The first part of the ‘Grammar of the Decorative Arts’ appeared in 1881; the second part, dealing with interior decorations, in 1882.  The third part, ‘The Decoration of Cities,’ was not completed, owing to his sudden death.  Elected President of the French Academy in 1882, he did not enjoy this well-deserved honor long.  A few weeks before his death—­which occurred on February 17th, 1882, from the effects of an operation for cancer—­he began a catalogue of the collection presented by Thiers to the Louvre.  This was the last work of a pen wielded with unimpaired vigor to the end.

“The great artist,” wrote Blanc, “is he who guides us into the region of his own thoughts, into the palaces and fields of his own imagination, and while there, speaks to us the language of the gods;” and to none are these words more applicable than to himself.  In the world of thought he was a man of great originality, though neither architect, painter, nor sculptor.  He had all the artist nature from a boy, and never lost the tender sensibility and naif admiration for the beautiful in nature and art which give such glow of enthusiasm to his writings.  His ’Grammar of Painting and Engraving’ founded the scientific method of criticism.  In this work he brought his intellectual qualifications and extensive reading to bear upon a subject until then treated either by philosophical theorizers or eloquent essayists.  He has left one of the purest literary reputations in France.  He was above all an idealist, and made the World Beautiful more accessible to us.

[Illustration:  REMBRANDT AND HIS WIFE.  Photogravure from the original Painting by Rembrandt.  Dresden Gallery.] [Illustration]

REMBRANDT

From ‘The Dutch School of Painters’

Rembrandt has taken great pains to transmit to us paintings of his person, or at least of his face, from the time of his youth up to that of shrunken old age.  He was a man at once robust and delicate.  His broad and slightly rounded forehead presented a development that indicated a powerful imagination.  His eyes were small, deep-set, bright, intelligent, and full of fire.  His hair, of a warm color bordering on red and curling naturally, may possibly have indicated a Jewish extraction.  His head had great character, in spite of the plainness of his features; a large flat nose, high cheek-bones, and a copper-colored complexion imparted to his face a vulgarity which, however, was relieved by the form of his mouth, the haughty outline of his eyebrows, and the brilliancy of his eyes.  Such was Rembrandt; and the character of the figures he painted partakes of that of his own person.  That is to say, they have great expression, but are not noble; they possess much pathos, while deficient in what is termed style.