The sun., 1890-07-20
| ITALIA, LA B Ell L A.
MODERN IrALIAN PICTURES.


Leading Artists, and Interesting Facts
ConcernIng Thei" Present Productions
FLORENCE July 8-0fay chat with your
readers a bit to-day on modern Italian art2
admit 1t is a tlcklish theme. True true.
know IL, this is ths land OF art par excellence
we all rave for 1t, dream OF 1t; no artist nc
mental worker thinks his intellectual educh-
tion complete till he has visited this glorious
country But the art we men OF the forests
(forestierb, rs the Italians call us to this day.
with proud dislain OF our newer culture as
compared TO their older ono, come hither tc
inspire ourselves at, to rejoice In is the ancient.
Ofthe new we take no count; We neither trouble
to ask n It exists nor set out to seek It. Our n-
terest In the italian art ceases with the
Quattro centistI; It Is with difficulty we even
deign to look at the later men. AS for
tho nineteenth century, that docs not exist for
the tourist He is persuaded without investi-
cation thatino such thing Is, and espises even
without data to go upon. Is he far wrong,
this tourist No and yes. modern Italian
art does exist. but not only is 1t not wor-
thy Of its pas great traditions. but
It docs not even seem logical evolution from
out the same. The longer an intelligent OBJ
server abides in Italy the more the impression
grows upon him of the contrast between the
fecundty OF the great artistic porod and the
vuRarity. or, when not that. puerility, Of the
italian genius of the day. Surely tits a curious
phenomenon that u people who but 800 years
ago had the best taste IN tho world should now
have the worst; that. having produced the
noblest works of art since Greek times,
they should now be given up to the man
ufacture of objects ut once ugly and paltry:
that the race Of which Michael Angelo, Raph-
ael, and Leonardo do Vinci were characteristic.
should have no other title to distinction than
third-rate genre pictures and catch penny
statues. 1t is a perplexity truly. a philosophc
problem. Beyond doubt tho flower OF art IN
these latter times has ceased to bloom very
powerfully anywhere. but nowhere does It
seem SO dropping and withered as In the
shadow of the immortal embodiment Of the old
italian genius. Go into churches, and check by
jowl with divine works OF art you SEQ bad
taste of every description: paper or tin low-
0rs oeogrRphs, hanEings OF crude and violent
color. Enter tho houses and the same thing
strikes there. The cheapness and baseness OF
every attempt at decoration In cafes and thea
tres. tho hopeless frlvolty OF a,l that protends
to be work of art. all this modern crudity
running riot over the relics OF the groat past
periods, strike like sword into the heart and
wound and pain ut every STEP The vivid I'M
preston of schism between old Italy and new
is forced upon US every moment
And the reason for this
Beyond question, In q largo measure the
long foreign and native oppression under
which Italy Rroaned. Pones. Austrians. aud
Bourbons In turn and together, ground under
their heels this lovely land crushing its life, its
spirit almost its very genius. Crushing It so
In fact that from this first cause Sp.ang the
second. to which attribute the decline OF Ital-
ian art-namely. Italian poverty. In the old
days there were grand art patrons. Medici and
other 1lRcenas. Nowadays no Italian eXcept
perhaps tho Hing. ever buys a picture. II
IN Italian gentleman comes to my gallery"
raid large art dealer to me the other day, =" l
know that he comes to sell. not to buy. II pic
ture. He has won ono in lottery. or inherited
it. and he wishes to turn il into money. Even
II he is rich, he does not caIe to keep pictures.
lie prefers to speud the money on horses. show.
women. Cosa vuoe." and he shrugged his
shoulders III characteristic Italian fashion.
Aud no then went on to say that his custom
ers were All foreigners chiefly English aud
American. especially the latter and that he
had to supply and tho artists to furnish that
which Sould please the taste OF these buyers.
no mehlS the pick and flower of the intel
lect of their nations.
les. here va huve laid our finger on the
sorc po.nt In Italy. art, so long as It really
lived, was spontaneous, Joyous. irresponsible.
II worked t9r itself and 10 peass 1tsolf. and
Herein lies ali tES irer@pts 4 guIf deep as
Avernus yawns between the two.
The, reason cI our artistic retroEresslon."
said lelemaco SiGnornl to me few days ago.
conscionce OF his ar among modern Tuscan
painters, e Is that art is now hold good among
Us according to It's canAcity for selling He il
the eyes OF the bubble of the art dealer. but.
alas! also OF the Academy. which is imposed
on by this pecunary SUCCESS"
righteous
rah to be found among living Italian artists?
you will ask after reading my depressing re-
by this mass OF ,faciie dexterous. clover. bour-
like Hood on all sides. Then too what is the
worst, OF all. there IS nowadays no Italian
ture.., This no doubt Is again the result
Of the foreign expressions. Ono artist
obeys oneinspirati1n another IS dominated by
other BY another style OF manner. One is |
enRmore'' Of all that ltaphae painted. another |
The natural CONSEQUENCE, no doubt, OF an art
born before there was u nation. but with tho |
itself not only as the results Of q uation IN a
state OF formation but OF one still shut up |
within its own circle; pronting little and
Of European te!lectual life and movement |
Slowly. very slowly. light is coming TO- pone-
not yet; perhaps never will be. Italy has al
ways been tile home OF eXcusiveness from re-
puOllc 10 republic town 10 town. nay even
family to family. But great art centres bave
now formed themselves. namely. Milan. Flor
ence. Naples. ani by and BY az Italy gets
more prosperous. perhaps they will make their
mark also outside their native land Indeed.
the latter school ls already beginning to Go so.
In the limits of ono letter cannot. OF course,
treat of all three Let me. then, speak OF the one
That Is nearest to my own door. namely. the
librentine. Even 30. 1t can at best be but
bird s-eye view.
Here then In Tuscany, where survive the
hest traditions of Italian art, where we have
before our eyos daily tho best works Of the
Iuattro centisti, the Campanile OF Giotto. the
Palazzo Necchio, the lttti and the UflZi. not
Lo mention tue noble landscape around. here.
surely must be evidences ol II grand and noble
art disdaining the puerile and petty. Just
he contrary is the case. Nowhere in Italy is
modern Hrt petier smaller more purely OF the
,tudlo and academy character. nowhere else
10 even historical tuemeS not rise beyond tho
OF the native church tower. Even
Iuch subjects as should be historical are rather
p municipal than cosmon)itan character.
u by this IL go would lead ma too far to
investigate. but, merely to indicate with word,
may say II Is 10 be- sought largely in tho
character which l. n peculiar fea-
ure OF the Florentlnos, aud makes Them re-
.ard with disdain all persons who have not
Iud the good fortune to be- born under tie
hAdow OF Brunei esohi'S cupola. And this dis
lam extends itself o their fellow Italians: f.