New-York tribune., 1903-02-06
A PARIS PICTURE SHOW.
The "CercLe Folney'' Strikes the Key
note of the Season.
Paris. January %.

'Cercle Volney." which opened to-day with the
traditional visit of the President of the Republic
marks the commencement of the art season
in Paris which eliminates with the two great
spring picture fairs salons in the Grand
Palais. Smaller exhibitions like that OF the
Volney. which comprises only 24o paintings ana
thirty works Of sculpture artistic jewels IN
enamel and gold. are always closely watched
b, amateurs and critics because these little
SLOWS contain the latest efforts Of the trench
masters and strike the keynote of the coi'ii"s
art season.
Portraiture in the Volney exhibition has not
his wear as hitherto monopolized the attehuoh
of TIE painters. There are excellent landscapes
and seascapes. charming bits of allegory' huiioi
Gus caricatures and truthful still life NeNer'he-
less nearly one-third 6 the paintings are poi-
traits and il is in portraiture that one hhus
this wear a further advance in that happy trans
formation which French painters have 1or 'ie
last two years been striving fora transforilla
tion largely due to the wholesome influence OF
their studies of the English school of Gainsoo'-
ough. Ronney and Lawrence -,
The portrait in dark sonlbre tones. with sun
more sornbre backgrounds in vague. dismal heu
trail tints has had its day With scarceIs Oh Ga
ception the portraits in the Nolney sno" are III
light transparent tones. Deep. FAR reachihs
Backgrounds are carefully composed. and great
attention
honelike surroundings -hat enhance the chaI
.o+er and Individuality OF the model, whether
she work be Judged merely as likeness OF aS
= ricture II is also noteworthy that this move
,,,ent toward atmosphere and light is noSl
strongly accentuated in the paintings OF oiuei
men such as Bonnat. Ferdinand Humoert Fla
7,,enr Raphael Collin Jules Lefehvre, Freoerlc
Iauth Alexis VoIlon and Weerts Sonna'
r,ortrait of Nine. Georges Cain is striking eA-
ample OF the new departure toward llght' orlsh'-
ness and freshness 1t is a bust portrait Of
woman IN white evening dress wearing d pio-
<.sion Of pearls. mantle of silvery fur gives
effective relief to the delicacy Of skin and flesh.
The background is rustic. in bright shades OF
Nlre Bcnnat has never been so gay. puoSai'
and atmospheric
Iu,es I,efebvre exhibits ''Hea," a young
girl In Pompeiian red. wearing sun1owers IN
her hair and holding large sunhoWer IN her
hand. The background is Of pale, translucent
green. with deep atmospheric effect GaorleI
Ferrfer's portrait of NJ Laloux the arcnltecl' Is
strongly brown. bright and clear: so also is
Alexis Vollon's portrait Of a lady in red, ana SO
also is Auguste Benznger's radiant and laugh
.nr portrait in pale green of the young ano
bsai,Yaf,1 Mrs Lambert OF st. Louis. Charles
rkandre's portrait of the Countess dA- Is
captivating bit OF modelling and composition
u IS IN tones OF blue The figure is that OF a
young woman with dark hair and piercing eyes,
with full face and leaning forward. Notwith-
standing a want of ffrmness in drawing, TINS
portrait places Leandre. who has hitherto at
.ained fame mostly by his character studies IN
the foremost rank of French portraitists- Fred
eric Lauth exhibits portrait Of LADY IN
black wherein freshness and bTilliancy are at
+ained t,v a food of light enhanced by Gains
borough background. Perhaps the most strlk-
ing portrait in the show Is that of Mile Ceclle
SSorel Of the Coincide Francase: painted by
Francois Flan1eng. The Partisan beauty
wears an iridescent blue and pink silk dress,
Ire sheen and radiance of which are almosi
startling 1t is poor likeness but is a good pict-
lrre She supports herself with cane and the
background is composed of blue sky, terraces
flowers and shrubs
-r,yo large portraits of ladies by Ferdinand
Hun1hert possess that masters brilliancy of
color and distinction of composition and
treatment In portraits Of officer of
Zouaves and of lady in evening dress. by
IIonore Tmbricht. the Alsatian painter. one finds
the characteristic light tones of the season
The portrait of a lady in dinner dress. in full
electric light, by Paul Chahas. is original and
striking. and shows marvellous dexterity OF
technique
Two Americans exhibit in the Nolney exhi-
hition-Edwin Lord Weeks. the Orentalist. and
Aston knight. young painter, whose skill in
presenting the swiftly flowing water of rivers
with truthful rush, ripple and reflection elicits
the highest comnendation of the Partisan critics
The Persian pastoral scene of Weeks is in clear.
bright tones. with remarkable atmospheric
Qualities A young woman is riding a gray
donkey through a desert pass approaching vii
1age with rose colored walls. In her arms is
zn infant and an Arab is leading the donkey.
Other figures on donkeys emerge from the pass
The primitive Scriptural caravan is bathed in
2 food OF Oriental light. Aston knight sends a
mill with admirable depth of autumnal sky. and
the rushing ripping river is treated with
strength and delicacy.
What may be considered the gem of the Vol
- rey show is small picture by Tony Robert
J7leury called Study A young girl. sim
ply attired in blush gray dress, and wear
ing flower in her pale chestnut hair is copy
ing task from book Il is a beautiful work,
radiant with freshness and truthfuIness. The
same master exhibits a woman in a straw col
cred robe reclining a pale yellow sofa. with
golden brocaded silk for a background. Bou-
Cuereau exhibits girl seated by the sea
academic and meIIifuous. Merson sends a weird
allegory in the shape Of q small canvas. show
ing two nude women lying lifeless the
ground ransfixed by daggers: one Of the
figures is Justice and the other Liberty"
Are they dead?" is the interrogatory title of
the work, delicious in draughtsmanship and de
NghtfuI in color. Jean Vebers Daumier-like
caricature OF dentist drawing a tooth-patient
and dentist, both peasants totally unskiIed in
the art Of dentistry-is in this caricaturist's in
Irritable vein Of aggressive Gallo humor-
A salient feature OF the show is furnished by
studies of the moon by Carous Duran. lie Gout-
Gerard. Albert Gosselin. Daniel Koechlin, Gas
I'd edrier Denont Bellanger-