New-York tribune., 1901-04-21
THE NEW PARIS SALON
y EXHIBITION OF REMARKARrr
BRILLIANCY
AMERICAN ARTISTS BEST REPRESENT,
BY EDWIN A. ABBEY AND
THREE WOMEN


New Salon, was officially opened this afternoo,
by President Loubet. and tomorrow the pub,c
will be admitted. The salon. which occuuiss ,h
entire west wing of the Grand Palace con,air
pictures showing a much higher order of talau,
and greater excellence than any previous axb,
bition of the National Society since il secA,sa
from the Old Salon, the Society of Frsrc,
Artists. in 1890 There are two thousand works
In the exhibition. of which 932 are oil paintings
executed by 4O4 artists. OF whom twentv-av.
are Americans: of these twenty-five Americans
nine are women. Two hundred and thirtv-on.
artists exhibit pastels. water color drawings o.
miniatures; of these eight are Americans
Everywhere one finds vigorous emulation and
wholesome progress. In the whole show there
is scarcely a single work to which the most can
tious foreign critic could apply the word "da-
cadent-" There fewer nudes than ever he
fore. and with two exceptions none or
them tainted by vuIgarity.
The most remarkable work in the Salon is a
canvas, less than yard square, by Jean Pa
raud, which is already the talk of Paris having
created what IL is no exaggeration to describe
as a sensation BY its daring conception mas
terful coloring and technique. less than by tn.
artists choice of a narrowing subject vereinr
upon the sacrilegious, this picture seems to hyp
notize all who enter the room In which il HANGS
Berauds memorable Modern Christ" which
caused sensation about dozen years ago; his
Partisan Magdalen' and his Descent from
the Cross all surpassed by this new Christ
with blue eyes and auburn hair crowned with
thorns and clad in flowing scarlet robe stand
ing bay with bare and bleeding breast con-
fronted by infuriated group of twentieth
century prosecutors. Around the Saviour's
waist is a rope thrice coiled. being pulled tight
by stalwart workman in corduroy trousers
who. to obtain better purchase, presses his
upraised knee against the right thigh of the
Christ A herculean butcher. with brutal head
and wearing blood stained apron and having
a claspknife and steel dangling from his side
is drawing up the sleeve from his fore
arm. preparatory to giving the coup de grace
An oily. sensual stockbroker. wearing the
Phrygan cap OF Liberty. clothes of the latest
cut and vulgar profusion of jewelry. helps to
adjust the rope around the Saviour's waist
Free Mason in evening dress. white tie and
wearing the apron and insignia of the thirty
third degree. threatens Jesus with his eIenched
fist harlot clutches lock of the Saviour's
hair. about to tear it from the scalp. a weird.
nervous. male hand in the foreground grasps
stone. There are uplifted arms and hands hold
ing whips. canes and burning torches. The
countenances gieam with anger, irony and
hatred Almost all the figures are represented
Imagination utterances of jeerins and derision
These twentieth century prosecutors are stu
dents. socialists and artisans. all the more dis
quieting in their portraiture because their faces
resemble those OF prominent men in French
public life. This strange "Hic FIageIlavit'' Is
unquestionably Beraud's masterpiece: but one is
tempted to ask the daring artist. Quo vadis9''
1t is pleasant to turn from this scarlet Christ
la Colonne to the peaceful serenity Of Ren4
Billotte's Evening Landscape" with the
matched cottage, which hangs opposite. or to
gaze at Charles Cottet's Might of St Jean"
where groups of Breton children and Sisters OF
Mercy seated In the open air around a bon
fire while other bonfires on the headlands across
the deep blue waters of the bay give unity and
religious purity to a work of earnest sanctity.
Aman Jean exhibits half dozen dainty
vases and as many more pastels. His large cam
vas showing girl seated on a green bench in
the open air. with broad landscape in the
background. excels in grace of design and re-
finement OF feeling. Emile Friants "NeSse d1
Condanne" is a greatly admired work. in which,
however the art sense is overpCwered by the
dramatic situation, A condemned criminal.
with a gendarnle by his side, coIlapses before
the utterances of the Roman Catholic priest
clad in white and gold Friant's smaller picture
of a carpenter in his workshop. with his wife
and infant looking in from window and bathed
In sunlight is delicious bit of work, breathing
truth and sentiment. L'Hermitte's Cleaners
is full of strength and atmosphere; his picture
reside il of a peasant mother reclining after her
days work against a stack Of wheat. sucking
her babe while little rosy faced sister looks
on holding an earthern jug. is veritable GEM
Another masterpiece is Raffaellis "Demoiselle
d'Honneur." 1t is a fashionably gowned young
lady, drawn in heroic size. seated on a bench
NJ fyvnI
is disclosed. The dress is white. the gloves are
white. and all else In the picture is white save
a black velvet Gainsborough hat. a bit OF pink
cloth upon which the girls feet rest, and a gold
and jewelled purse in her lap 1t is white OF
extraordinary brilliancy. and TO heighten the e1-
feet the paint is here and there put upon tae
canvas with palette knife in patches nearly
an inch In height, and as big pigeons eggs
This almost amounts TO sculpture. Well IN the
are scores of figures which give
animation 10 this intensely fascinating canvas
which is more a picture than portrait Ihere
are half dozen strong works by Montenard all
radiant with the "Provencal sun" His return or
the fishing boats before the whistling mistral
is the most vivid picture of boat sailing tha'
can be imagined. The smacks are running oe-
fore the mistral with high following sea- II u
bright sunshine; there is motion and speed Hi
every line and the rushing. seething water un-
der the boats counters. cleaning in patches Ol
blues green's and white foam. Is marvellous
Eugene Carriere exhibits five pictures. all IN
his characteristic style of deeply veiled meiah-
choly mysticism LIE Baiser du Soir, the CEN
trail dominating figure of which is a mother sur
rounded by her children. might appropriately oe
termed Maternity" Like his famous picture IN
the French National Gallery, IL is in CarriereS
most poetic vein. and justifies the enthusiasm
of this masters work. which each year becomes