The morning times., 1896-06-14

Cranacbs among his ancestors But as they
lived two or three centuries ago, one might
conclude that their influence upon this
young man would not be very great. The
Casparis of this century are for the most
part tradespeOple and artisans
One can see very little in or about Chem
nitz to arouse in boy the love for the
beautiful, it being essentially factory
town, given over almost wholly to the
making OF hosiery and money. But there
are good schools there. among them first
class Technical Art School: and 1t was
there that young Caspari got his start. He
also attended the local gymnasium. The
father died while Walther was mere boy.
and since then the young man has had to
look out for himself, mother, brothers and
sisters. An apprenticeship in large es-
tablishment proved irksome to the high
strung youth. So he threw up his position,
and gave himself up to art.
Four years ago he went to Leipsic, with
out money or influence, TO study in the
Kuustakademie. Relatives in town stood
by him. and in q short time he found him
self in his element. In the exlIihitions of
the Leipsic Art Academy in '92 and '93.
his work was marked by n vigor and fresh
ness quite unusual in young artist.
Six or eight hours day in the Academy
might be enough one would think. Tor
student: but for Caspari. when the work
| in the Academy was over for day, there
still remained an evening OF toll Up in
his little atelier, under dimly-burnins
| lamp. he worked away on those pen and-ink
sketches which brought him ready money
| aud carried his name before German people
| The comic German papers were filled with
| illustrations bearing the signature w T.,
| or Nv. Caspari."
THIS work was not very high art, one
might think, yet it was very necessary
4 &c Iars.r Ia.
| few thalers and marks that Were neces-
| sarv TO soul and body together. 1t is very
| interesting to look through his old port
| folio and note the character OF the work.
sketches they Were for the most part that
| would not appeal 10 an American Dut
which were irresistible to the German.
| His girls seemed peculiarly up TO date in
| the fashions OF the day. and 1 remarked
| upou it. He informed me that be always
got his styles from Monte Carlo, place
| days and weeks ahead of Paris as far as
STYLES were concerned.
Caspari left Leipsic in '94 for Weimar,
| place made famous fSr all time by
| Goethe, Schiller, List. ana many Others.
| Here he has found congeniai home, and
| his work has progressed there according
| to the plans laid in Leipsic. The same
| eaCcrness to learn, the same zeal in study
| ing the Old masters, the same readiness
| TO make his own the best features or the
| new schools or even the passing fads-
these are the leading characteristics or
| the young artist.
critic would be very rash. indeed, to
class Caspari among the leading artists OF
Germany vet there is so much strength in
his work that he bids fair 70 rival Max
Klinger. a recognized leader in modern
German art. The poster fad" "hasn'tspread
in Germany to any alarming extent, but
there re tendencies and notions and schools
U,frtN h.Nyr
i q layman. Caspari is first of all. like Stratti-
mapn of Munich. an artist of today. He
has broken away from dead forms, he
strives to give nature pure and at the same
time an artistic expression; his critical
irony at times finds place upon his can
vases; he is naive without knowing that
naivete is: he brings out the simplicity and
strength of the early Italians. and at the
same time shows his indcbtedness.to the
suggestive artists of Japan.
The auuarelle .FruhliDg'' reminds one of
the we'll known work of Klinger: it also
carries one back to the days of the four
teeDth century Italians. In the foreground
of this work we see. with his back par
TALLY turned toward us. the upper half or
nude youth, who, with simple pipe. is
summoning nature to her rebirth. The
view stretches out over field and meadow.
struggling to free themselves from snow and
ice. This landscape. conceived by poet,
tells Us of the feeling that nature awakens
in a poets soul. The artist has raised us
from the earth to regions of pure delight.
The two aquarelles, "Phlegma' idle
ness,, and "Das Poetische Fraulein,' show
one the modern side OF the artist and the
man. Here, rather more than in the small
lower freize of the "Fruhling,' where the
rays OF the rising sun are gladdening the
flo wers OF spring, we note the influence OF
the japanese. That lazy bird, sereuely rest
ing on one leg and pblosophicaly observing
the two snails that are slo WHY creeping by.
might have been painted by a japanese,
could he have embodied In his work the
touches OF humorous irony that Caspari put
into his design. "Das Poetische FrauleiD'
tells us still more of the inborn humor of
the man. But although the artist ham,
mers with his sarcasm the excesses OF this
poetical woman, he does not fail to use
artistic forms; and here. too, the influence
of the japanese is quite marked. In black
and white reproductions all the cOlOriDg is
lost, and the reader must be content to take
the Judgment OF critics, who say that Cas-
paris work is Incompatible.
Outside OF half dozen families Wather
Caspari isn't known in America; but the
time is soon coming wien his reputation will
reach the art centers OF thehustliug republic.
He is most modest man, and is in hurry
about his American reputation. His fair,
round, boyisb face, with his well-trimmed
hair and moustache, do not proclaim the
artist; yet there is pose to his head and a
twitch to his eye that mark the man as
master.
Where the DC can Is Always smooth.
Ten miles south of the Sabine River and
a mile off shore is a natural phenomenon
Iuovvu fo aailors as ssTffp Oil SDOt No