's book, 'Ahasuerus,' fell into the hands of the princess. She began a group forthwith, of Ahasuerus refused admittance within the abode of the Angel Gabriel.' In this bas-relief' was now disclosed the indubitable instinct of a sculptor. Along with a perception of distances (by diversity of surface,) and quite an original style of arranging the figures, there was joined so much of expression, that the whole thing bore evidence of a true vocation for the art.

"From this moment, a passion for sculpture took deep hold of the princess, and I must own that I felt scarcely less pleasure in giving her lessons in it. Whilst she was at work, I sought out suitable subjects for her to execute; in the "Such lessons as, from the age of twelve works of Quinet, then in those of Schiller (which years and onwards, I had been in the habit of were new to her :) and later, from those of giving her, were never much else than an amus- Goethe. Her first choice fell upon 'le Reveil ing pastime, either for master or pupil. The du Pöete,' from which she composed' the whole princess made but slight progress, and could at of a bas-relief: my aid being rendered by drawno time draw a head correctly from the plastering heads for her on paper. Viewed as an ideal model. Upon the marriage of her elder sister, piece of sculpture, and furthermore, as a triumph this young girl, till now careless and unreflect-over recognized difficulties, this performance ing, became all at once serious and pensive. must be regarded as something extraordinary She entreated me carnestly to afford her instruc-in itself; but, as the production of a young girl, tion of a nature to occupy and interest her mind, and to distract her attention from the loss she had sustained; but she added that, 'as to setting about to copy, it was too tiresome an affair by half for her to attempt it.'

"So she took to composing historical subjects, washing them in with water color. The very first trials which she made, revealed to me the existence of undoubted talent, and of her imag

who was actually only at her third attempt in modelling, and who had read works of poetry and fiction under the sober influence of a gouv ernante of strict piety, this work is truly surprising; the gradations of the ground plan, and the characteristic indications of the various personages introduced, being managed with singular and happy ingenuity.

"After completing this 'bas-relief,' she mod

elled the 'Joan of Arc on horseback,' of which the conception is entirely due to herself. The figure of Joan' has much merit, but in the manipulation of this model I gave the princess a good deal of help."

We believe this group, together with some other studies by the princess, is now in the Duc d'Aumale's collection at Twickenham. The group here described represents Joan of Arc on horseback, at the instant she has, for the first time, dealt a blow which prostrates a man-at-arms lifeless at the feet of her charger. The mixed expression of enthusiasm, terror, and pity is very finely ren

dered.

"About this period, the king had bespoken of Pradier-our most approved artist in statuary —a monumental figure of Joan of Arc, for the muscum at Versailles. Pradier chanced to be in no happy vein at the moment, and so produced a design, which fell far short of the mark. The king, not feeling satisfied with it, asked his daughter to try and invent another; she accepted the commission, after consulting with myself, but coupled her acceptance with this stipulation -that should her design be successful, she should be entrusted with the execution of it in

the marble.

sit up at night to pursue it. Her settled dream was, to lead the life of an elevated, conscientious artist, and thus to excrcise a beneficial influence over high art in France. She chose for her studies books calculated to ripen and develope her intellectual faculties. Scientific treatises, imaginative works. Every thing was read, and read with profit, by her. All that seemed great and worthy of admiration she prized at its full value. Thus, on learning the sad end of Armand Carrel, the tears rose to her eyes, notwithstanding that he was, and that she knew him to be, perhaps the most formidable among the enemies of her house.

faith, such as became a noble, womanly heart. "In the heart of this princess dwelt a religious

Her pulmonary disease, which lasted sevcral months-months of physical suffering-was borne with a resignation and courageous selfcommand worthy of herself. She was aware, indeed, of the inevitable fate which hung over her, even before she took leave of her family to go to her new home in Wirtemberg. A. S., 1839."Pp. 38-48.

Connected with the royal family by so many ties, though strongly opposed to the policy of the cabinet and the personal influence of the king, it may readily be imagined with what feelings of regret Scheffer viewed the fall of the constitutional monarchy in 1848, although that catastrophe had not been unforeseen by him. But those feelings of regret were still more deeply excited by the coup d'état of the 2nd December, 1851: the effect of that event on him was overpowering, and Mrs. Grote has described it with the utmost sympathy and force:

"She then set to work upon the modelling of her celebrated figure, 'Joan of Arc watching by her Armor,' in attempting which, both the fair sculptor and myself found ourselves very deficient in the mechanical experience required. Instead of moulding the form in clay, we took it into our heads to model it in wax. It fell to pieces more than once, then it bent down at a third attempt; furthermore, living models were unattainable. For all this, the statue finally "I called at his residence within a day or two came out the finest modern figure to be found at of the terrible slaughter of the Parisians in their Versailles! Not alone does its impressive atti- houses and in their streets-that is to say, as tude, its simplicity, and its distinctive feminine soon as it was prudent to venture forth. I character contrast favorably with certain vulgar found Scheffer at home, and alone with his productions among which it stands, but it car-wife. The interview was, in a measure, at once ries upon itself the stamp both of the genius and the elevation of soul possessed by its author. "The success which attended the appearance of this statue was prodigious. The most flattering applause was lavished upon it, yet I never saw flattery received with greater indifference than by this princess, Though always manifesting, more or less plainly, her contempt for the 'official tribe' around her, she was as delighted as would have been any child, at the success of her work among the people; and, more than all, with the admiration bestowed on it by the sol

diers.

solemn and sad. The collective ruins of thirty years' illusory hopes and struggles stood before me, as it were; whilst in the few broken phrases which Scheffer's emotion permitted of his uttering, was revealed the anguish of final despair.

