West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-10-04
OUR PARIS LETTER.
The Grand Palace Of Fine Arts and The
Magnificent Exhibit 20 he Found
There.
From onr RegnIar correspondenl.

From orr Regular Correspondent.
Paris. France. September 10th. IGoo.-
For those who are interested in art, the
Paris Exposition offers formidable collee-
tion Of specimens. There are assembled
here, as in gigantic encyclopedia. all the
materials serving in the history Of art in the
East, marking its development by stages,
and showing in the present, by means Of
comparison between the displays Of all
races, the domiuan, thoughts, the modes Of
expression, and the progress achieved L,
is trne that these materials are scattered
throughout the Exposition. In the grand
Palace Of Fine Arts, one can with a single
glance. embrace the simultaneous effort Of
nations in what was formerly called the
noble arts. one can recognize what each
people has achieved in painting and
sculpture IN the last ten years; but the con.
illusions to be drawn from this examination
are incomplete. One must go to the Hotel
dcs lnyalides, and from there To the Champ
de Mars, and study the collections according
10 countries and according to classes. in
order, the necessary data as to the present
development of art and as to the form IL
has taken.
Ihe hne arts, So called, show only one
side of the artistic temperament Of naion.
Its natural lendenci S, its tastes arc shown
as well, or eyen better. in the special
character 1t gives lis work in the products
OF its mos, humble industries as well as in
IFS creation Of articles Of luxury, 10 its deco
ration for interiors, in the forms given to
furniture, in the selection Of colors, in the
arrangement for designs for carpets, for
hangings, for goldsmith work. FOR ctockery,
for toys. These represent a county more
fully than the fine arts themselves. which
often receive their models from foreign
countries. are subject 10 influences and obey
fashions in actual contradiction with the
genius Of their race. Besides these are
usually produced for the richer classes
alone, while the applied arts, exploited for
the benefit Of the masses, receive inspira
Il n from them and are modelled IN accord
with their taste. Much better than painting
or sculpture do they show the instinct and
the artistic capacity Of people.
fn this connection, the artistic develop.
meni Of Germany is especially interesting
With all the wonderful progress made by the
country since the foundau u Of the em ire
in 1870, ART has remained more or iess
stationary. There remain a number of
petty states, pfincipaliiics. grand duchi-s.
TOY kingdoms. which have KEEP, facu,ions
importance, among othcs lines 10y The
maintenance of local schools ~ ART and uni
vcrsities. The latter have been forced 10
adsp, themselves 90 modern conditions and
methods Of education bar TIC schools Of
art, located for more than a century in fhe
same cities, remote from Industrial of com
mercial ccniers, have continued to seek
models in the past and 90 ~ ,id contact with
the life Of the present day.
Add TO this lack Of common source of
education and to the supcranuated insnuc
lion given, The differences in races and
tempcramenls Of The German people from
the positive, realistic German Of the North
10 the expansive, sentimental German of
the South, influenced by The tastes Of The
ncighboting ltaly--and IN. reason for the
lack Of homogeneous art in The country will
be seen.
Among ihs representative Of ihe
Northern school only two arc worthy Of
mention Werner and vozel The plc
tufcs Of the FIRST are noted for lhe esacutude
of the physiognomics depicted vogcl
knows how to use color, and his work has