Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-26
The Angclus. "
lPAll- Mail Gazette. !

There is a curious contrast between tho
two topics Of the dav which the CORE
spOndents report from Paris. One is about
a famous picture: the other about q foro-
cious bull-fght. The French public Is
dividing its attention between looking at
Mllef, picture Of q couple oi peasants
bowling their heads for evening prayer. and
witnessing men armed with swords and
tridents coadug bulls and making the
arena stream with blood And there j.
another not less-strikiug contrast. also sur-
gested 10y MIllrts "Anuelus." The latest
contribution g. the literature a. his PFC
ture Is pOsthumous criticism by Gam
beta, and what Gambrtta notes rs spe-
clally admirable IA il Is It's religious teach
ing:
The "Angelus.' the masterpiece. IN
which two peasants, bathed i'm the pale
RAYS Of the setting sun. bow. full Of mysti-
cal thrills at the penetrating sound of a
bell ringing for evening prayer al the
monastery visible ON the horizon. coinpels
meditation Oh the still powerful influence
Of religious tradition among tine rural
population. lou feel that the artist is not
merely painter. but that. living ardenuy
amid the passions and problems Of his age,
he takes his share iu them. Thectlzeu in
fuses The artist and with grand and noble
picture We have lesson IT morality.
Here we have Gambetta. who. though
provincial bv origin WAS 10y tastes q Parl-
sian OF the Parislans. and even a5oV.er0d'r
OF the bOtdfrGrtier's. appralsing pictures not
/ by their " tOnalitv" and "yalurs.' aud 1ll
the other properties iu which the modern
connOiss7r Of Paris delights. but boy their
subjects, their "morallNu- and educating
roie,' and ranking one particular picture
very high because of its grasp of religious
traction as one of the living forces of
loo And fins h. D.. "A D
flung religious tradition 10 the
winds. who pointed to the guar
dlans Of such traditions a- the supreme
enemy, and whose political successors
have arraycd all the religious forces i'm
France against them. Here, too, is surely
% curious contrast. 20 certain extent
the modern rage for pictorial art of the
! higher kind comes merely .rJm the love
of contrast. The typical Pa,i-iau requires
hls life o. be plquart hcfor" All things;
and there is something cNqUsitely pl0ulut
IN passing from a bull-hcht To- peaceful
landscape. on IN turning from tine newest
glbes az Christianity Cd sOue pathetic
representation of Christian legend. Jle
modern man Of taste loves. too. Doe
tore most things 90 Doe Catholic
Just as the modern man ot Thought
loves 90 be tolerant. nnd no doubt
one reason why Mlllcts work is popular
VIII 1ufn ar Iilf~f iii 'hiINf TO- in Hf WHY
unlike the work painted iu the school 1i
luhncity. But. though Nhilet's vogue f0aF
partly depend ON such fictitious clu~'s as
tins. n Is not wholly so. Much less honest
and simple work would serve THAT purpose
even better In the last century tine lN'r~
In tho towns cried ont by way of contrast
for picture, fthe country. and the absurd
school OF pastoral landscape gave them
all they wanted. But IN MIlct9 "Auge-
lus" there is nothing affected, nothing
artificial. nothing exaggerated. What
ever beauty it has comes. as Gam
hctta sand, from " tAe >Rlcudor a.
tho true" Whatever "eGctt" 10 Ire,
belong, 20 IL in virtue of tine paiho- 90 hu-
man life I'm It's relation 20 The iuhni'o.
That a work such rs ths-Smail in ,c.le,
subdurd in key should nave made SD pr1.
found an impression ou Gamhcfta nuu
should $50 powerfully affect the iarisnu
world Is q great tribute 10 the power
which art may have of focusing and su--
tanning what Is best and purc-t ln ua-
TONS life. Is It not strange that with
such possibilities within his reach tlc
modern artist should SO often rrnounce
hIs high calling and deliberately ,.t himself
10 sacrifice all care for noble subject pa ore
der the better to display merely manlpu-
latIYe sklllY