'It would have argued a want of reverence and sympathy towards this noble but aching heart, to seek to maintain the conversation beyond a few minutes, and I accordingly withdrew. Madame Sophie Scheffer followed me into the courtYou see how he suffers!' whispered she:pressed her hand, but said nothing-what was there to be said?"-Pp. 94, 95.

I

A friend present drew from his pocket a list of the persons just arrested by Louis Napoleon. It contained all the most eminent and illustrious names in France, of whose destination nothing could then be learned:

"Succeeding to the above came-I. ‘The Peri' bearing the tears of the repentant sinner to the foot of the throne of grace. II. Angel at the gates of Heaven. III. Ahasuerus and Rachel. IV. Bust of her sister, with her son. V. Two small equestrian groups; and VI., the 'Pilgrim,' from Schiller. In each of these performances, and in some which followed, decided and pro- "The reading of this document aroused Schefgressive improvement was discernible. The oc- fer's ire beyond control; his eyes seemed to flash cupation had, indeed, taken such hold upon her fire; he paced the atelier with wavering steps, that, unknown to her parents, she would actually | giving vent at intervals to his feelings by cm

fer's real life, in as far as it concerns the public, is to be found in his works; and from the succinct remarks Mrs. Grote has here and there thrown out on this part of our subject, we are satisfied that she would have dealt more successfully with it, if she had dwelt upon it at greater length.

phatic exclamations inspired by his honest, just lish, the friendship of an Englishwoman wrath. The scene was one not to be forgotten. should have paid the best tribute to his "If there be a spectacle touching on the mor- fame. But we regret that Mrs. Grote should ally sublime, it is that of a high-souled man, have treated the painter far more summarily conscious of having strenuously labored for his than she has treated the man. Ary Schefcountry's weal, in every way open to him, during his whole life, who beholds that country's laws and liberties abrogated by the audacious employment of military force. This was not, however, the only occasion on which I had the pain of beholding such a sight. Among the noble, patriotic, and pure-minded Frenchmen, with whom it has been my good fortune to be acquainted, three of the most distinguished may be said figuratively speaking-to have died of their wounds; namely, Leon Faucher, Ary Scheffer, and lastly, Alexis de Tocqueville, of whose mental anguish I have been, in each case, a sympathizing witness.

"The memorable event, which is commonly known as the coup-d'état,' has been the theme of such endless volumes of controversy, and is even now viewed in such different lights, according to the cast of sentiment of the individual who judges of its complexion, that it would be quite out of place were I here to expatiate anew upon its character. I conceive that it will continue, as hitherto, to divide the opinions of those two great sections of society-the upholders of moral obligation on the one side, the partizans of triumphant violence on the other-which are likely to compose the human family throughout all time. I only wish that it were permitted to me to hope that the former section would, one day, outnumber the latter!"-P. 96.

We have already indicated our own opinion of Scheffer's predominant excellence. It corresponds exactly with that of a friendly critic quoted in the concluding chapter of the "Memoir," who says:

"To my thinking, Scheffer is never so great, at least in creative art, as where he employs scarcely any color, properly speaking. As a painter of heads I doubt whether there be any living painter who has so successfully cultivated the faculty of expressing profound emotion; and this, too, coupled with a motionless position of the body. Here is the real triumph of Scheffer's genius-the ability to inspire strong sympathy in the spectator by the power of delineating the emotions of the soul. A gift which he shared with Murillo, and which commands admiration, not only for its own sake, but also on account of its extreme rarity."-P. 148.

An accurate survey of the works of Scheffer from his first entrance into life to his These events-the loss of his noblest death, indicates the steady and constant friendships and of his noblest hopes for his growth of his talent, and especially of that country threw a gloom over the later years ideal power which was his noblest gift. His of his life, which neither his great fame, nor early works belonged to that class of paintconstant devotion to his works, could dis- ing which may be termed "anecdotical." pel; and before the closing hour arrived, on The very names of them remind us of that his return from the funeral of the Duchess period, already so remote from the present of Orleans in 1858, those around him felt time, when Walter Scott's novels and Lord that he was thoroughly weary of life. He Byron's poems inflamed the imagination of had barely completed his sixty-third year all Europe. It was not, we think, till after when he expired, retaining to the last, and 1830 that he rose to loftier conceptions, and in the highest perfection, the mastery of the executed them with unbounded power. The art which will hand down his name to the inspiration of these great works was first future. It was on the 15th June, 1858 (we drawn from the poems of Goethe. The borrow the touching language of his biog-"Faust in his Study," now at Claremont, rapher), "that this great and virtuous man and the "King of Thule," painted in 1836, yielded up his last breath. It was a beauti- are two of the finest examples extant of the ful summer's evening, the calm splendor of force he sometimes attained in color; the which irradiated the scene of his departure two pictures of "Mignon," bequeathed by from earth. Not more calm, however-not more serene, was the aspect of the heavens, than were the conscience and pure spirit of him who thus passed to his eternal rest, to suffer, to strive no more."

