The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-14
TIRE PEASANT IN ART.
Miss Kingsley Tells Of the
Work Of C%ourbet, Millet
and Bastien- Lepage.

Miss Kingsley gave the second of her
course Of lectures yesterday afternoon to
a somewhat larger audience. although
the storm was almost as severe as on
the occasion Of her first lecture of one
week ago. The subject Of her lecture
was Til Democratic Painters" Miss
Kingsley spoke almost entirely Of the
peasant IN art as painted by the DEM
ocratic painters. She began by giving
the definition of true Realism, and
said:-"The painter who can see not only
out but in. who can express the real
and the unreal. is a true realfst, an
artist. and a great artist. War was
Waged for twenty-five years against the
romantics and the naturalists, who de-
ciared that the prose and poetry of the
ilves OF the people were of more use
artistically than the prose and poetry Of
julius Caesar or some almost forgotten
hero. When Gustave Courbet and Mil
let painted their peasants every epithet
the French critics could devise; and what
could they not devise, was heaped upon
MIN, but Courbet finally received the
over-Weening gratitude he craved. He
gave, IN his pictures, the truth, and-no
the public does not like the truth.
Enough the su~fferings of Millet have
oeen exaggerated, there often were times
when he and his wife went without food
That their children might have it. His
pictures sold for nothing. Now tba
pictures of Courbe and Millet arc IN
every tongue. but do the public. in their
heart of hearts, like the truths thev
V painted? That a picture shonld
Jay nold Of a spectator two things are
nscessafy beyond the question Of teen
nlque. First one must paint with all
ssvv,ruutre sincerity; second, one must be in
sympathy With the subject.
wealthy farmer. with his. po 5Gu o. We 3
ave nothing to do, but with Gustave
people himself and a republican by me ne
b IL ne hada a perfect right to choose
rase ssnp}ee IS from the people. IN 1874 he
70 exhioit his pictures without sendinT
them before the judges. He then ex.
a arol1ea three peasant pictures which
sidered only the subjects, and 'urs G4n-
n naaeiy q 1ney could not be excluded be-
secutlons We're as nothing to Courbef's.
put ne had a thick skin and thought he
w would It try peasant women as his men
little appreciated as the men; indeed fhe
public now added laughter to abuse. He.
SidVcu personal success and SUCCESS he
picture, which he called a . ~rSInark alles
cory which depicted his seven years
work, and after. that devoted himself
more closely and exclusively to forest
and trees. Courbet courted success and
success. came. He gave the love Of 4
naturalist. nay. more, the love of a poet
TO his work. He was wont to say. ssyVhy
should | try to see what is not there.
why try TO dis1gure with imagination
whether Bastien Lenag 90 would 49,.
been what he was without Millet will
ever be unknown. Though so alike in
some things their technique is absolutely
different. Bastien's dellcacy comr1a res
with the old Flemish painters. IL his
large works also the same delicate hand
ling appears. Materialism is In Lepage's
paintings and despair.
In Millet,s a strong religious sense is
greatest in the Angelus. But III his
paintings, while there is sadness, sorrow
and melancholy, there is never despair,
The resignation of the peasant is to BE-
seen, or rather felt, in all Millet's PFC
lures. The character Milet puts II
hands is especially noticeable. Photo
graphs are apt to give people the linz
preston that they are blurred, but that
than sharpness of outline, but nothing
is left aindefined. The greatest differ,
ence between the two IS in coloring.v
Miss Kingsley mentioned two modern
painters LE1ermiti and Breton, whom
she considered worthy OF association
with the famous trio. and closed Nv
saying, ITO evolve the ideal from the
real. that is the artists task, ana what
Is the ideal II 1t Is not the essence Of
II Pm -