The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-28
PHOTOGRAPHS AND PAINTING.
Shall the Painter Follow tho Revelations or
the Camera, or Respect the ImaGinntions

Shall the Painter Follow the Revelations or
the Camera, or Respect the Imsginntions
To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-!Sir: Ever since
the application OF photography to the phe-
nomena Of motion as displayed by men. AMI
mails. and birds. tho claim has been made that
the conventional attitudes usually given them
in art must be supplanted by tho truthful
revelations OF the camera This Is mildly in
timated in the very interesting article on
Photography OF To-day" that appeared In
last Sundays SUM- It was more strongly as
serted in recent number OF the London
Spectator. and manuscript submitted to me
few days ago declares that "the best artists
are already abandoning what the camera has
proved to be false and endured only because
we arc accustomed to look at them through
tho spectacles Of artistic tradition"
Permit mo to record a dissent from these
opinions and give a reason therefor:
The camera has certainly established the
fact that rapidly moving creatures rarely or
By artists but just as surely these eonSen
tional creatures continue to satisfy even the
ue.ons Of and WITH A GOOD PeS.
Succession q q them rspidiy ehsp9F!ns ara =
im i ssion cft On the mind does not conform
to any single attitude: but partakes Of many
fleeting are they that The. revelations Of pho
tography appear not only strange. but con-
IN seSa thu ast
and the beginning Of the next movement, the
e seps e Spd IT
The EFFORT Il too sontIadIetory t. ssacessd: Is
tempt e express sts.caliy that which Is es-
the lem s1ss are pos
speeding train or bicycle are, observed. the
ssp3kes cannot J., be seen at all: there are
aas or q SSs snd strsass n
shadow. TO portray the details in such q case
%NYd ss It'll sDsSsf Of ths hee
a very simple Instance. whereas the
moving bird horse: or =, man =. presents q
S aei Ms@ saa eSs
1ss sas' sSsa 9ss
For this reason artists usually choose for rep.
Where there is
the initial. recover. or concluding stages.
%oson nnd The IS Ss
Art does not aim at showing things g ,tthey
sentiments: Ny own experienoes II portrsi.
explained BY what has been given above:
VII rhch
tanned by the use q the camera which pos.
which has the. Iatitudinsrisn tendenciss. q
xS Tnsss f sSs YES
clonded. that reflected the passing emotions,
and Te erst ne the mose
and an expression there, BY modifying this
and exaRGerating that results we're obtained
pietarss presented sas6 conbinstions q q:
as had never, been seen in t6s original e ~
t@s BIT %S{s tcy
reprodaet!on could 'i The drs s sa w.: CON.
Ie Do not eontemplate The PoTtFaisafe d or
sHF2@s =
the fallafy Of such such hypothesis In the other
A99nsT ssT nfGhs By
S a he %Sn rQ Sc
To this opinion they are encourage BY the
suits during the last few years. and for which
we have mainly to thank the amateurs; but Y
is based upon m Misrepresentation Of what
Ths most t6Ht can be hoped Ss t for With any
the true art essence. the sou: which Is re
euiDouiuG,tI, VI W Iio
tons Of the forms. masses. or detail 81 light
and shade. or even Of the colors Of nature. but
Of az, idealization IN all these features: Of
suggested by the cultivated genius OF the art
list. 1t is not nature reflected with absolute
continent OF tho painter. Charming. indeed.
the results Of Photographic development may
will supplant those OF the human mind as ex-
ponents Of high art feeling.
NEW YoRX. Feb. ~. G. +. @. SMILLIE