Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1900-10-04
OUR PARIS EXPOSITION LETTER
The Art Galleries at the Exposition Paintings
and Sculpture Of all Ages and
Countries
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent

the Paris exposition offers formidable
collection of specimens. There are
assembled here, as in gigantic encyclo-
pedia, all the materials serving in the
history OF art in the past making its
development by stages, and showing IN
the present by means OF comparison
between the displays Of all races, the
dominant thoughts, the modes OF ex
preston, and the progress achieved. 1t
is true that these materials are scattered
throughout the exposition. In the
grand palace OF fine arts, one can with
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 paint
ing and sculpture in the last ten years,
but the conclusions to be drawn from
this examination are incomplete. One
must 20 to the Hotel des Invalides, and
from there TO the Cham de Mars, and
study the collections according to
classes, in order TO obtain the necessary
data as to the present development OF
art and as to tue forms it has taken.
The fine arts, so called. show only one
side of the artistic temperament Of a
nation. Its natural tendencies, its taste
are shown as well, or even better, in the
special character it gives its work, in
the products of It's most humble in.
dustries as we'll as in tie creation OF
articles Of luxury, in its decoration for
interiors, in the forms given to furniture,
in the selection OF colors, in the arrange
ment Of designs for carpets, for hangings,
for goldsmiIh's work, for crockery, for
toys. These represent a country much
more fully than the fine arts themselves,
which often receive their models from
foreign countries, are subject to in
iuences and obey fashions in actual con-
tradiction 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 inspiration from
them and are modelled in accord with
their taste. Much better thaa painting
or scul piure do they show the instinct
aud the artistic capacity OF people.
In this connection, the artistic develop
ment of Germany is especially interest.
ing. With all the wonderful progress
made by the country since the founda-
ton Of the empire in 1870, art has re-
mained more or less stationary. There
remain a number of petty states, princi-
palities, grand duchies, toy Kingdoms,
which have kept fictitious Importance,
among other lines, by the maintenance
OF local schools OF art and universities.
The latter have been forced to adapt
themselves TO modern conditions and
methods OF education; but the schools
Of art, located for more than a century
in the same cities, remote from in.
dustrial or commercial ceniers, have
continued to seek models in the past
and to avoid contact with the life of the
present day.
Add TO this lack OF a common source
Of education and to the superanuated
: instruction gwen, the differences in
races and temperaments OF the German
people-lrom the positive, realistic
German OF the north to the expansive,
sentimental German Of the south, in
fuenced by the tastes of the neighbor.
ing Italy-and the reason for the
lack OF homogeneous art in the country
will be seen.
Among the representatives OF the
northern school only two are worthy Of
mention, Werner and Vogel. The
pictures OF the first are noted for the
exactitude Of the physiognomies de.
picted. Vogel knows how to use color,
and his work has marks OF distinction !;
but there is decided monotony.
Liebermann is Of quite different type
During his loEg stay in Holland he
gained the ability to give an atmospheric
quality 10 his pictures. lie gives us
views Of fisherman and laborers engaged
in their dreary occupation under the
grey sky OF Zeeland all reireEhngly
true and lacking in any attempt at
dramatic effect.
The genre" picture, as shown by
Deiregger, in Bavaria, appears frequent
ly. The principle on which 1t rests,
which consists in study oitypes studied
separately and arbitrarily united and
grouped, is without authority. There
are some notable exceptions TO this class
among the Germans. William Liable
succeeds in producing studies Of colors
and lights in which figures play part,
but do not predominate. One Of his
pictures IN the Grand Palace represents
man seated before window. Tue
curtains ave raised land the light falls
foil on his face. The atmospheric eGec'
ls perfect, and one sees the hand Of the
true artist in every detail. Gotthard
Kuehl goes a step further in this direc-
J ton by makinl the human figure a mere
, accessory on his canvas lie eKcellH in
darkened interiors. in which a ray oI
light is multiplied ~ dancing reflection,
on walls and floor Tie has exhibited a
view Of the inside Of church, in this
style, that is a work Of the first rank.
Herr Uhde, Of Dresden, paints religion,
subjects with much feeling. Re take,
his types from the masses, but choose,
the models that he thinks accord best Of
con,iss; beet with the Ggure Of Chusi
} he clothes them in rags that might be
Of any age. They resemble the camel.
hair robes Of the Bedouins, which might
we'll have been worn by the companion
Of Jesu. bat they are also not unlik,