Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-26

ho'os VI ms uiarE, winch ne has been puOllsh-
ing, claims that the Japanese pottery which he
introduced to the French public was the real
starting point OF impressionism in art In any
case the word has a somewhat vague meaning.
and the young men who are now coming for
ward prefer calling themselves by another
name. The words of one of their principal
Representatives, in the preface TO the catalogue
of one of their recent exhibitions of paintings
do not make the matter much clearer aud
scarcely meet the banter and criticism every
where ieveied ut men of talent whose youth is
their most Vulnerable point
There is a distinction" he saws $50 be
made between ideaists, those who are content
with translating cerebrally nature as they have
observed 1t. and the symbolists properly SO
called. who seek out the eternal and unchange-
able facts of the world of the soul. to express
them in symbols which owe nothing to exterior
form. to the epoch, or even to the creating
artist who has found them"
these symboists, to use their own name
employ colors that seem startling 20 OLE
fashioned picture lovers. while their poetry il
made mp of language next 70 incornprehensible
1t has been suggested that their reason for all
this is by way of reaction against the sacrifice
OF high art to popularity. Certainly the new
school seems destined not 20 pass the bounds OF
the narrow circle Of the initiated, unless to
create surprise.
SOME CHARACTERISTIC urTERANcEs.
One of the latest expositions of impressionist
Cor symbolist) paintings drew out explanations
from some of these young enthusiasts much
more characteristic than any of mine could be-
In order to get definite information the re-
porter had carefully prepared a set of questions
TO be asked of each. The answers he received
were all that he could get in the way of definite
ness. He first entered the coquettish little
studio of N. Anquetin, who. though olIy
thirty-three years of age, is the Oldest of the
cohort He saw before him slender. straight.
ylgorous-looking young man. with chestnut
hair like a brush and blonde beard like fan,
. with clear eye and sarcastic mouth.
How do you qualify yourself?'' Anauetin.
simply: before this 1 was unhappily under
certain influences but all my efforts are to get
rid of them. Symbolism. impressionism all
that Is humbug; no theories. no schools. only
temperaments." what contemporary painter
do You admire the most?" "Cezanne; also A.
Renoir. These are two pure geniuses. 90 whom
justice ought 10 be done" What do Won think
of the others-Cabanel. Henner. Carolus Duran
Meissonier?" Il do not think OF them at all
Meissonier only knew how to do the photoc-
raphy of costume. All that 1 can say Of his
work is that would not wish il TO be mine
The second artist. whose name is yet unknown
| in the great world. WAS VI. de Toulouse-Lautrec
For the most part he paints women dreaming
IN melancholy fashion on 6ivans placed in pub
lie arcsdes But he has also painted even for
| the colored posters OF the street designs from
| the dance halls of Montmart-e He does not
| often sign his full name. with his rank as Wis
count, and he may justly be suspected of any
/ thing that Is radical. He has been hailed as
artisticaliy, the near relative Of the great jap
| aEese colorists and masters of design. He
readily answered the questions put to him.
Il am of no school / work in my corner
admire Degas and Forain. l have no opinion
| abont contemporary masters. L am striving to
acquire one. As to Meissonier l think he gave
himself great deal of trouble. and we are
bound 10 weld esteem to people who give them
selves trouble
RELIGIOUS MYSTIC
The third artist, NJ Emile Bernard. was ex-
PEELED from Cormon's studio at the age of six
teen because of his impressionism, and there
upon tramped his way into Brittany sleeping
IN barns and living on what he could pick up.
He is ardent Catholic and is the religious
mystic among these painters. His Christ
Taken Down From the Cross undoubtedly con-
reys a very vivid impression. He If now twenty
five years of age, and. like all the brotherhood,
has long hair. His straw-coiorea beard is
brought TO point. and he looks
at you with gentle smile in his
blue eyes. lie is noted for his erudi-
ton in art matters, and his energetic
character has not changed. Il am
very Christian he begins and l try to
bring out the feelings which are within
me. L would dream of creating a HER
atlc style, lD3I snOuiu lnt ltscf above
modern things, above actuaisies. As to
methods and inspiration. we must go back 10
the prlmi.iyes. to be very scant from she tech
nic.l point of view. use the line only to deter
mine form and color only to determine state.
In word we must create style which will be
that of our age. think that Cabanei Carolus
Duran. Cormon and the rest are all cretins.
who have never understood anything in the
WORKS they profess to admire of Raphael. Einci
&c. As to Meissolier. his first pictures were
well-made cakes. has last ones juice from
the roasting oven.
The fourth to be interviewed was NJ Maurice
Denis, who was for four wears a student at the
Beaux Arts and in the Academic Julien. He
Is also good Catholic and does religious paint
ing. he is twenty-five years old and speaks
like an old man.
I'VE are not he says ''pretentious people. liy-
ing with the conviction that We have discovered
Interchangeable art We are seekers a. humble
possible For me. personally. have the
faculty of admiring painters very different
from myself. Contemporary masters offer
some interest 10 me. MISSIONER WINS n re-
spectacle man. who knew his trade as a painter
thanks TO his imitation of the little painters of
Holland. More than all else, L think painting
should decorate. The choice of subjects and
scene is nothing. II Is by the coloring, BY the
value Of tones, by the harmoay of lines that 1
aim at reaching the mind and awakening the
emotions"
The last Of the band, NJ. Pierre Bonnard. is
also very young. He is considered by his COM
rades wonderful decorator and illustrator.
He exhibits panels showing fantastic combina-
tions OF motives and colors. Painting" he
says, fought especially to be decorative / be-
long to no school, i wish TO do something per-
sonal. and ! am unlearning at present what /
had q great deal of trouble to learn ut the
Beaux Arts during four years. For some time
l was much set against the painters who are
more or less members of the Institute. But
now l think We cannot have grudge against
them for not being geniuses. They have their
reasons for doing what they 90"
wHIsrLERs PORTRAIT.
There has been some little discussion here as
to the picture by Whistler, the portrait of his
mother. which was bought by the French gov
ernment for the Luxembourg, and which will
finally pass 10 the Louvre. No doubt This is
the browning distinction of the artist whose
career has been SO stormy; and il is one which
has been granted to no other of the late
English artists-if, indeed, Whistler, the Paris
tEained American, can be called an English
artist from his long residence in England An
ultra-conservative critic .ays that this paipter
il an impressionist aud shat We know the i'm
pressionist is to real painting what the writer's
of the decadence are to literature. However,
it must be acknowledged that Just as in full
decadence We meet with poets Of talent
from time to time fiud a few artists OF
great value among the impressionists The
critic next describes the simplicity Of the pic
ture which has been bought-the gray wall. |
sioness face, framed in gray hair above q gown
NJ trail tint Pat he