The San Francisco call., 1904-06-05
TWO REVIEWS
Art and Caricature.

III MDlAs IdluLGIS ClllCe 1eOl-
ardo." can hardly be designed
Tor sale By subscription in the rural
districts; IL is too technical for that
not enough Of the gauds and tinsel OF
the typical book agents nO-home-com-
plete-withoUt-one specimen Of refined
art work" is manifest between its COW
ers. But upon opening this compen-
dium OF notes and criticism upon a
thousand a2d more painters and their
treasures one cannot but feel that the
author has set for himself a scope very
akin 10 that Of the History Of the
World" or the Heroes of All Ages,
usually found occupying the plush tab
aret IN Uncle Sis parlor up Woon-
socket waY. Perhaps ii is not for the
lsyman 10 decide whether or not Mr.
Pattison has allowed vaulting ambi-
tion 10 carry him away in the prepara-
tion Of this work: perhaps the layman
IS calculated 10 be a better judge than
the artist upon the pure question Of
the taste exhibited hy the author in
his endeavor 10 crowd the criticism Of
several eras Of artistic endeavor into
the limits Of single volume.
Accepting the simple preliminary
declaration Of Pattison that Here
viii be found the artists since the time
of Leonardo da Ninci, each set over
against the date when he was born. so
that the picture Of art as it is and has
been can be seen" we must look upon
his work, then, as a catalogue with
running criticism somewhat after the
order Of marginal notes enlivening the
deadly duIlness Of name, date ana
ge Of
value TO the art student for ready ref
erence, just as the Lives of the Poets"
or American photography is a quick
and ready friend Of the student Of lit
erature But let no one conceive the
erroneous opinion that in this book
lies anything very illuminating on the
general subject OF art tendencies. the
growth OF schools or the effects Of
changes Of thought and Of environment
upon the productions OF successive
artists. That. indeed, would be asking
TOO much Of a history Of painting from
the Renaissance TO the present day in
one volume.
The author has elected TO follow the
painters according to strict chronology
icsl order, irrespective Of their imme-
diate associates, their school or the
country in which they did or are do
ing their work. This effectually fixes
each painter in exactly the period Of
years which were illumined by his
presence, but II gives rise to a fine con-
fusion on the part Of one who would
read the book from beginning to end.
At first of we are given a brief re-
sumo OF the contributions of Leonardo
20 newly awakened art and then with
q trsnsmontane Jump of no little Sc
verify we are next brought to the con-
temptation Of the German Durer of
the Gothic school Durer seems to
hold an especial Significance for the
author; four pages are devoted to him
and but a scant two to Raphael. In
deed. Mr.. Pattison finds himself forced
20 mention only the obvious in the
case of all Of the great masters, whose
works have been treated at length by
master critics OF the past. in order that
he may devote the major portion Of
his work to the expression of opinion
on subjects less narrowed over by
other writer's.
II is then with the art OF the later
eighteenth century that Pattison COM
naences a fuller criticism and INDUCES
in a more extensive survey Of the tech
nique and style from tnat time to the
present day. Narrow -mindedness was
Hogarth's birthright, as the author
views the work Of that father of Carl
cature. Reynolds was admittedly a
painter Of refined flesh tones, of pref
~ fancies. Of superb color, but his
drawing was bad. and his touch was
purposeless and emateurish. Goya,
the Spanish colorist, who has been al
ternately lauded as a master and
damned as a depraved bungler, comes
IN for strong commendation at Patti
sens hands. The fascination Of his
work is irresistible"
For leaders OF the ecntemporaneous
schools, the author has some very out
spoken criticism. Jean Leon Gerome,
for years the famous master of art
OF the Paris ateliers. leads Pattison to
wonder IL he was not "only a man of
superior talent who made articles de
Parish" Dante Gabrielle Rossetti ap-
peals to the author chiefly as the in
ventor of a long neck. which may or
may not be beautiful" His work was
Imitation pure and simple, scarcely
a spark Of originality in it" whistler.
the lStely departed eccentric and ge-
MUS, is made the subject of quite the
most comprehensive study in the
book
whistler is another unaccountable
individual" says Pattison. TN a
measureless degree a charlatan and
poseur. his stupendous ability disarms
criticism which would crush smaller
man. Some events can be accounted
for some almost accounted fer =
Whistler is a mystery"
This can be asserted OF him." adds
the critic, that he never has ewerved
from his purpose TO paint in the way
that seemed to him right. no matter
how much the art world frowned or
the little-comprehending public scof-