New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-25
THE STEWART COLLECTION.
(FIRST NOTICED

American Art Galleries to-day, contains many
! pictures by Mariana Fortuny and men OF kindred
aims that 1t is in some sort challenge to the ad-
mirer Of their art his prepossesslons
! and explain anew the genius OF the famous Span
| lard and his school Much has been said concern
ing the pre-eminencc with which that school en-
dows this gathering OF pictures. In what may
be asked. does that glory consist? The question Is
best answered by brief analysis OF Fortuny.
The new inspiration which he projected into
modern art was partly matter OF temperament
and partly matter Of technical method. Fortuny
was disposed 10 first for the light animated
/ picturesque side OF life. He loved things which
appealed to his sense OF sparkling color. to his
Spanish instinct for warmth and gayety. He
the surfaces Of things and wished to reproduce in
his pictures the play OF light about those surfaces
the flashing Of sunlight white walls. through
rusting trees athwart cleaning armor and un-
/ couth weapons Rich costumes. fantastic archi-
lecture and decoration the arabesques OF the
Moors the dress. furniture and bbelots OF the
eighteenth century In France were TO him sources
OF exquisite delight With the pathos or passion
Of life he had When in his early man
/ hood he followed the Spanish army In Morocco. II
was not the tragedy the pageantry OF war that
woke his enthusiasm When he painted picture
Ike the Court OF Justice Alhambra. in this COL
lection. with its sinister and woebeGone figures, he
thought nothing OF the human significance OF the
scene. What he cared for the picturesque
effect. and this he threw upon the canvas with not
one hint OF ethical or dramatic feeling to diminish
its value as mere vision Of color and FORM. we
have said that the passion in human things dld not
move him. But he had emotions himself. he had
the passion Of the artist whose work Is rapture
TO him. hence pictures which his debonair stand
point would have rendered wholly superhcal IN
the hands OF man OF less genius IMAM h'Hse"
became under his brush works Of Astounding vital
lily Work that is done In whiriwind OF ENJOY
ment cannot be without the thrill Of hfe
In Fortuny's case. the deeper veracity whlch ne
secured partly unconscious and by virtue OF his
absorption In the spectacle before him. was
strengthened by ms marvellous manual deNteriI'
Here comes In the question OF technical methol'
Fortuny worked necessarily from the living model
He never left his studio without notebook IN ms
pocket His eye devoured picturesqueness and rs
| hand conveyed all OF its structural facts 10 the
paper with unerrins accuracy. He was Dorm
draughtsman. He could not paint costume WITH
out suggesting the 1csh Of the man inside H. Here
and there he almost persuades one that he could
sugres, the soul. In his small est portrait there Is
expression and sometimes in such heads as those
Of the seated Moors in the cafe OF the swallows
or those o, The Academicians in the celebrated
Choice OF Mode" he gives extraordinary hints
OF character His humbest mode. is personality
But those Of character seem cast into the
pictures as # by the way. the air OF truth which
the latter s chiefly IN afair OF construction,
OF anatomy swiftly seized and wildly rendered.
You feel that no matter how Indifferent this painter
may De to the inner significance OF the man before
The contour OF leg. the angle Of a shoulder the
toss Of a head the movement Of hand. he
seems to though the clothing were but the
merest veil The result is that his models wear
ever tho most bizarre garments though they
had never anything else. Not the most scien-
tihc Of realists made painted figure
Tangible than II was over and over again made by
the man who skinned across his canvas with the
grace and lightness Of butterfly.
Perhaps IL is well to state the charges brought
Hfu
told by observers that Foruny merely
painter of bibelots and as such was OF no serious
value lie is grand He is not spiritual He IS
broad We may note in passing that when ne
wished paint with breadth FOrtuny capable
OF doing It. as witnes. the Arabs Head" the "One
OF the Kings Moors' and the courtyard, Alham-
bra" in the present exhibition. but more important
than this is the fact that it is absurd 10 blame
an artist for being thing when it is his
obvious destiny 10 be another. Fortuny never pre-
tended to be than brilliant observer Of brill
liant things With that we must he content 1t is the
easier to accept him for what IT. when II con-
sdered that the last element in his art. The element
that his genius is one OF radiant beauty.
That picture to which We have referred an illus
tratlon Of his sIperfcialty also illustrative Of
his pc .uliar charm The eye may pass with regret
table celebrity over the manaced prisoners. hut it
fingers enchanted In the dim IN which the
officers OF the court are seated. There the cool.
tiled walls IN interesting contrast TO the wide.
hot surfaces OF the court and the alcOve. small as
Il is. fun Of air and color. There ono
OF the twenty-five Fortunys In thi. collection more
Characteristic than this Court Of Justice 1t
shows the artists love OF color. II shows I'm the
figures his extraordinary power OF drawing: II
shows finally MS skill in giving composition depth
OF perspective The last distant little window
In the t.niest possible space the
canvas. yet It Is as wildly presented the con-
sciousness OF the spectator though he APP
preaching ii across the burning pavement and an
tcipated the cool afr which Il admits from the
garden beyond
The Stewart Fortunys are thoroughly representa-
tive They from the perfect picture 10
which have just referred. and from The
choice OF the Model" 10 a large unfinished land
scape. "Envlrons de Tangier." which has an In
te.cst for techncians alone, and TO the ARAB
Butcher" which was not carried much further
toward completion than the landscape but In
which even a careless observer must detect
special hrilliancy OF color and special power OF
style Concerning that style IT is hard 10 speak
with moderation for It IL one Of the most magical
in modern art. unfailing In It's indeScriDahie
vitchery lending permanent valu" 10 even the |
slightest sketch Thus the group OF water
colors there Is one strange fantasy, The Mas
ouerade which has unusual obscurity In more !
than one place but is the whole memora-
bic example OF Fortunys audacity and glitter
Il must be admitted that he nearly always gilt |
tors and 70 that extent runs the risk OF tirng /
the unsvmpathetic behoder with a few * !
certions--say the italian Peasant Girl" Rosa
Confadine " and The Old Peasant water coors |
containing many subtle and tender passages-these
pcturos are Ike fireworks in their blazing colors
Even 70 the hardened idolator there must come
moments when this spendor threatens 10 pan. |
But ii only threatens. That rosy ooior on inc
vau behind the nude nzIre In The Choice OF |
the Model trembles on the brink OF cloyng sweet
ness but. while II uembles. one perceives
that IL is exactly the color note needed FOR |
the proper exploitation OF the cool flesh tints In
the figure Similarly that figure. when considered
alone is almost painfully chic, but lis dainty lines
lead tho eve insensbly 10 the rococo embesh-
aor.a ~ lie -nnrn. The horid academlcans IN their