Page:Women in the Fine Arts From the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentiet.djvu/222

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WOMEN IN THE FINE ARTS
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of purity and modesty. The flesh tints are warm, the figure is supple in effect, and the whole is a happy picturing of the sleep and dream of a lovely young woman who has thrown herself down in the carelessness of solitude.

It required an effort of will to turn to the second picture. Here lies another young woman, in her white shroud, surrounded with lilies as white as her face, on which pain has left its traces. In the artistic speech of the present day, it is a symphony in white. The figure is as rigid as the other is supple ; it is frightfully immovable—and yet the drawing is not exaggerated in its firmness. Certainly these contrasting pictures witness to the skill of the artist. Without doubt the last is by far the most difficult, but Mme. Golay has known how to conquer its obstacles.

A third picture by this artist in the exhibition is called the "Abundance of Spring." Mme. Golay's reputation as a flower painter has been so long established that one need not dwell on the excellence of the work. A writer in the Geneva Tribune exclaims: "One has never seen more brilliant peonies, more vigorous or finer branches of lilacs, or iris more delicate and distinguished. How they breathe—how they live—how they smile—these ephemeral blossoms!"

Gonzalez, Inés. Member of the Academy San Carlos of Valencia. In the expositions of 1845 and 1846 in that city she was represented by several miniatures, one of which, "Dido," was much admired. Another—the portrait of the Baron of Santa Barbara— was acquired by