Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-22
How Ii Impressed an American
Artist.

Ross Turner, in letter to a friend here thus
speaks OF the Munich Art Exhibition:
The Exhibition closes its doors to-day. Ithas
been great financial success and its influence
Will be the means OF creating, l believe, a
change for the better in the Munich art. can
not but believe that such fine work as some OF
the French and Belgian artist exhibited will
have more or less influence on our future
Munich work. They have had an opportunity
of seeing other work in comparison with their
own,-of seeing their weak points and strong
ones In contrast with modern masterpieces OF
the best type. AS to figure work. TANK, as far
as can judge, the Munich school has some ca
cellent traits which remind one of some of the
greatest works OF the Old masters: yet in many
points they are very deficient. Noth!Gr finer
could have been seen in any part OF tne eX libi-
ton than some head studies and q san SeotS-
tian by Ribot, of Paris. For superior techli luC,
still life OF some fish, by VollOn, o. the une
place, is admirable Certainly nothing can be
more advantageous TO a student than to see
such work as have mentioned and TO be able to
study 1t.
When landscape is considered. the Munich
school cannot be considered in comparison TO
that OF the French, Belgium and DutCn schools
You feel in the latter such u keen observation OF
nature, Sucn Il breezy fresh quality that when
you look at the German pictures an oppressive
sort OF StuGlu-air or SineneSS runs through all
that part OF the exhibition and one cam 1t neip
1eelnS that more freshness, nore mature more
freedom and lcsS rule is wanted.
1t seems 10 me that the Dutch and Flemish
artists must have painted out OF doors, and that
all that tenderness OF mist and gFayaeSS WAS
painted in y ith the colors they are so quiet yet
so intensely realistic so iull OF nat ne see rs
as II notu!ug was forced. yet so powerfully
pointed with n master hand aud with 40 feeling
OF doubt or inGecision anywhere. hut honestly
ana SquaIGly painted on The canvass. ard passes
for JHsl what II is, literal translation artiStica-
ly rendered nom nature. repeat, oar Munich
school has TOO much SalnenasS; the same palette
ana cUio.a Uu 100 much Through tyefS thing. /
would like 10 see In the Munich works the strong
characteristics Of the other Schools The stu
dent aid lover OF the art Is overpowered by the
N InI Haul -ltfh
grand tihtS OF nature (Which could be found, II
sought 1or rightly. at almost every ones door)
quite put In Une shade the wOuld-Da grandeur OF
many OF Inc Munich artists Ii Is no. the gram
deur itse1 but its perfect simplicity. Take, for
instance, magnificent Daubigny-a moon rise
This picture is on large canvass at least two
thirds sky, simple foreground, and u fiock OF
sheep. nO'bins, more. The cIlm quiet moon
light catches mere and there thread of mist
which Is rising from the dew-laiened grass, re-
Ieal1ng spot OF siyery light, until the distance
Is lost i'll the sky. In fact you wonder what
there Is III the picture, for it is so simple; not
bush or a tree only few sheep, that seem al
most lOSt IN the rising vapOr, yet more Won
derful motive or a more beautiful thought
could hardly have been imagined. You feel the
damp air; the grass seems wet. and night pres
ent IL IS glimpse OF nature one might see in
any autumn evening, out OF any window. when
the moon IS full and tea minutes above the hori-
Zon such perfect calmneSS, such truth, one
could hardly believe could be put upon canvass.
yet you see it, not only In this one instance. but
In great many others, especially in tue Belgian
ana Dutch marine and landscape pictures.
Another, q solitary Old fishing boat. drawn up
on wet beach-a soft, gray. misty sky sea-
breeze, and a salt spray, which one almost
feels in his face Then another, an Old
MILL with Il noble stretch OF crisp green
meadows running Off to a little Old
village miles away, where the arms of the wind
mills and the smoke rise in the clear atmoS-
phere above; and you feel that beyond is another
vast stretch, and, perhaps more mills and more
smoke, and under IA vast pile of clouds glitterlnG
In the morning sun light, birds are moving in a
in Gil tot all,-
OF black and dark colors, in a mass OF coiored
paint but through the thin air.
These things are a revelation to me. / could
hardly believe art could rise to such heights.
lmposslbllitics become realities when you see
what has been accomplished. And yet am III
formed that the exhibition does not by any
means. fully represent any Of the schools I
speak OF. However, enough has been shown to
make, trust, total change in the manner of
working here and that Munich art will, hence
forth, have better work than 1t has yet
produced. l speak more particularly of its
landscape and marine.
sent you some water colOrS last week. and
will send more as often as health and time will
permit. l am now painting some larger ones,
and some Oil studies, and will send you as many
as possible between this and Christmas
AS a proof of the confidence which German
capitalists have in the American government
am proud to say that greenbackS here are good
for the full alnount-par In the fullest sense Of
the word. Ross.