New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-02

Mr. Robert Buchanan In his latest novel asseits
the creed of Purity in society by means OF divers
strong il melodramatc pictures of ofenses against
that creed. sThe diabohcal ingenuity of strong
sex is tortured" he declares TO devise legal means
for sacrificing a weaker SEX" and some of tho
results of this gcnuity he describes in this pain
full story Of the Sofia, Martyrdom of AN Innocent
and gifted woman. The novel has excited not
little angry criticism in London for reason OF its
bitter attacks personal journalism and on certain
characteristic hgurcs of the aesthetic cult Mr.
Buchanan disclaims. however any intention OF
photographing Individuals or OF earicatdrlng Tie
representatives OF estheticsm proper 1t IS the cano
CT astheticsn he says, which he wishes TO sa''rlze
Tue unpleasant remarks of several of his critics
imply that he has been more definite in his sklts
than he meant to he. 1t is said that the Lcndoners
60 not fan to recognize the characters in this
scene:
MIR Blanco Serena the prophet of a new school OF
palnting the object of which was more closely 10
reconcile and blend the kindred arts OF painting
poetry aud music. occupied large detacueu uouse
in South kensugtOn, whittier his wOrsnlppcfs
hooked every sunday as 10 the shrine oi sol SOM
patron saint. The walls were emOelisheu WIN
ses,yus IRON his own pencil, or those oil MS own
friends: the furnit1 e was bis own invention III
form as we'll as color inc cengs VIZ ,,ed
with golden stars; 80 that when the rSpt Ctea'uIo
looked up IN contemplation or III lnspllauor; MS
vision was rewarded by celestial SImpSes lhcie
were no carpets the floors. hut mere ana thefe
costly rings we're strewu. The house formed "A quad
Tangie, IN the centre of winch was an open couit
viii a naymQ fountain, and by the fountain III
fne weather the prophet and the faithful would lie
upon tiger and hon skins, smoking pIpes anu c"u-
mets OF strange device. -,
serena himself was a middle aged man, with
high bald forehead long. apostolic Deard anu i'Is 81,
brown dreamy eyes. lie was a good soul, Win the
kiudest disposition. and the ahectatlolis OF MS pro-
fesslon did not extend TO his personal chaiaclei.
The fault lay in his stars than hnselL IlIl nc
bad bec one an eccentric painter. lie began mcr-
riiy. in Bohemian fashion, with clay pipe IN his
mouth, painting real Landscapes rom Nature ana
human beings lion the llfe ana prodhcmS compo
sitons note worthy for line color ana honesV e"ec.
But he discovered early, as many another pr3pheI
has discovered. that sincerity dl1 not pay IA an
angry moment one day disguised with a picture
he had lust completed, he TOOK mp MS brush ana
deliberately reversed all the color OF his compost
tinn Where water was blue, ne made 1t verini
lion: where boughs were green and golden DC Ihaue
them puIple aud cerulean; white human inquire
standing by water became an Ethiop through excess
OF shadow and finally out OF sheer HeNIuS, nc
covered the dafodll sky with layers OF pea green ,
Gland He had lust completed his WORK ana was
scowlinc at il grmly, when there entered TOhto
the new art critic from Camiord 10 sooner ga ga
Ponto see the mu,llated picture than nc caspcu us
hands and raised us eyes raptuIOus'y ~ tna hNn
AT last p be cried. and wIung Serena by Tue manu-
SONY paint like TINS and your iane Is SURF ; hn1
Meeatherlum oil the following SunudS Conain'u
an article by Ponto entitled =" Nh. BlaneV S5Ienas
new paintIng-a Revere in Nermlilion and Tea
CreenD in which article 1t was clearly demon
strated not merely that the painting was one Oh the
masterpieces the world but that tue painter was
the first modern man" who had dared To give
prominence on canvas to eyanescenI cosul'c
moods From that day forth the epithets cosinlc.
