March 28 Friday – Sam’s notebook:

Went to see pictures rushed into Palais d’ Industrie end of afternoon—last chance to see them in. Stair ways crowded—street full of vans & the vans full of pictures. Every time a poor picture came in, everybody groaned. Perfect howl went up, sometimes when particularly poor one came—it was snatched & passed from hand to hand. Picture of wood-sawing—everybody made a sound like sawing. Picture of St Jerome & skull—lot of students followed it weeping on each other’s shoulders. Was a row last year, so it was announced that this year only people bearing pictures would be admitted—so there came 50 students, each carrying a 10-cent chromo very carefully. —There were acres of pictures. Any artist may send two or three but not more. I think they said 2 was the limit. A jury of the first artists of France (elected by exhibitors) will examine these 6 or 7000 pictures between now & May 11, & retain about 2000 & reject the rest. They can tell a good picture or a bad one at a single glance—these are at once set aside & the real work begins, the culling the best from among those that lie somewhere between the perfectly good & the perfectly bad. And a tough job it is.—An artist can’t vote for the jury till he has exhibited more than twice…sometimes a fine picture is applauded [MTNJ 2: 304-5].

—-Dined with the Earl of Dunraven. D.D. Home (pronounced Hume,) the spiritualist miracle-worker, was present. An Austrian prince Wrede, brother of the great diplomatist, came in—a fascinating man, simple-hearted, unpretending, & a fine mind—more than 6 feet high & exceedingly handsome—about 30 yrs old. Home is 45, but looks 35. Resembles me in the face. He is a very fine fellow & makes warm & everlasting friendships with all sorts of people [306].