The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-06

| heetlus vi tUe TenCU hCauCuy vi putu ahN
such day. the Due d'Aumale announced to hi
colleagues that he had purchased number o
most precious miniatures by Jehan Foucduet
and added them to the collections OF Chantilly
which. as the reader will remember will become
the property Of the Institute OF France aftel
the Dukes death. The newspapers added thai
the Academy received this announcement with
hearty applause. So far the Official note com
inundated to the press by the person chieffy
Interested.
Previously to this announcement. It must b
stated. there had been much talk in the papers
about this purchase. and the price OF 100000
! francs had been mentioned as having been
paid by the Due d'Aumale for the miniatures
| In question. The price actually paid was,
| however. probably double this sum. mas much
| as Mr.. Brentano OF Frankfort. to whom the
miniatures belonged. refused not long ago an
| offer OF 100000 francs from Baron Alphonse
de Rothschild. while the Due dAumale. with
out saying what price he paid. admitted that
his representative had exceeded the limit
fixed By $4,000 francs. In short, It was q
princely purchase and a princely gift to the
Institute OF france and to the French nation
that the Duke announced when he conflded to
the members OF the Academy the success
which had crowned his negotiations.
As I was informed by member OF the
Academy who was present ut the meeting.
the announcement Was not received with ap-
plause. as the newspapers stated: 1t was re-
ceived simply with silence and with indfer-
ence. and on the part OF some perhaps with n
little astonishment The academioians did
not know what the Due d'Aunale meant or
what he was talking about. and when the
seance was over my informant let the painter
Gerome and told him what had happened. but
the famous painter was only moved to ask:
'Qu'est-ce que c'est que CO Jehan Foucquet? ?"
[who is this Jehan Foucauet:l
The Due d'Aumale. it appears. was not
pleased by the attitude Of his colleagues. and
this we can readily believe. AS for Jehan
FoucQuct there is no reason why people in
general should know that this was the name
Of the greatest miniaturist ofthe fifteenth CEN
fury. the official painter Of Louis XI.. that he
was one Of the purest glories of French art.
much less that his portrait painted by himself.
may be admired in the Louvre. Eut Monsieur
Gerome. professor of painting at the Ecole des
Beaux Arts. cannot be excused for being I'M
familiar with a name 50 much more immor-
tally glorious than his own.
In one of his "discourses." delivered before
the students OF the Royal Academy in London.
Sir Joshua Reynolds remarked: Every
seminary Of learning may be said to be sur
rounded with an atmosphere OF floating
knowledge. where every mind may imbibe
somewhat congenial to its own original con-
captions knowledge thus obtained has al
ways something more popular and useful than
that which is forced upon the mind by private
preeepts or solitary meditation
Such an atmosphere OF floating knowledge
certainly exists in Paris. but 1t can scarcely be
said to surround the reputed seminaries Of
artistic learning. which are. in truth. rather
seminaries Of artistic ignorance. The charm
and usefulness OF Paris to the art student lie
not so much in the schools. whether OF the
Beaux Arts or OF the free ateliers Of Julian and
others. but in the consciousness Of an ever
active artistic striving. and Of ever new aspira-
tions that are seeking adequate expression.
though rarely finding it: the consciousness
that there is a living artistic movement.
and a few artists who are leading
and forming that movement: the conscious
ness that there is great glory to be obtained
hardly and by incessant effort backed by spe-
cial gifts But this consciousness is accom-
panied by the conviction that no good can
como out Of the recognized schools and that
the effort must be Independent, personal. and
rather subversive than conservative. Indeed.
in France there is always some idol to be
broken. some sanctuary to DO violated. some
throne to be upset. some stronghold OF con-
ventionality to be stormed. captured. and trans
formed into paradise Of art. Things never re-
main stationary. All is fux. change. and eter-
nal becoming. And in this perpetual clashinG
Of enIeavors. Of ideals and OF opinions. there is
produced n certain intensity of intellectual
and aesthetic eXcitation which is healthful and
inviGoratins to strong temperaments. provid-
ed that they have been prepared to take ad-
vantage OF it BY the gymnastic OF technical
training. and by the habit OF certain degree
0f nplf 4 nh oil
the muscles and make the bodily functions
and movements easy and harmonious. SO do
technical training and mental culture render
the painter. considered as the instrument OF
his genius. comparable to an excellent and
perfectly trained horse that carries its rider
according to Its riders will and desire. willing
ly. swiftly. without resistance. strain. effort.
The hand obedient to the intellect. as Michael
Angelo put it: such is the ideal.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF ART EDUCATION.
In our own days unfortur a.ey both the hand
and the intellect of the painter are neglected.
Sufficient importance is not attached to the
preparation Of the one or Of the other. and the
consequence has been the gloriication Of the
n,orceau. the reign Of vulgar realism. the dis
datn Of intellect in painting. and the triumph
OF mere ostentatious cleverness OF facture.
The painting Of Volon and Bonnat requires
no intellect either for its production or for its
appreciation. The painting Of Troyon. Rous-
seau. Decamps. and DaubiSny il OF the same
category: It implies no intellect On the part
Of the artist and none on the part II the
admirer. Not that the icy OF IaIutine
is purely intellectual: on the contrary. it is
frankly sensuous in its means and capable OF
producing an eNhilaration that Is almost ply
steal. Has not all art sensuous element
color form. sound. and in poetry suggestion
OF all these combined. with the joyful sensu-
BUSINESS Of motion? But each Of these sem
suous elements may be a medium for the
ideal. and each OF these elements may be in it.
self suggestive through the way in which 1t in
terprets the pulsations Of the artistic tsmpera-
ment which uses it What Is moro eloquent
and suggestive than great drawing. the draw
ing which is full Of personality and soul?
What Is more rich In suggestiveness than
color: not the color Of Bonnat or Of Alma
Tadema or Of Sir Frederick Leighton. to speak
only Of the living. but the color Of Whistler. OF
Cazen. Of Besnard. OF Degas? To understand