august, titanic supersensuols shplline anu oti,ei
adiectiyes of equal meaning were he especial prop
erty of Serena aud his imitat0rs; i0r that llnlia
tors came goes perhaps wlthou! ING seeIng
that imitation Is easy. ReVerieS on canvas
became the rage: to be nOn-natuTal was the
fashion. Artists who had once IN their innocence
strained every 10 study great models ana 10
copy nature now tortured ingenuity to represent
j "evanescent cosmic moods out OF colof, out Oh
drawing and out of all harmony with anything else
but tue diseased inventions OF bad painters and tue
bad critics who urged them on. - ..,,.. l
Serena as we have said, was a good fellow ana
took his success sensibly Only TO Que man III the
world did he secretly confess the facts OF the case
81 know | humbug" he sald 10 tOrsVer;
and that those who praise me are humDueS. l
Know that | paint worse than did at twenty and
that when die. aud my school dies with me; pos
follow the truellights OF my soul ana paiLt rue
picture Just to keep my work from utterly PERISH
Ing in Limbo, just to enable some poor soul in the
lar future to saw After all BancO Serena might,
had lie chosen escaped from beng the aesthetic
prig of his period But what am the scrlOolels
and the public have made me. Ii another man
painted bony woman In yellow gauze with req
HAIR and pale. green eyes. aud impossible arms anu
legs, he would be found out directly; put only let
M paInt such : figure and call IL Persephone
musing by the waters of Lethe.' or Memory knea
g by the sa g5aye t in aHa am at least Of
Ponto's praise and the pubiics approval wen OF
all humbpgs, Art humbug IS tine worst thougu
after all, worse saints nave Deeh caho"|ou 'n"u
10 the studio of Blanco, few days after Made
lines visit came PontU, the Art critic bringing Win
him thin. mIddle-age Frenchman with a coarse
mouth and sinister expression OF countenance. Inc
painter with deft and careless hand, was adulhS
lew touches to the picture OF Ophela. \.
- Serena" cried POntO, " let me introduce you 10
NJ Aukuste de Gavr0lles from Parls-the friend ana
nnpil of the supreme and inpeccsbo Gautler. lie
is poet an ardent worshipper oil your genius ana
in ali matters OF art completely sane and coslmc'
Serena smiled and held out his hand, which the
FrenchInan took rapturOusy ana raised IL 10 MS
All. Monsieur" he exclaimed, this Is the
proudest moment OF my life"
Ponto threw himself into chair. and looked
around him with "A smile of feline lnsipidty. -,
What's that have there. my dear Serena !"
ne asked. blinking at the picture. an. see, an
other superbly musical meditation in the minor Key
OF 1ake-whlteE
An idea portrait -qulte So How wonderfully
in that floating draperY you have conveyed the
serene insouclance of frances OF languor crescent
ing into alteration OF supersensuaI ufealR ,;,..
at il neither nor less than careful likeness
of the original returned Serena modestly. In
the arrangement of the colors wish to convey
The spirituality OF superb and liie-c0L sunlng
dream fired with the arid flame OF lneiplent pas
sIon-etheria, almost epicene-consciOns Ql throD-
hing yistas of a sexual retrospection ana chromatc
wastes OF frutless future fantasy interpOSed with
fororn Qulfs of irremediabe darkness and despair.
Added 10 this, aud seen In the pose OF the imp
hand and the rle anchol texture OF the mesh tlnts
ia the Lethean consciousness OF a drowned and
devastated ideal Enlightened by one star OF prom
ise and irredeemed by one Hover OF celestlal
truth. Am | right DO take your meaningT
Just So" said Serena dry, aud turned to look
at The Frenchman.
Ponto looked over serenas shoulder as he worked.
You must Know Gavrolles better" he observed
al like him; we all like him. He is man OF Ideas
C;avrolles placed his hand upon his heart and
bowed. ..-.,
The0phIe, to worship what Is beautiful 10 ADORE
what is superb" 90
ain France az the present moment" continued
Ponto pstronizingly. I" Gavrolles represents the
school of super se suOus personal yearning IN his
Of n CHAIR