Part 3 (1/2)

WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY

The _Night-Watch_ at Anificent in parts, but on the side to the spectator's right, smoky and dim The _Five Masters of the Drapers_ is wonderful for depth, strength, brightness, massive power

What words are these to express a picture! to describe a description! I once saw areat satisfaction, ”_I must sketch it_” Ah, my dear lady, if with an HB, a Bristol board, and a bit of india-rubber, you can sketch the firlory, I make you my compliment! I can't sketch _The Five Drapers_ with any ink or pen at present at command--but can look with all my eyes, and be thankful to have seen such a masterpiece

They say he was a moody, ill-conditioned man, the old tenant of the s opposite his _Night-Watch_, and which is one of the great pictures of the world? It is not painted by so great a man as Rembrandt; but there it is--to see it is an event of your life Having beheld it you have lived in the year 1648, and celebrated the Treaty of Munster You have shaken the hands of the Dutch Guardsmen, eaten from their platters, drunk their Rhenish, heard their jokes, as they wagged their jolly beards The Aue: it gives you the prices paid, the signatures of the painters, a succinct description of the work

”This masterpiece represents a banquet of the Civic Guard, which took place on the 18th of June, 1648, in the great hall of the St Joris Doele, on the Singel at Amsterdam, to celebrate the conclusion of the Peace at Munster The thirty-five figures co the picture are all portraits

”'The Captain Witse' is placed at the head of the table, and attracts our attention first He is dressed in black velvet, his breast covered with a cuirass, on his head a broad-brimmed black hat hite plumes

He is comfortably seated on a chair of black oak, with a velvet cushi+on, and holds in his left hand, supported on his knee, a e destroying the dragon, and ornamented with olive-leaves The captain's features express cordiality and good-hu the hand of 'Lieutenant Van Wavern'

seated near hiold, lace-collar and wrist-bands, his feet crossed, with boots of yellow leather, with large tops, and gold spurs, on his head a black hat and dark-brown plumes Behind him, at the centre of the picture, is the standard-bearer, 'Jacob Banning,' in an easy ht hand on his chair, his right leg on his left knee He holds the flag of blue silk, in which the Virgin is e! such a piece of painting!), ”emblematic of the town of Amsterdam The banner covers his shoulder, and he looks towards the spectator frankly and complacently

[Illustration: THE BANQUET OF THE ARQUEBUSIERS

_Van der Helst_]

”The eants His head is bare

He wears a cuirass, and yellow gloves, grey stockings, and boots with large tops, and knee-caps of cloth He has a napkin on his knees, and in his hand a piece of ham, a slice of bread and a knife The old man behind is probably 'Williaht hand, and in his left a gold-footed wineglass, filled hite wine

He wears a red scarf, and a black satin doublet, with little slashes of yellow silk Behind the drummer, two matchlock-e black habit, a napkin on his knee, a _hausse-col_ of iron, and a linen scarf and collar He is eating with his knife The other holds a long glass of white wine Four musketeers, with different shaped hats, are behind these, one holding a glass, the three others with their guns on their shoulders Other guests are placed between the personage who is giving the toast and the standard-bearer

One with his hat off, and his hand uplifted, is talking to another The second is carving a fowl A third holds a silver plate; and another, in the background, a silver flagon, from which he fills a cup The corner behind the captain is filled by two seated personages, one of who, armed with halberts, of whom one holds a plumed hat Behind hi a pewter pot on which the naraved At the back, ain with a pasty, croith a turkey Most of the guests are listening to the captain From an openin the distance, the facades of two houses are seen, surures of sheep”

There, now you know all about it: now you can go home and paint just such another If you do, do pray reures as they are here depicted; they are as wonderful portraits as the faces None of your sliancies, which have done duty at the cuffs of so many doublets; but each man with a hand for himself, as with a face for himself I blushed for the coarseness of one of the chiefs in this great company, that fellow behind ”Willia full in the face of the public; and holding a pork-bone in his hand Suppose the _Saturday Review_ critic were to coive that noble nature! Why is that knuckle of pork not painted out? at any rate, why is not a little fringe of lace painted round it? or a cut pink paper? or couldn't a sold top, or a ca, with a pink coronet in the corner? or suppose you covered the ave hilove? But a piece of pork in a naked hand? O nerves and eau de Cologne, hide it, hide it!

In spite of this laive reat, and fareatest picture in the world--not a work of the highest genius--but a perforreat, various, and admirable, so shrewd of humour, so wise of observation, so honest and coht, and to remember it will be a pleasure for days to come Well done, Bartholomeus Van der Helst! Brave, meritorious, victorious, happy Bartholoiven to produce a masterpiece!

Was it a dream? It seems like one Have we been to Holland? Have we heard the chiht at Antwerp? Were we really away for a week, or have I been sitting up in the roo, before this stale old desk? Here's the desk; yes But if it has been a dream, how could I have learned to hum that tune out of _Dinorah?_ Ah, is it that tune, or ? If it was a dream how comes this yellow NOTICE DES TABLEAUX DU MUSeE D'AMSTERDAM AVEC FASCIMILE DES MONOGRAMMES before allant

Bartholomeus van der Helst fecit A; 1648

Yes, indeed, it was a delightful little holiday; it lasted a whole week

_Roundabout Papers_ (London, 1863)

L'EMBARQUEMENT POUR L'iLE DE CYTHeRE

(_WATTEAU_)

EDMOND AND JULES DE GONCOURT

Watteau is the great poet of the Eighteenth Century A creation, a whole creation of poetry and dreaance of a supernatural life From the fantasies of his brain, froenius, not one but a thousand fairies took their flight Froination, the painter has drawn an ideal world, and, superior to his own time, he has created one of those Shakespearian realht, one of those paradises of gallantry that Polyphile built upon the cloud of dreams for the delicate joy of poetic race Grace with Watteau is not the antique grace--a rigid and solid charm, the perfection of the lory of a Venus Grace with Watteau is grace It is that nothing that invests a woman with an attraction, a coquetry, a more than physical beauty It is that subtile quality which seems the snomy of matter