Out of the 3957 oil paintings exhibited, our country is represented by 113 pictures, the productions of 83 Americans. Then we claim 13 of the aquarelle painters, and there are in addition 11 natives of the United States who exhibit designs in charcoal, _sanguine_, _gouache_, and paintings on either porcelain or faïence; also 7 sculptors--in all, 114 of our compatriots whose works are in the present Salon. New York claims the lion's share of these artists, 40 being accredited to that State. Of the remainder, 18 are from Boston, 13 from Philadelphia, 6 from New Orleans, 3 from Chicago, 2 from Toledo, 2 from San Francisco, etc. etc.
I think it will be generally admitted that the only really strong pictures exhibited by the American artists are John S. Sargent's portrait of Madame Pailleron (wife of the author of _L'Étincelle_) and his _Fumée d'Ambre Gris_; Henry Mosler's _Toilette de Noce_; D.R. Knight's _Une Halte_; Miss Gardner's _Priscilla the Puritan_; F.A. Bridgman's _Habitation Arabe à Biskra_; Charles E. DuBois's _Autumn Evening on Lake Neuchâtel_; and Edwin L. Weeks's _Embarkment of the Camels_ and _Gateway of an Old Fondak in the Holy City of Sallée_ (Morocco)--both of which were sold immediately after the opening. Of course there are several other good pictures by our compatriots, and some that possess great merit. But the ones indicated above are the only ones which (excepting Picknell's two landscapes, _Sur le Bord du Marais_ and _La Route de Concarneau_) have called forth any special notice from French critics or in any way attracted much of the public attention thus far. Mr. Sargent is a surprise and a wonder to even his master, Carolus Duran, whose portrait, painted by Sargent, attracted great attention in the Salon of last year and received an "honorable mention." He has painted this year a full-length in the open air, producing a very sunny, strong out-door effect. The hands attract much praise, but opinions vary as to the face. His _Fumée d'Ambre Gris_ represents a woman of Tangiers engaged in perfuming her clothing with the fumes from a lamp in which ambergris is burning. The white robes of the woman set off against a pearly-gray background, the rising smoke, the curiously-tinted finger-nails of the woman, and the rich rug on which the lamp stands, combine to make a very notable and curious picture.