But let us leave the remote antiquity in which the poet-painters of the Neo-Greek school delight to dwell, and come back to modern times. Passing through one of the central rooms, one is struck by the appearance of a great space of gilded wall hung with pictures considerable in number, but mostly quite diminutive in size. It needs no reference to the catalogue nor to the signature of these works to tell us the name of their author. If the singular talent which they display were not enough, the _mise en scène_ would leave no doubt that this extraordinary piece of wall has the honor of supporting the exhibit of M. Meissonier. M. Meissonier holds a great position in contemporary art--a fact which is known to everybody, and to no one better than to M. Meissonier. But it was in 1867 rather than in 1878 that he ought to have gilded his wall. It was in the former year that he exhibited his _1814_, his _Reading at Diderot's_ and other incomparable works, which placed him beyond all dispute at the head of the French school. To-day he shows us but one considerable work, the _Cuirassiers of 1805_, and fifteen small pieces--very pretty things, but then he has taught his pupils to imitate him too well! They have so often and so skilfully counterfeited the art of their master that the dignity of his work seems lessened and its value diluted, as it were, until for the substance we are given the shadow, and the _tableau_ is replaced by the _tableautin_. The same tendency to contraction is apparent in every country. Paintings are growing smaller, as if to keep in proportion with the small modern salons. That this is due to the great influence of M. Meissonier there is no doubt, but no diminution of his own fame accompanies the dwindling of his pictures. And yet there are half a dozen painters at the Champ de Mars who lack nothing but the golden wall to make them the equals of the master. M. Detaille is absent, but we have M. Worms, with seven little chefs d'oeuvre; M. Vibert, with his _Departure of the Spanish Bride and Bridegroom_, the _Serenade_, and the _Toilette of the Madonna_; M. Firmin Girard, with his _Flower-Girl_; M. Berne-Bellecour, in his famous _Coup de Canon_; MM. Fichel, Lesrel, Louis Leloir and others whom I have not space to mention, as exact and as minute in detail as their _chef_, and, moreover, almost as well paid by amateurs, especially Americans.