French critics, MM.
Valabregue, Lafond, Giron, Guiffrey, and Reymond, recognized authorities
upon the artists whose works they describe; and I have selected
Fromentin's valuable essay on "The Night Watch," feeling sure that this
thoughtful criticism would interest even the enthusiastic admirers of
this enigmatical work.

I have been careful to take no unnecessary liberties with the text. In
the translations from Gruyer, Goethe, Fromentin, and others, which were
unfortunately too long to be included entire, I have not allowed myself
to condense, but only to cut. This is true, also, of the English
extracts.

E.S.

NEW YORK, _September_, 1899.

Contents

THE FISHERMAN PRESENTING THE RING
TO THE DOGE GRADENIGO _Bordone_ 1
THEOPHILE GAUTIER.

THE BIRTH OF VENUS _Botticelli_ 5
WALTER PATER.

THE QUEEN OF SHEBA _Veronese_ 16
JOHN RUSKIN.

THE LAST JUDGMENT _Michael Angelo_ 18
ALEXANDRE DUMAS.

MAGDALEN IN THE DESERT _Correggio_ 27
AIME GIRON.

BANQUET OF THE ARQUEBUSIERS _Van der Helst_ 33
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY.

L'EMBARQUEMENT POUR L'ILE DE
CYTHERE _Watteau_ 38
EDMOND AND JULES DE GONCOURT.

THE SISTINE MADONNA _Raphael_ 45
F.A. GRUYER.

THE DREAM OF ST. URSULA _Carpaccio_ 58
JOHN RUSKIN.

THE DESCENT FROM THE CROSS _Rubens_ 62
EUGENE FROMENTIN.

BACCHUS AND ARIADNE _Titian_ 71
I. CHARLES LAMB.
II. EDWARD T. COOK.

THE CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN _Fra Angelico_ 77
THEOPHILE GAUTIER.

JUDITH _Botticelli_ 80
MAURICE HEWLETT.

THE AVENUE OF MIDDELHARNAIS _Hobbema_ 88
PAUL LAFOND.

THE DANCE OF THE DAUGHTER OF
HERODIAS _Andrea del Sarto_ 93
ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE.

ADORATION OF THE MAGI _Fabriano_ 98
F.A. GRUYER.

PORTRAIT OF GEOR