| Show the lV horlas greatest play the comedia francaise I 1 francaise ran caise as a montt melt ot of art it is is a superb monn ment ingot this house bouse of moliere a veritable grand seigneurs Seigne urs palace with sum tons a saloons a staircase adorned d pd with statues galleries fall 0 of f pictures iv lure busts aud and statuary and tb the 0 thousand souvenirs Bon venira that bear el eloquent 0 witness to a long and glorio glorious is past the exterior from the chur round in n ade to the lantern lanter it on oil the summit of the roof gives one the iw impression 1 aas on ot of immutable and gran dio diosa is stability tabi lity the narrow en trance trainee doors ot of indescribable color and innocent of all ornament charm charm you because they remind yoa of another age ng e and the grand vestia bule which looks lilo like a florentine crypt that spacious vaulted rotunda peopled with statues the walls walla covered bore with antique arror m aror glass in in small squares the stairways that radiate on all sides guarded by the u ushers hers of the comedia Co medie correct and courteous with their heavy silver chains chaich of office hanging round their necks how different from thing one has ever seen 1 facing tho eon wora tou stands a marble sti tUt by david danger dandera dAn gera s representing talma study ing a ro role 1 e I 1 inthe allt be costume and atti tude of ii a caesar thinking of the de of his big empire on either side of talma are al allegoric legorio statues of tragedy and comedy by duret and to the left Cle singers Deers statue of rachel also representing trag tragedy edy draped in in an antique peplum and holding a in in her hand in the vestibule of the entrance from the tha place da palais palaia royal etoyal seated in niches softly ii lighted by two modest reflect reflectors orB are the two tutelary geni uses of the house moliere and cor chi selled in in marble by the sculptors audron androya and falguiere let us ud pass along the broad lobby be tween two rows row a of marblo marble basis and walk up tip the grand staircase which is comparatively compart ively recent having been lidded added a by the architect P 1 Char brol w when bon the theatre francais was enlarged in IB thanks to land gained by street improvements on oa the side of 0 the place du da palais palaia ito koyal the public foyer and th the south baca faca do of the theatre date from the same year this staircase with lie its marblo marble cary abides by carrier bellhouse Bel leue louse its rich iron balustrade its tine fine architect architecture url lines deserves deserve nothing but praise leada only to a lob job by one must turn tobe to ahe lett left to enter the the public public foer oer or crush room this foyer looks lik like earich a neb and artistic salon ealon with its profusion of delicate gilding gil dini its pilasters pi lasters its mi mirrors brors its graceful ornamentation an and d fine de da cora co tive paintings seated comfortably in in an arm chair or on a sofa one on can contemplate at ones one a ease a rare collection of masterpieces of french sculpture tre of the eighteenth century placed around the tha room in the midst of verdure and flowers V vol viol ol taira the place of h honor onor at one enda end not as a dramatic author anther not as one of the grand ancestors of the house bouse but because his hi statue is is the tha finest I 1 that bat ever made mada at the other end of aba loomon room on each 6 side ida of the chimney busts baste Moliere ot of and in in front of aseh of the sixteen fluted pi pilasters lasters that teab divide the walls walla into pa panels ne Is onita pedestal a marble bust of some goma celebrated author by hou dou don carneri boizot or ot hersan admirable series senen which is is continued along aloag the adjoin adjoining ine gallery at the tha ind end of which wo we ad admire I 1 re seated statue of george sand thi the e forrand fo rand erand tb tha gallery of statute for or the publio the seum of the comedia francais Iran Frati cais bat these two rooms contain only a very small 11 part of the tha arti atio treasures trea aurea of the house housa in every passage in every ro roOD or overy every stair stairway wayt on every wall there arp ari tints buta s pictures engravings grav ings historical souvenirs which the public does not sw see the artists greenroom tle the committee room the directors direct cra cabinet in particular are most moat interesting but of 0 course couras un less leas you have friends at court cour couartou tou aou cannot enter those these worm rooms happily as far at least as aa the se sculpture Is ia eon con corned berned the gr creater eliter part of the tha mile ter pieces is alced outly wit with it in the public view in thy the foyer and the pas passages i at the tha present day the riches of the Cotti edie aru are so BO ab umlaut that for want of room even masterpieces lavo to be left in dark corners corner auneen and almost forgotten at the tha cornelio Cona Cor edie nedio francaise in the actor ss and in tho the public foyer clinest all the waster master portraitists of the beigh century sculptors find paint era alike nay may be ba studied in their best work the sculpture is barly admirable mirable nd the statues and busts of the museum of ill he 0 comedia Cot nedie may bo be compared with the antique of the mus museums eunis of italy and the conclusion will be that the sculptors art never achieved its end with more truth and more of the I 1 ideal d ea I 1 than it did by the chisel of hou don caltieri Catli Caf eri hajou and david dan kera gore for they are ara really splendid and radiant with beauty and genius these busts busto to which time has baa contributed tri buted the master touches giving life to the lles flea bcd llund accentuating the expression according to the culp sculptors tors indications harpert harpers magazine |
