The record-union., 1899-04-16

enough, there is talk of the formation
of a third 1t is in the ranks of the
younger society, of the Salon or the
Champ de Mars that the fresh schlsm
threatens The trouble has arisen out
of the recent election as President of M.
Carolus Duran in the place of Puvls de
Chavannes. The more Independent
spirits of the society are Mortified at
this choice. The Salon of the Champ
de Mars is nothing, they declare, II not
q protest against the official academic
art of the Salon of the Champs ElyseeS.
M. Carolus Duran, they allege, mas all
the merits or shortcomings that qualify
an artist for membership of this latter
body. and to have him made President
of the opposition society is an outrage
on the artistic susceptibilities of its
members For M. Carolus Duran has
long since gone over to the Philiistines
or, as it would be put in Partisan stu
dio slang, il est devenu bien pompier.
The leaders of the revolt are certain
artists of the impressionist school, not
ably Renoir and Monet. Alfred Sis
ley, too, who died a few days ago, was
one of the initiators of the movement
1t is by no means certain, however that
the scheme will come to anything. It's
any rate-that. they are scarcely per-
sonages of sufficient Importance to run
Salon alone and unaided. This proper
humility has led them to approach two
or three artists of wider and more es-
tablished fame. with a view to Undue
ing them to take the proposed society
under their wing. Rodin, for instance,
has been thus sounde d, and Carriere and
Degas. None of these masters is quite
satisfied as yet that the new Salon
would supply a long-felt want, or that
he would be in his place at the head of
1t. The wOuld-be dissidents have most
hopes of Robin Carriere is at pres
ent at Pau, and declines to commit
himself in any way. AS to Degas, I
happen to know that his reasons for
having nothing to do with the new COM
bination are quite delightful, and high
ly characteristic of France at the pres
ent hour. When he was spoken to
about the suggested society the first
names of probable adherents that were
mentioned to him were those Of Rodin
and Carriere. ''Rodin and Carrie1ei"
he exclaimed; why. you are a pack Of
Dreyfusards!" And he dismissed the
negotiators in righteous indignation.
Should the promoters of the third
Salon succeed in their enterprise they
propose to give special Importance to
sculpture. Another part of their pro-
gram is to encourage the decorative and
other minor arts. But it will be time
enough to discuss this program at great
er length when the society is some
thing more Of a reality than at present.
New York Post: In the current num-
Der of the Architectural Record" there
is a suggestive paper by John Beverley
Robinson on Authority in Architect
ural Design" He enters a vigorous
protest against the "grandmothering''
by which architects are hampered, both
on the part of the authorities and of
the individual with particular tenet
OF his own to enforce. There are two
causes, he says one the general reac-
tionary tendency in this country to for
sake the ideas of the founders of the
republic, that government should be
reduced TO a minimum; the other the
growing number of those who obtain
their education in Europe. These, car
red away by the grace and charm of
the older civilization, admirably and
iaudably wish their friends to share
their pleasures; and to that end would
erect in moment here what thou
SAND years there has slowly ripened.
After paying tribute to French taste,
he contends that too much dependence
must not be placed upon the American
champions of French ideals. He quotes
from the Paris "Moniteur des Archi-
tectes' to show their opinion of what
American architects are doing along
lines essentially American Zone might
ha far1a1a Tod .
race so absorbed by business and COM
merce would be entirely deprived of
artistic sense. 1t is not so; the Ameri-
cans are better endowed in this respect
than the pure Anglo-Saxon race AS
for their architecture. in the midst of
limitations of all styles, one encounters
often an attempt that is happy-origi-
nal But what is peculiar to them is
the construction of their lofty build
ings, of which we have, on several oc-
casions, given characteristic specimens.
In this order of ideas they have known
how to answer to new needs with novel
inventions, which by their originality
often produce good proportions and
certain majesty in their mass All
through, continues Mr. Robinson, it is
for our breaking away from precedent
that we are applauded by our foreign
critics Although alarmists are for
ever warning US against novelties
pointing out the risk and minimizing
the possible gain, yet experience shows
that it is actually safer to be too pro-
gressive than too conservative. The
end will not be accelerated by school
methods or by academic restraints;
these will only delay it.
Sir W. B. Richmond, r. A, in re-
cent speech alluded to the arts and
crafts movement. The advance. he said,
was so striking that one could not help
drawing a conclusion therefrom-name-
ly, that English people were really go
Ing to be tasteful as we'll as commercial.
1t was remarkable sign of the times
when technical schools were being es-
tablished over the country, and a still
more interesting fact was that the work
done was already upon n high level of
excellence. The decorative arts would
be the arts of the future What was to
be desired was that architecture sculp-
ture and painting should work hand-in-
hand with the crafts. Then the small
est jewel would be set so exquisitely
and with such exuberance of fancy and
finish that it would be priced. not for its
intrinsic worth or remarkable value,
but because it was lovely When the
taste for the beautiful had been fully
established in small things. people
would decline to buy ill-made and badly
designed articles of finery