New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-19
FRENCH PASTELS SHOWN
Steadily Increasing Interest in This
Form of art in Paris
Paris, April D

]
Monday at the Georges Petit Gallery. is more
interesting than that Of last year. and is re-
garded by the art critics the finest show the
society has produced. There are only 10 num-
bers In the catalogue. but the drawings satls-
factorily respond to the steadily increasing "a
vor OF medium that enable subtle lines ana
brilliancy of color to be pencilled with supple
ness and transparency seldom attained by the
same artist when working with the less rapid
brush and oil pigments. The delicious improvisa-
lions that La Tour. Boucher. Fragonard. wat
team Cha-din and other eighteenth century
masters drew from pastel pencil were neglected.
during the nineteenth century until one Jay
Millet executed some admirable landscapes III
pastel and Puvis de Chavannes and CAIN pro-
duced a score of delightful canvases by the
same means. Fantin-Latour selected pasteI
as the most effective method of rapidly ana
vigorously executing mis- conceptions. Twenty
FIVE years ago pastel work was looked upon as
a sort Of imitation of oil; but to-day there Is
scarcely successful painter in Paris who has
not accomplished some of his finest work ny
means of pastel, and never before nave Ihe
pastellistes enjoyed such popularity
Albert Besnard exhibits half dozen pastels
discreet and harmonious in color, but among
them is a nasterful composition bearing the
simple title Study of the Nude: View or the
Back" A female figure is seated in chamber
The flesh is remarkably luInAIlouS oAAN N-Ao 49,
ure gives the impression of sober thought and
mower that this brilliant and daring artist has
rarely attained
The soft gray tones OF the Normandy land
scapes by Rene Billotte-what is moro de-
lightful for instance. than his Night on lne
Ranks NJ the F,,re" ?-afford a pleasing contrast
to the radiant sunbathed views OF Provence and
the Mediterranean. painted by Montenaro-
The Mistral Storm at Marseilles" and Tho
Vintage on the Banks Of the Var exceed IN
vigor and intensity of life any OF Montenards
oil paintings. Leon Lhermitte sends four pict-
ures that hold their own with anything ne has
ever done in oil The Last Days Of Summer
has a delicious note Of melancholy reverie, ana
The Harvest Storm" conveys a new and pols-
nant conception Of subject often dealt Win
by this master Of autumnal scenes. Indeed the
landscapes form a remarkable feature Of this
pastel exhibition CASTOR Guignards spirited
picture OF the Gathering Of Seaweed at Pen
marck" his dreamy Morning in the Landes,"
and The Flock Of Sheep Browsing by the Road
side" are delightful bits Of open air life. NozaTs
Mutt Blonde" showing the Seine Valley near
the Andelys IN a night luminous with moon
light but with the moon concealed by passing
cloud is a gem OF mystic poetry. The enuahce
to the port OF La Rochelle, and the River Gave
de Pau, also by Nozal, are beautiful compost
lions OF rugged, many colored rocks and stones
An UNEXPECTED note OF delicate sentiment sad
ness and solitude is revealed in the twilight
Garden OF the Abbey" with its dark gray walls
s1runounted with red geraniums by Leandre'
the inimitabls and usually Joyful caricaturist'
Never has Menard evoked purer feelings OF
cbaste delcacy than in la Bale d'Ermones."
where in the dim evening light OF midsummer. n
nude maid is bathing in the sombre blue reach
OF the sea
Georges Picard. whose beautiful ceilings and
frescos at the Hotel de Vile, and whose cor
nice panels in the newly constructed Paris resi-
dence Of James H. HYDE rank with the hhese
specinlens Of modern decorative painting, SENDS
TO the pastel exhibition a nude study ana II
fascinating composition OF three smiling heads
Of angels with merry piercing eyes grouped
cleverly in a vaporous summer cloud lined with
siIverv light CASTOR Ia Touche is represented
hv three works His Fountain OF Bacchus.
with flashing iridescent water glittering with
golden reflections OF autumnal leaves. executed
with daring brillancy, separates calm reposeIuI
female studies Of exquisite charm The semi
nude girl half hidden In a luxurious bed Is
contemplating her dainty slipper-clad foot In
the third picture La Touche has painted young
and graceful Partisan woman arranging flowers
on a boudoir table. while warm sunlight per-
rneates the room through the stats OF the blinds
which close the broad window. Thevenots study
Of a joyful little girl in red looking at a red
morocco album, is full OF charm. The portrait
of Nozal and the portraits OF Nine. w. ana
Nine r.. all by Thevenot, are strong ana clever
Aman-Jean's portraits OF Nine. d. and Mile NJ,
his ''Melancholie" and his 'Porteuse de Fleurs'
have the habitual dreamy suggestion and charm
that one is accustomed to. Loup in his Soil
tude' and in "A Lonely Nook In the Park
strikes notes OF lyric sentimentality and CO.
quettishness. lie Sidaner appropriately dedicates
his "Court of Honor by twilight to the lovers
Of Versailles. Louis Lagarde in his Village du
Vieux-Moulin" forcibly renders the wintry lone
Illness of the forest OF Compiegne. Levy-Dhur-
me- sends a pleasing portrait OF Baroness Van
Zuylen. wife of the president OF the French Au-
tonobfIe Club This admirable draughtsman
also exhibits a bold and somewhat aggressive
Man in a Cloak" a Spanish youth swinging
CastiIlian mantle around his shoulders. and also
Spanish Beggars." ragged. hairy, toothless and
picturesque Nine Madeleine Lemaire. the only
feminine member of the French Pastel Society
is represented by a large portrait of an elderly
woman attired in changeabe pigeon breast silk.
working at tapestry. 1t is adroitly composed
and has distinction. Guirand de Scevola pre-
sents a gorgeous array Of portraits and harrno-
MES I'm blue and in gold, and Cornilier proves
his sincerity OF observation by his delightful
procession of Partisan types-great ladies'
tresses. chatelaines and peasants
In gallery adjoining that reserved for the
Pastel Society Clement de Pausinger exhibits
q collection Of eighteen pastel portraits almost
all of which are slhouettes OF grand danes or
society leaders. They are cleverly executed and
reveal dexterity of technique. The portrait of
the Princess of Sake einingen. with her Shout
ders enveoped I'm sable; that Of the youthful
Princess Of F1rstenberg, incrusted in pink silk
and lace; that Of Nine Benardaky, wrapped to