New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-17
FAMOUS FRENCH PAINTERS
i or. DURANp-RUETs "REMINISCENCES

or. DURAND-RUETs "REMINISCENCES
kHE MEN or $780, AND THE MODERN SCHOOL
OF IMPRFssIoNIsTs.
IL n. Durand-R uel, the Partisan artdealer, u weh
Known to art connoisseurs practically the h't "
Introduce to the public the works OF CoroI housSo~u
Iodnlet, Delacroix and Gericaut Win Wow
..c.rt.,nnv som, facts Of interest regarding the lives
and paintings of those artists, as wen as VI .,o
asflsr-day aimpressontsts" OF France, Tor whom N.
tD,irspd Ruel may DO said to stand rs inc sPociS
champion the writer called on the great arr oea'of
Aurins his last visit this city, ana In reply 10
questions, received some interesting art iacn anu
kn,r.e The most beautiful works OF art sad
IN Durand -Ruel BY way of introducuon' arc oieon
hhose which for many years sell the cheapest inc
Sa,1s4nal and creative artists, men like Gereaui''
peiscrotx Corot, Mlet, Puvs de Chavannes, Psssrfo
,x,sy and Claude Monet, who later become centarys
uory ana to whom after death the world eects statues
Sxo oftsn all through their lives unknown and the h9ie
youp of those who understand them, defend them ana
S.n,ht IN their genius Is treated target for the
Sttsoks of ignorance Of custom and OF bad faith VI
kbose ignorance the least dangerous The ingenious
man without artistic instruction, but also without
bretudioes, can learn rapidly he has the TASTE lie
nrho thinks he understands art because he knows all
Tho painters, all the collections, all the museums In
h healthy Judgment and natural taste. He cannot
,oornprehsnd that great artist must free himself OF
m imitation even of the great masters, II he woun
have fresh sensations and discover In nature unsus-
booted marvels. And in support OF what have Just
aid can remember the first pictures Of Mllet Corot
md Dslacroix that sold were purchased by Amor
hans strangers in Paris and tee from all prejudice.
Ns 70 bad faith Il docs exist In the public but IN
that army of spectators who from time immemorai
have practised upon the creduity Of the public maze
war upon the great artists during their lie ano
sde use Of their works after their death, even 10 inc
potnt Of forgery. All profits for themselves ~hhe
he painters too often have died Of misery and chssn
| GERIcAu1r's UNHAPPY LIFE.
Gericaut whose last sketch Is now 80 much sousn
kfer mover sold picture during his lfe Disgus'eo
With tho injustice Of amateurs and dealers ana nieo
with misery after having struggled long and useessH'
he billed himself in despair Delacron all his hic
halt great bitterness under the injuries which over
kwhelmsd him and under the weight OF the universal
nontsmpt for him. 1t was only to the pro'eouon OF
khe Duo d. Orleans, to his family relatives anu W n
lofty personal character that he owed some oh'iai
kommiuons thanks to which he was enabled to leave
10 posterty his admirable decorative paintings ana his
hicturos Of Versailles Some facts will give you an
Hdea Of the seorn with which his works were received
EHe.had painted for collector bold enough 10 give MN.
In order the marvellous Hamlet anu horauo az
Horick,s Tomb The amateur paid him 2co francs,
nut soon dsgsted by the 1eers Of his friends and OF
hs family. he put the picture up for public SALE MY
satber bought Il for 20 francs with the frame, ana
mas In his turn covered with abuse for his bad taste
In buying such horror This picture, bought twenty
kears ago by NJ. Heine, the Partisan banker, Tor
no 600 francs public sale, is to-day worth 1oooo
FRANCS Delacroix accustomed to see his works
scorned by the public that, when he encountered an
Individual intelligent enough 10 understand him ana
ncursgeo enough buy Of his pictures, 1t aston
kshod him and made him profoundly grateful. ABOUT
1850 he had shown at dealers that admirable
fBarQue' now in the possession Of W. T. walters OF
Baltimore Troyon passed, admired the picture asked
Its price and bought it for 500 francs. Deacrox
learned the fact but could hardly believe SO ex.
braordnary a tale. The following day be wrote
aetter to Troyon in which he thanked the latter for
having understood him, and considering the price
royon had paid too large, he sent another picture lie
Egre Couche, gratis, to indemnify him.
THE PREJUDICE AGAINST ROUSSEAU.
? The premature deaths OF Rousseau and Mnet
Eers oocasoned by the incessan torments which the
Struggle for existence caused them remember Ger
tain admirable pictures which Rousseau. then In the
nm strength of his talent tried to sell for few hun
tdred francs vet no one would touch them. They did
hot understand that he was different kind OF painter
Rom Corlame and B. c. Koekoek. His Alice de
ratsgnlers refused by the members OF The Academic
Jury, was sold with great difficulty for 500 francs.
L sold It aferward for 10000 francs to Nine. de
sor it. Le Gtvre,' by the sano artist now belonging
40 Mr. ". T. Walters, and worth at Least $4,000
NEas likewise sold for 500 francs to Troyon AT the
ksle, after the death OF Troyon. this picture was
tboueht for 10000 francs, and some time after
bousht It for 10000 francs, q price which made all
tho so-caled connoisseun OF Paris shrug 'he'r
bhouldees. / remember public sale which Rousseau
tr,ed to have IN 1910. 1t comprised about forty Of
his most beautiful works. the least of which IS to-day
kortn $4,000 1t failed lamcntably, only two or
throe pictures selling and at villsnous price, which
hardly paid the costs OF the sae and all the resi-
returning 10 my father VINO did not sell one for many
years. Some Of these paintings were in my posses
SON Is late as 1873.
I al last discouraged, overwhelmed by tho debts
acb he had generously shouldered TO the honor
nj his ruined father, Rousseau had the weakness to
vfy little 10 satisfy the bad taste OF the public by
paanting insignificant pictures, fall of detail and
1pped OF the breadth and strength which had always
characterized bis work 50 In the second part OF his
liz though we stu find his skH in composition his
dtsinotiye qualities as colorst and painter almost
entirely disappeared Finally, In 1857. his strength
and COURAGE gone and feeling his end approaching,
iRous<esu wished to find q little rest He sent for
me and sold to me for 100000 francs seventy
,admirable pictures OF his best perod, all painted
k,om nature. These he had always wished 10 retain
- models for his own instruction, and because he
koved them Is friends. With the 100000 francs thus
obtained he was able 10 pay at Last the greater part
bf his debts. But soon as the report OF that SAID
bpeead through Paris. a chorus OF insult and abuse
nFose from all sides against mo- at once every one do
e,sred that this proved what they had before only
suspoct.d-that had entirely lost my Senses Neves
thsaess there among those pictures these nov
ace,ebrsted Rousseaus: lie Dormoir du Bias Brean,
boushx BY the louvre for $4,000 francs Les Butcher
lonnes,' now owned by Mr.. Martin; Les Georges d
Apremouf and 10 Crepuscule tof the Spencer coiiec
taon. NewYork). To-day those seventy pictures are
svorth over 100000 francs.
I. a1LIEr,s HARD STRUGGLE FOR LIVING.
awhst life of torture and privation was that Of
kudeti Welcomed on his arrival in Paris by Daz
ard Rousseau, 10 whom his tastes at once drew him
hs he'd already produced some admirable pcfnres
IN which, despite the influence Of the old masters
Vet a M