New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-07
JULES BRETON.
. DELIGHTFUL AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

Is he success
.to first because of its perfect naturaineS'. -
49, bcen said though perhaps IN a splrl' VI I'll I'll
.r;.;ciem that few if any autoblogiapmes a'' 49,.
oI Tho theory developed is to the ehe0'
,oovsr writes his or her own I've hi"oo WI"
'"~ .,o,o rubicity. and that whatever Is written
',hIina,;on lacks something OF gehuiHeiie''
Ton whore as in the Confessions OF No"'''"
,horc sccms TO be a presumption ia iafoa VI ~
fect yeracty precisely because so inuch Vi VINO" -
,old is damaging to the narrator suSpiO'oi
;osinceritv still attaches, inasmuch as v"1io 1-e
many men OF morbid feeling VINO 'ahe pio"H"io
/, making themselves appear worse ti"u '"'
~ 40 Tho ease of Byron is here directly
!, point. and that of his friend I!eia"heS ~
ugn rcader Of Jules Bretons memoir. however
will close the book without haTIng eXpeIleh0U
one msciving as to its entire truthi"hneso'
NAV indeed I've alleged by the cNhlc 'h". 'N'
record of so placid and eventless lie can N"'
had few temptations or opportunities 10 ""H' Nv
actualty; but it is not there that the Prooi' VI
,orui,cncss lie What must convince the most
l,cntcal is the selfeydent fact that VIC nave heie
a nc-fcctlv faithful reflection of a life IN which
even from its beginning, the artistic sPniU '"i"
tendencies dominated everything. 80
Perhaps the first point to strike the reader VIII
be tho marvellous scope and detail of jules bIe-
tons memories of childhood Let any one Try 70
,ecoU the principal events of his hrst seven
wears. and then compare the result with THIS lul
and almost minute record, and he will realize whao
we mean But it is precisely the artistic tell
pera,nent that reveals itself in this qulckncsS anu
scope of observation and this tcn3clty OF rec"'-
lection To the little Jules all the word was
rich in beauties which had no existence lor CHI
dIcn less prodigally endowed with maclnalloh
and perception. Witness his loving ana carelu
description Of his childish life al COureies, OF the
various out-of-door scenes, of the garden ana Uhe
"carpeYic' Of the sounds and sights and seasons
of the birds and reptiles aId insects ana animals
and last. though not least, 81 all the men anu
women who came within the ken of those sharp
little eyes. Viewed, too, in connection win MS
later litc il is difficult 10 fX the period az which
the great painters artistic education BEGAN FROM
the very outset the passionate love OF nature is
seen t. he the keynote to his character, ana we
perceive that as he plays about his fathers estate
OF wanderS in tie forest or over the marshes. ne
is uncorsciously establishing standards of value,
learning the preliminary secrets of his art ann
having the way for tie new departure he was
prc>eqtly 10 take But with what charm his
simplicity and sincerity hcve Invested thCs" chroE-
iccs OF hovhood and youth. The sensitive ant
receptive memory of the Chld seems TO have
guarded every impression of the formative period
So faithfully that the man has had but 10 open
the register and copy of the unfadcd record. Nor
is il the Impressions from without alone which
thus preserved. Every unusual emotion. every
new experience subjective we'll as objective,
is remembered and described in the same delight
fal manner.
Al dis TOO. is permeated by genial hnmor
mixed with enough gentle satire directed most
frequently AGAINST himself 20 flavor the mar
latvr 9.reeably. The naive and unashamed
cgctism Of childhood is often made the theme
Of ,is kind Of indulgeat rdicnle and the foihles
ard faults OF the boy are given their just value
without prctcnce Of eXtenuaton OF apology. Such
as this human being actually we are to see
him. in So far as he is able IN draw his own
portrait from memory: and especially are we to
follow the DEVELOPMENT by which he became what
he is Only toward TIE end is there certain
auachronisni When tie artist has conducted MS
readers - the opening OF his career, he seems 10
become suddenly impatient of thr slow movement
cf TIC yc1rs and breaks away from tn" consecutive
Chronicle u plunge into mature criticism ana
comment upon his contemporaries and upon 'he
different schools. Very keen and shrewd and
valuable are these criticisms, and they throw much
Light upon Breton's own relations ~ art ana his
theories But in point Of time they are pre-
mature and II wOuld have made the memoir more
symmetrical had Ec restrained himself 50 as TO
oivc q tullcr account of those first years Of real
work The careful description of the painting OF
the frs, pictures which attracted attention ana
brought him fame is Of deep interest ana r'h
with suggestions. In these pages II IS possIo" -
obtain true insight II the theory OF arr winch
Julcs Breton has made his own, and moreover 'he
stems by which lc reached il are clearly indicated
Fran rop,anticism to realism and thence TO i'm
+f,n na1 Irnfo fTaEpllpI
Rut his realism was not sharply separated from
his impressionis,n, and this Is clearly shown IN
that he SAWS of Millct in this volume. He thus
describes one of Mllet's pictures, which was NOT
;nclnded in the exhibition of the works OF 'his
nain.er" and he says Ii was WONDERFUL II
produced a singular impression upon me. ms
nointing baked in the sun, so 10 say. eus'erc ana
car-hl. expressed with marvellous effect the over
no,vcriu- heat that burns the fields in the dog
dovs = dull glow where breathe, stife and sweat
l,r.,. handed beings with knotty joints, thick
Ii. ov,s vaguely defined in their sockets, out
lie, rs s;mnlc as those of Egyptian art, and wear
i,r CLOTHES like shcaths, with bagsy elbows and
Lnccs-heings of a stupid and saVa2ey solemn "s
ncct His enemies saw in il the graz hcatioh D
etupidity II was indeed a singular picture al
fist view The graz tone OF the wheat Seche" u
diTrso itself through the red atmosphere 'ha'
GROWING thicker in The distance, enveloIed every
,birc in It's mono rhrOma;ic waves, under the iiVi'
Voht of the leaden sky Was il sublime or was
IL horrible? 80 Evidently there was donht IL
Bre,on's mind as to Mi'et which did not wholly
disnpDpor much later But 10 him in due time
comc The Recitation OF what Nature meant. ano
his picture. 4 Little Cleaner, was In" hrst re
s,orsc 10 that revelation His account OF no"
he came 20 paint il is interesting. zone DAY. IL
writes ] made little CLEANER pose for me, sthhd
ing on n howery bank beside held OF wheat
Her bent face was in shadow, While the suhiip"
fell on her cap and her shoulders as pilnte'
bor fclt n secret ioy ] cannot express the feel
;rr Of rapture caused me by the harmony OF thl
dark face, strongly defined against the colder
proin among which ran lilac morning-glories
bv the warm glow of the earth, the violet re
fections Of the blue sky, the flowers ana me
shrubs All this enchanted me. had ALREADY
scrt nv 'Gypsies' TO The exhibition at Brussels
- do,. my brothpr Louis. coming acr0S