Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-05-05
CENTURY CLUB

uecuDieu tho cruz AT intervals tnf0EgD+
out tbs winter was concluded yssipf
day wNsk with a lecture on ''DutcH
Painting" by Miss Beatrice Magiil
OF SRsrthmors, Pa. Shs said the
only two schools of painting which are
really original. that Of Holland and
THAT OF the Italiana OF the fourteenth
ana fifteenth centuries, vera go com
p.stely 40 expression Of the life OF the
people with whom they originated that
they may ba said TO be pictorial ex
preston of the ideals OF the two
countries In the Dutch school, while
there is an absence of elevated ideals
OF lie, OF religious feeling. Of heroic
emotion or classic beauty, it sEcels 10
feeling for tbs beauties OF nature, 10
truth TO life. and in the highest ex-
celencn 10 technical qualities 10 which
any school OF painting has ever at
tanned. The history Of Holland in.
flueuces its art only Indirectly; We
have no artistic records of the brave
struggles for life which the nation
made, but only OF the uueventful
events Of family life Of gay companies
IN tavsrns. studies OF peaceful Dutch
msadnwa. Of sea and sky.
before thu struggle OF Holland to free
LuiSuAA lIDiI tllN VI ihc
art Of the Netherlands was one, the
distinction between the Dutch and
Flemish schools not being marked.
Tho social and intellectual conditions
and the phyEicsl peculiaritiea of the
Northern races as distinct from the
Southern, iuhuercs their nrt The
former never came to any extent under
the classic influences OF Greek aud
Roman art. They had, to guide their
| first steps, no relics of q former great
| civilization, such as the Jtalians found
I buried In their soil at the reswakening
of art after the dark ages. They we're
a race, who, because of their cold
| dreary northern climate, had not lived
| the FREQ. out OF donrs life OF the south
| and were therefore not SO finely d.
| veloped physically as were thu Italians
| and Greeks. In their art they show
more appreciation Of expression than
| of beauty according to classic stand
ards, hut they had a strong feeling
for the beauty of color and light
and shade their leading characteristic
1 is realism.
With the feeling OF national in
dividuality that came with their free
dom from Spanish rule their pride
blpssomed into the richeat development
| which painting has ever known. They
| saw the picturesque in the common
place life, about them, and reproduced
il with patient painstaking, affec-
tieEate interest IN all its details. The
art of Flanders and OF Holland were
driven apart by tho Reformation; in
Flanders which remained Catholic, art
was encouraged by the churches, in
Holland which was Protestant, il wai
driven from the churches with fanatic
violence. Religion had counted for sc
much in art, what was art to he now
The Reformation decided what It wal
not to be, but gave no new impulse
this was supplied by the republic,
whose democratic element taught the
artists to see tho picturesque in theil
actual surroundings, which ia tbs
foundation Of the modern art move
nent. Mysticism and pietism wer,
gone mt ct art. humanism had taker
their place.
In the sober little republic thert
we're no gorgeous pageants and stat
ceremonies, which stimulated thu
Southern painters; the Guild pictures
were their first inspiration, and il
These Franz Halls and Rembrand
picture for us the men OF seriou
dignity, earnest purpose, strong practi
cal sense and Incorporating integrit.
which We imagine 10 the Dutchmen o
these trying times.
OF the MEN who were CHASED anon,
i the Little Masters" as the painter
of small genre pictures we're called
} thers were several who painted por
traits well as Miervsit. Van der Hels
( and Metsu. but one Of the creates
i portrait painters of all schools is Rem
/ brandt. Tie gives US tho most forcibl
!, rendering of the impression which i
+ made on the mind by tbs presence O
J the subject, eliminating. or keeping i
Z subsection all less important points
. He was fortunate in the strong in
, diTidualitv Of his sitters; he was no
/ courtier with his curlei hair, silke
q hose, velvet cloak, and his elegant blu
Il conventional bearing such as grace til
canvaases of Ruhens and Van Dyke
He preferred as sitters mature peopl
who had sufficient experience of life I
have faces full OF meaning, and as
rule chose msn rather than women
it when he does paint the latter, il
strong, rather than beautiful womer
!, Mere loneliness of soft, delicately
rounded form, the beauty OF childhoo
g and youth do not move him; he care
q for the human boiy only as q spppol
!. to the head out OF which the huma
= soul looks; the life of the spir
d interested min more than the life
j, the body; you feel you are in I'll
e presence of human soul, not OF
! pictured face. This is especially tru
d of his portrait of the "Old Lady of I'll
er Hermitage" which shows his dee
sympathy with suffering humanit!
d. with old age and SORROW. Most of h
Ia compositions are marked by the
" peculiar lighting, keeping the larg'
n mart Of the canvas in a mysteriol
shadow and bringing out the centr
figures 10 strong, high light. Mi
Magill showed many beautiful q
lis amples of Dutch art by Van Ostad
Wouvermenn, Gerard Dow, Macs Mett
t, Jan Steen and Van der Nee
~ The landscape painters, among who
sd Raiedael and Iionbema stand first, d
of voted themselves to their own lit
d., country with its meadows, tres
az canals. and above I'LL to the sky, vii
Mt lis floating clouds, and its audd'
al changes of atmospheric effect Whit
To come from the constant evaporation
81 water. Among animal painters Pa
lis Potter takes first rank, and Cuyp, wi
go ia most successful in his cattle by Il
at river standing in beautiful goldl
,ss sunny light. With marvellous skill al
re artistic feeling the Aollanders ha
given loving, faithful portrait
their little country, and made thus
valuable contribution to the world ai