New-York tribune., 1898-10-30
PUVIS DE CHAVANNIS.
TIE GREAT "PRIMITIyE" OF MODERN
FRENCH ART.
4 NOTE ON HIS WORK-HI3 lDEALlSM AND hs
FIDELITY TO NATURE MURAL PAINT
ING AS HE UNDERSTOOD 1.-THE
INFLryENCE OF HIS ART


co,rt Coreyiave IS the patron saint OF Paris
Puvis de Chavannes was chosen 10 '1u't' a'e
,S history upon the walls of the national
pantheon That circumstance is eloquent Vi
49, roan.e geni,Is. He was not selected because
no vas AT the head Of school OF BECAUSE MS
,rt w,s in any way representative on tne
co,,-arv he was an isolated figure at the c''fie
D., bo ,vas indubita5ly a great painter ana
rh l,,ew IT, Never did they show
,ro,ter lfberalty and sagacty in matter of
p :. aar,ad almost paradoxical 70 give Work
~ s,,cb national Significance TO PuYis Dc Chd-
,,.r,.s Who was a primitive Of the prmtiVes'
,uoy,er of Giottn and an absolute ideaiIaS
pu, lon, ago when his work was hrst ihI'S
ducad ~ the world, there was something aDou'
n ,vbich compelled respect and was not ions
J., ,.;,rin, admiration Here was a man. as
oyory ,ne could see who worked in the graho
manner His death brings that thought upper
most French art has deteriorated tremendous"
during the last ten fifteen years. Ihe oa'n
has grown 70 be more and more p'ace u -"
chine-rnadc and sensational canVa7es'
who follow the trend Of such aha!r3 nave ''"s
been accustomed 70 reckoning WIN ohiy q 'iiiA~
group Of painters for whatever mas Oee" p
,rooei,,, and healthy in French art. PuVis oe
C,bavannes was their chief He never. that we
know OF. painted an ignobie picture
His IDEAS were big and he asked. generahy'
| for big spaces in which to set them forth he
| was a mural painter by choice. ana. We oe"eVe'
! not merely because he loved The peculiar 'on'i'
| tions and problems Of the most monuiheh'di VA
! the pictorial arts. but because MS spirit "A'
rastIes. when confined TO the limits II an easel
| octure: he saw life and nature IN their supi"e
| asnects. and he. WISHED TO paint them accord
| , sr1a
nainted The Decapitation Of st. John Bap-
| tist' on canvas Of small dimensions so'"e
years ago and the design is one OF extraord'-
nary beauty But he will be chiefly rememn"red
for his large wall paintings in some Of The ch'ef
nubIic build,ngs of France. It was charsc-
.erstc If the nobility of his art that although II
| dealt with huge spaces 1t vas never gross o'
| heavy On the contrary. he was always tehuer
| and Doetic always intensely spiritual. II u IN
| ,erestIng 10 pass from The trescoes painted oy
| E,esnard in the entrance corridor ot ne Zone
&c Medicine, for example, with their EXCESSIVE
almost violent realism. 70 the solemn simplicity
| of The beautiful panel painted by PuYls de
! Chavannes for the SOrbonne Il is ike passing
! from 4 noisy theatre % 4 quiet temple. 4he
| source Of ne great painters p,1cii charm re-
| sided Of course in ne poetic and imaginative
character Of his genius. but The fact IS that no
| matter what he painted. whether l. was an al
| iegory or L simple narrative. he showed the
| same reserve. ne same repose, the same sim
| p,ic.ty He was 4 reactionary a rebel against
the ar,!ticiaiity and hash.ness of modern French
art. but he never painted IKE man whose ceel-
| nys y pugnacity had been touched There is
10 turbulent passion in his work. There ia.
rather L gentle sweetness. as Of / man looking
across sunny fields or moon!!t seas, and Dream
| hat - link m tpri-
ously to their beauty He aware Of al
that was lovely in the scene before him. and
painted it with fidelity but he ranged himself
at .he outset by the side OF those men who dis
Germ inspiration in the past. and get spiritual
| stimulus from dges that were more spiritual