Evening star., 1902-08-09
A R T N @ T ES.

The deaths of two of the best-known
painters of the present day have been an
nounced within the last fortnight, Jehan
Georges Vibert and Hendrix Willem Mes
dag, both leaders in their separate schools,
men of force and genius yet employing
widely different models of expression.
Vibert belonged to the school of Nelson
Ter, and was one of those men who, il is
said. loved detail costumes. stories and
pretty faces whereas Mesdag was a
strong exponent of the modern Dutch
school and delighted in broad, free inter
pretations of nature. Vibert was a bril-
liant colorist. In his recently published
autobiography he says that from his cradle
he was dedicated to red, and surely no
painter ever handled that color with great
er skill or success. For his pictures of
cardinals and prelates he was most IA
nous, their scarlet robes giving him ample
opportunity to indulge his fancy. He had
a keen sense of humor which often found
its way into his canvases, and his compo-
sitiOns generally showed life on it's least
serious side. The Schsm," which will be
remembered as prominent in the perma-
nent collection at the COrcoran gallery, ad-
mirably demonstrates this and other of
the painters indvidualties. Another ex-
cellent example of Vibert's work was
shown here last spring in the Fischer gal
d starting
in olden times on their wedding journey
amid the merry jests of the marriage
guests. Indeed, the majority of his paint
ings have found permanent homes in this
country. They are all genre subjects.
dainty and minutey finished, but their ex-
ecution is such that they demand the re-
spect of the connoisseur g well the ad-
miration of the general public.
Nibert was born in Paris in 1910 and be-
gan the study of art under his maternal
grandfather, the celebrated engraver Jaget
At fourteen he entered the Ecole des Beaux
Arts, ten years later he was medaled and
In 1870 he received the Legion of Honor.
He was one of the artists who founded
the Society of French Aquarellists. which
Is said to have had potent influence
on the art of the present day. His
studio was one of the most beautiful in
Paris. He was an indefatigable worker
and, besides painting and etching wrote
several volumes of clever comedies biog-
raphies and treatises on art. At that time
or his death he was getting out unique
edition of his autobiography, which, be-
sides being splendidly printed and sumptu-
ously illustrated, was to have an original
water color as frontispiece for each
volume The edition was to have been
limited to 2tO copies at $3.50 each but II is
understood that only about sixth of thai
number were completed These now are
held at $500
1t is only recently that the attention Of the
American public has been attracted to Mes
days work. and far fewer examples of it
are to be found in this country He was
nine wears older than Vibert, and did not
begin his artistic career until comparatively
late in life, but was one of the few whom
fortune seems to court for as soon as ne
began to exhibit honors were showered
upon him. His wife is also a painter of
note, and an admirable example of her
work can be seen in Mr.. Thomas E Wag-
gaman's private collection. Their studio
was at The Hague.
The salons this season have been phenom-
enally successful, the attendance at the
old salon, the Societe des Artistes Francais.
being larger than 1t has been for fourt cen
years. The rival salon, the Societe Ma
tionale des Beaux Arts, was visited bv
13S,4S7 paying visitors, which is also an
appreciable increase over previous years
On vanishing day more than 5000 persons
passed through the turnsties and on Sun
day April q, the number Of visitors was
not less than 1900. The organizers of the
autumn salon have drawn up their statutes
and now only await the official recognition
OF the council of state. If this Is obtained
the salon will probably be held during o.
tober and November in the Petit Palais
There is apparently to be no rivalry be-
tween 1t and the other salon, as members of
both the Champs Elysees and Champs de
Mars societies have already signified their
Willingness to become exhibitors.
Two laws of peculiar interest to artists
and collectors have lately been adopted by
the Italian parliament. One is restrictive
measure regulating the expectation Of
works of art, whereas the other grants
artists and students free admission to all
public galleries, etc. By the former the
government Is privileged to purchase any
work OF art sold in Italy at the price de-
clared as Its value by the purchaser to the
customs house export officials, and six
months notice of the sale of every cata-
logued work must be given the government
oeIore the work in question can legally
change owners or be taken out of the conn
Try. This, OF course, will make 1t more
Impossible than ever to obtain authentic
paintings by the old Italian masters.
BY the latter law all foreign artists art
students, art critics. archaeologists etc
are permitted to visit the Italian ma tionai
museums, galleries, excavations and monu-