New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-11
MODERN FRENCH PAINTING.
THE LATEST INFLUENCE ABROAD AMONG
PARTISAN ARTISTS
MYSTICISM wAXIHG ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OF THE IDEAIIsTIC WING OF THE ENGLISH
SCHOOIe-A BURNEJONES CULT-oTHEH
GossIP-THE DECORATIONS IN THE
NEW HOTEL De VILE.


Paris. October u.
New movements in French art come ana go
with such frequency and rapidly that it some
times seems as futile It is difficult to keep
track OF them. One movement. however. has
gained such strength here within the last year or
two that it's influence promises to be permanent
and to do much for the Partisan schools. II is,
broadly speaking an Impulse toward the APP
probation Of foreign painters, and particularly
toward the English school. Painters of every
nationality all over Europe will tell you to-day
of the ncrelsing Importance of England in ar
tistc matters. Here in Paris they are almost
unanimous in praise OF the school which has for
so long been in disgrace. In some ways 1t Is in
disgrace still No ventures to euoSize the
Royal Academy for its own sake. and no one
has much 10 say In praise Of the elementary
schools there or at South Kensington. Where
every one is agreed is in recognizing the poetic
and imaginative strain which underlles much
English work 1t is this strain that is working
wonders on the banks of the Seine.
The French have had their own symbolists and
drcamers notably Gustave Moreau who died
some years since: and the fermentation which
produced the now notorious Rose CroiX Salon Is
the fruit of the recent Wagner propaganda. of the
investigations into early Italian mysticism made
by NJ de St maud and others. and OF the eX-
ample Of "Jeune Belgique." But at present the
roots of French symbolical art may be said to
noursh themselves In the art OF Sir Edward
Burnc-Jones and his cult. His influence is grow
ing every day. Its power vas formally recog-
nized in the Gazette des BeauX-Arts' a few
months back. and now it Is felt in the work and
/ conversation Of artists generally. Just what it
means here was summed ny concisely the other
day by VI. Aman-Jean. one OF the leaders Of the
IN, h.. I1ul
h. said (which is lifting Frcnch.art higher. We
are reaching a level where We require something
more than sweet color and an attractive design
We must think more. ana. without being banal
make our pictures eloquent Of imaginative quail
ties The English are showing us every day how
good this is" or course the French have thus
far exaggerated the new motive. and in galleries
here there are scores II so-ca.led SymD)Nci
pictures that symbolic chiefly frath"r-hiaincd
experiments In unknown regions Your ayerdg"
French artist l. not mystic AZ heart and he
FOUNDERS about among his attenuated virgins
quaint musical instruments and Impossible land
scapes like a grounding on Parnassus |, Is
doubtful II he will ever become the visionary
which Burnc-Jones is. or q mediiative po"i hk'
Watts The picture by the latter which now
hangs In the Luxembourg. Love and Life.
scars infinitely higher In imaginative sisni1 anre
U
likely 10 reach. Bu, something good promises to
be gained. "A step. at least beyond the revolving
slnugh II matorialism into which modern French
I art T. eyer disposed 20 sink The very presence
II Waits I'm the Luxembourg marks a movcm' mt
forward l. Is sign u heilthfulness when this
most lnsuar of all artistic nations formally recOg
n zes the very whom It would have been
inclined to rIicule not such great while since
In the Luxembourg to-day there are drawings by
Burne j ones and Leighton hanging near the large
painting by Watts.
In a very short time good leal Of the catho-
lie1tv indicated BY these exhibits has been at
iaincd by the French author,ies-who have. ar
ter all the spirit ~ French art behind them
within loss than three years the collection Of
foreign pictures has been largely expanded. T.
Americans II must be- a matter OF pride that II
owes it, finest distinction now 10 We American
painters The English works are beautiful and
"A has been suggested their beneficial Influence
is considerable In the foreign section there are
also pictur,s by the Spanish Ncrge. the Swed
lsh Zorn thu Dutch Mcsdag ana the German
ride which enhance greatly the value OF the
collection The masterpieces Of the room. how
ever If no, II The entire museum. are 10y Wits
Ter and Sargent Tho formers Portrait Of Ny
Mother" and Sargenrs "Carmcnci;a face each
/ other triunphantly and hold their own as by
All odds the most brilliant pictures i'm the coll
lection Both ha," been copously described. and
the "CarmencIta" has become well known in
New York. but IN the pride II seeing these
two paintings presiding as by rndisputcd right
! over the finest museum ~ contemporary arr In
Europe II seems permissible 10 discuss them
again briefly The Whistler comes out from its
surroundings as a miracle Of ease and sureness
In an are ~ effort and qualified success Sim
plicity could g. no further. And 1t is at this
point that il is most interesting 10 consider both
the Whistler and the portrait by Sargent.
Neither artist has any doubt about his concep-
ton any difficulty In developing ID or any dis
position 10 arrive a, The completion Of the
work through spcclous or tricky methods. In
each picture the element felt first Is one Of
Straightforward power The pictures are in the
strongest possible contrast to the French pro-
ductrons I'm the same binding Many of the lat
fer are beautiful works Of art but many OF them
are 'maoh irr" ms the French say great can
vases worked out with mathematical ingenuity
20 satisfy the demands II = highly academic
Jury The French system has many splendid
merits At the same time 1t Is Inspiring to see
how much can be taught them by two painters
Of the nation which Partisan ateliers are over
fond of paironizing No 'wo recent works In
France are better calculated to inspire ana help
voung artists than the "Carmcncita" and the
Portrait of Ny Mother
How willing the young artists. the very young
artists are to be inspired by Whistler and Sar-
gent is a difficult question. one hears them
saying that Whistler l. the greatest painter OF
modern times: but when you see their work you
find II overcharged with eccentrlcity. aHectatlon
and iejune subtlety. They out-Herod Herod In
their efforts to he csoteric and piquant But
these men, IL may be repeated are very imln1-
,,,,o Tho real strength Q. the French school
is increa sed not Slapped. by the arrival of "A man
like Whistler or Sargent In some ways 1t Is
rematka bic strength indeed A striking proof
of this is offered at this time by the new Hotel
de Vile which for several years has been In
tho hands of the best mural decorators OF France.
~. results ihus far ACCOMPLISHED are astounl-