New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-02

art may not be ours las 1t most assure"T i
not, and though it is perfectly legitimate lot
us 70 criticise it. il is idle 20 MAINTAIN 'haV
does not exist. But thoughtful reader can
reflect upon the school whose achievements MI
Brownell records and avoid feeling OF scep'i-
csm as to whether French art will ever e.dure'
as the art OF antiquity and the Renaissance ch,
durcs. with a universal as well as sPeciai
significance. The French have style. ana sAle
Is the keynote Of universally. but there II sone
thing else needed. Very finely has the historian
Of the Italian Renaissance said; II one '"'"e
is proved with certainty by the whole history
of literature down to our own tlme III 10 '"'
the self-prescrving instinct Of humanity relcc's
such art as does not contribn'c I" i'S
nutrition and moral sustenance'
Mr. Rrownell,s examination Of French sculpture
demonstrates the steadfastncss Of the same prhci-
MIA In their nlastic art which has governed the
French in their painting, and we need not loiioW
the stages of his thesis save to touch upon Ms
criticism Of Rodn. the man VINO diViueS WIZ.
Dolou the honor Of having set IN motlo" anu VI
sustaining the new movement III sculp'ulc'
Robins is a great. tremendous ihui' i"""'i'S'
He is one of the greatest artists FRANCE na' W.
had In his masterpiece. the Dante doois lor 'ne
NOW Palois DIES Arts Decoratifs, he is felt 10 Dc
supcrbly imaginative, poetic. tragic maSni"c'ii''
thrilling and veracious, although the plaster mo"o'
s we have seen il in his studio still leaves 'Ieo
MARIN of powerful effect TO Inc realized iater III
tbe bronze But is his work tcautltui' iha'
depends somewhat upon the dehni'loh give" !.
Tho indodnabe. 10 beauty Mr. Browne SAYS of
Robins works that they are " one and all VlVlheu
nv n wholly remarkable feeling for beauty ; ana
elsewhere he says M. Robins sculpture
reveals rather than constructs beauty. and by the
exnrcssion of character rather than by the sug-
cestion Of sentiment" Rodin has gone further
than any OF his most scientific colleagues have
rome in representing pure nature. ASK HIM. SAYS
Mr. Rrownell for the explanation of IA movements
an attitude in one Of his works which strikes your
convention-stccpcd sense as strange. and he VIII
account for il Just as an anatomical demonsua'oi
would-pointing out its necessary derivation from
some disposition Of another part OF the hGure' ana
not at all dwelling on its grace or It's other p"iey
decorative felicity" Reduced TO it's Simplest terms
Robins contention is. we gather from MI bio""-
ell that poetic idea once conceived. IL Is Tue
business of tho sculptor TO crystalline II in WORK
that shall he neAoraby true to nature ana apSo-
lutely emancipated from every written or uh-
written law of antique modem art-practice
which might interfere with its spontaneous utter
ance of its authors essential unique idea" 10
fail in restraint and measure when WORKING on
these lincS' nc DrucNPs. '"'0 ~
Tho mediocre artist. Not exclusively Even Tor
the great artist there is danger In the situa'oh'
Aiming solely at the expression Of his idea even
n great artist can fail in restraint ana measure
can be- volcanic, dissonant. turbid. and number
Of other things opposed to the commanding nAi'y
of equilibrium which is rrevocably associated
with beauty Of the purest and most perfect type
the serenity of conscious power as 1t were. prceld-
ing over a work OF art even when the tlmhIt OF
passion most appears to reign over 1t. carlyle III
prose Browning in poetry. Warner In music could
lot slim this attribute of genius and Rodin. IN
sculpture appears to lis to have let 1t slip IN some
OF the most Characteristic expressions OF his art,
in the Dante portal. in the Bourgeois dc CALAIS
and hence a deficiency in them OF beauty ~-
inc n true artist. Rodin abhors convention. But
il is possible that he has permitted the pendulum
70 swing too far the other way.
With a cordial recommendation Of Mr.. brown
ellis hook for its skiful marshallng OF facts AMI
its lucid, suggestive criticism. We may leave IT,
We think It will become popular.