Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-03
Art AT THE EXPOSITION


The picture which attracts public atten-
ton more than any other at the exposition
in point of size is No. 470-Charles the Bold
entering the church at Nesle, by NJ. Roybet.
Personally, | do not care for such immense
I canvases, for in the nature Of the case a
picture-to be pleasing as a ptcture-ouGht
to be of such proportions as TO come within
the compass Of the eye, otherwise it usurps
the province of mural decoration and mural
decoration is not treated in the same man
ner as a picture, but somewhat convention
ally and must be painted as part and parcel
OF the monument which it decorates.
All the greatest masterpieces-with a few
exceptions, as Veronese's sumptuous biblical
scenes-have been of modest proportions.
With all the undeniable power of Roybet
and his holiness of treatment, in spite of a
certain dramatic element, qualities which
place him in the list of the great modern
painters, | do not feel that his work enti-
ties him to a place among the greatest, be-
cause he lacks tenderness and spiritual pa
thos. which is inseparable from the consum-
mate artists greatness. Certainly so far as
mastery of his material, in every sense of
, that word, power of drawing, and knowledge
of the human figure go, he Is one of the first
of today. He has a certain technical in
bllllCl duu 10 d pei ltGN VI IL aux
of painting.
The French masters say that it takes ten
q years to learn the trade of painting, after
q. that one must learn to be an artist-and that
n generally takes a life tine. But there are
, many who never learn the trade, whose
n conception Is far beyond their means of
expression. Roybet is not one of these, he
: is ever sure of his drawing and of his brush
work. He has always been greatly influenced
n by the Spanish masters. Formerly he painted
= cavaliers Of the seventeenth century and
# reveled in the rich hues of old costumes.
e This picture with another of his called THE
Gallant Proposal received the medal of
q honor at the salon of the Champs-Elysees
:, in 1898, although at the time of the compo-
"a sition, especially of the figures hurled from
If above, was severely criticised.
The subject OF the picture is very re-
Voting. The moment chosen is the entry OF
Charles the Bold and his army into the
sanctuary of the Cathedral of Nesle. He
Will his Acknowledgement in full armor OF
the fifteenth century are on horseback at the
id left of the picture, while on every side his
army is massacring men, women and chill
n dren and throwing them down from the tri-
forum above. In front lie a heap of the dead
re on their shields, a priest in a wonderfully
ID painted gown of green embroidered with gold
T. lies dead, while in front of him the wafer
lie box has fallen, emptying its contents on the
floor. Above this group, in front of the
is brass railing which separates the choir from
the nave. stand two warriors, one in a man
or tie or cloak of red and yellow, exceedingly
T. well painted. The other is in shining armor
l. equally well done and his leg, coming out
or into the light in black hose, is marvelously
i'll drawn and painted, the muscles suggested
n. but not overworked. Near his feet is the
lpranptornl fo,a ne a ,,,n ,rLo H., Ii. lo,+I
to throes r%ejoices in the death he is about tc
inflict on his enemy with his dagger. In tn,
is center of the foreground, in the strongest
ut light of the picture, is the kneeling figure o
H. a woman in a yellow plush gown, which ha!
e. been torn from her arm and shoulder. Her,
ty the painter has carefully shown the differ,
ed ence between the texture OF the skin and o
fabrics. The shoulder and back are care.
IS fully modelled and good in color, done Will
no trace Of effort. Nothing could be more
,ir infantine and like flesh than the little un,
he conscious, innocent baby tucked under IT.
elk mothers arm as she vainly seeks an opening
e. for escape. In the whole, the confusion o
il an agitated crowd is well depicted.
ad The main light is from above, towarC
ay the left and kept in the center of the pic
hit ture. The upper part of the picture /
s. beautiful. The cross lights of pink on tn,
upper right arches and blush light on tn,
he pillar of stone at the very left of the pic
OF ture, with the light coming in from tn
n blue stained glass windows back of the al
le- tar and the warm gray light floating in tn
lofty space above, give one a very realisti
impression of the dim cathedral light. !
is a really fine rendering of the interior o
a cathedral in all the splendor of its thir
teenth century Gothic. at once solid and in
e. spring. He had suggested the Gothic de
ay tail without making the architectural fea
ture of his composition intrude too far upo
Ell the spectator.
no The picture as a whole is not so pleas
of ing. 1t gives one the impression that tn
upper part was really painted in a cathe
nd dral, while the figures below were painte
In the strong studio light with its shar
ew lights and dark shadows. The shadows al
Yer too black and Opaque, Like Munkacsy. h
h9 uses bitumen everywhere and every yea
Nv it will turn darker and blacker. 1t look
he as II he had painted each figure first i
he bitumen "a transparent brown and befor
1s- it dried he had painted the other color
into it.
Roybet is a great painter of still life, {
II textures, an excellent drsughtsman and
brilliant colorist, when one forgets his b
luminous shadows. The painting OF sue
a picture entails a great deal OF bother an
research. One must have coats of ma
OF dlHerent softs USED In the Fifteenth GER
as, costuma -, tho ooior ~ IN :" ~
raj ,o,a nith ,ha ~ 80 -"
-, the style of that time and made of the RI
, quired material. The artist must kno
' the style of the trappings for the horse
.. the weapons used and the dress OF the r,
"a ligious orders. Even though he is not beI
-, on archaeological accuracy, in a histories
', picture he must suggest the time in whic
~ 1t is painted by a certain accuracy OF dc
tail. ETHEL EVANS.
me Mothers Convention.
TO SALT LAKE, July 2. THE big session