The warm interest felt by Mrs. Grote in the life and character of Ary Scheffer, she has successfully imparted to this record of and it is remarkable, that though he was not exempt from the national prejudices of the French democracy against the Eng

him;

the Duke of Orleans to Count Molé, are not less consummate specimens of his extreme refinement in expression. The marvellous picture of "Francesca de Rimini" belongs to about the same time; we well remember the intense admiration and delight it occasioned on the opening of the Salon of Paris in 1835. It may be inferred that in this and the following year Scheffer was in the fullest perfection and maturity of his genius. But his triumph as a great painter of ex

pression was not yet complete. As he advanced in life the religious element assumed a stronger influence over his thoughts.

part painted with as high a feeling and as genial a power as the finest efforts of his imagination, for he undertook no portraiture which did not touch his feelings, either by "The books of the Old Testament were per- the stamp of intellectual power, historical inhaps those most frequently seen in his hand, terest, artistic sympathy, or personal affecduring the last eight years of his life. The study tion. The collection of these works, though of pastoral, primitive, rude forms of society,with the touching episodes here and there oc- interest; in addition to the fine portrait of not very numerous, is therefore of extreme curring in the history of those carly peoples, the "Duchess de Broglie," mentioned by had an unfading attraction for Scheffer; whilst it served to prevent his mind and thoughts from Mrs. Grote, it includes the memorable picbrooding over the actual state of things in France. ture of "Prince Talleyrand," recently beStill, it was from the New Testament that the queathed by the late Lord Holland to the larger number of his sacred compositions were Duc d'Aumale; the striking head of "Gentaken; for he loved to dwell upon the humaniz-eral Cavaignac," painted immediately after ing influences, and devotional feelings, con- the events of 1848; the inspired countenected with the mission of Jesus Christ, whose ideal lincaments it was ever his loftiest ambition to portray."-Pp. 100, 101.

The "Christus Consolator," in which, with a divine sympathy, the painter has gathered the weary and heavily laden of every race and clime around the throne of mercy and love, -the "Augustine and his Mother," where he has combined in one intensity of gaze the strength of filial piety and of Christian faith, the "Dante and Beatrice," and the "Temptation of Christ," the most mysterious and arduous of all his conceptions,-which indeed he vainly strove entirely to realize, mark the progress of his mind in the direction of serious, we had almost said of ascetic thought. How immeasurably distant are such works of ideal grandeur as these, from the conventional attitudes and statuesque forms of Guérin's studio or David's school! But whilst we do ample justice to the exalted character of his latest works, they appear to us inferior to some of his earlier productions in manual dexterity, and especially in color. His flesh became mealy and unnatural; his figures faded into phantoms; and in the pursuit of an ideal excellence and beauty he was led to sacrifice something of the reality and truth of his second manner. On the occasion of a journey to Belgium and Holland, which he made in 1849, he was painfully struck by the superior force of the Flemish and Dutch painters in the practical command of their art: he exclaimed, that in comparison with them he seemed "to feel himself but half a painter," and he applied himself with fresh energy to the improvement of his style. But to the last he scarcely realized his finest conceptions.

This brief notice of his works would be incomplete if we passed over in silence Ary Scheffer's portraits. They were for the most

nances of such children of genius as "Madame Viardot " and "Listz;" the maternal dignity of "Madame Guizot," the mother of the minister; and, above all, the touching and majestic picture of Scheffer's most venerated and constant friend "Queen Amélie."

The vicissitudes of the age have already caused not a few of the finest works of Ary Scheffer to reach this country, where they are deservedly held in high honor. In spite of his ardent attachment to France, Scheffer lived long enough to feel that a man may endure the griefs of exile without leaving his own house. To a soul like his, eager in its aspirations for freedom and for honor, it was exile to breathe the air of an enslaved capital, for the yoke and burden of despotic power lies most heavy on the hearts of those who, like Scheffer, unite the energy of genius with an imperishable faith in the nobler destinies of society and of man. The return of the imperial despotism in France extinguished the lustre of literature and the arts, as swiftly as the restoration of liberty in 1815 kindled the genius of the nation into fire. In the rising generation of Frenchmen we hear of no rivals or successors to those poets, historians, philosophers, and painters, who have made the first half of the present century famous. An age of apathy and mediocrity has succeeded to an age of extraordinary activity and excellence; but the cultivated intellect of the world will long look back with deep interest to those who, like Ary Scheffer, belonged to the most brilliant epoch of contemporary history.

In 1853, after Monseigneur Sibour, Archbishop of Paris, and an old acquaintance of Scheffer's in earlier days, had gone over to the court, a note arrived one day from the prelate requesting Scheffer to paint his portrait. To this note the indignant Ary replied that he would not paint the Archbishop, and begged him never more to set foot in his atelier!