New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-10-29
A NOBLE PAINTING.
The First of -Four Mural Decorations
by John La Fargo.

100 ~ securing a number OF mural decorations
= large scale. from various hands. We have
.,.-tlv described the contributions made 70 the
.s,ece ~ NJ Edwin II. Blashheld. We have now
- -sfsr to Mr. John La Fs-ge's share IN the task.
:. - share OF peculiar i-Iportance- For the Su-
.T,e Court room he has been commissioned TO
.,uts four paintings filing spacious lunettes. In
-. est OF these he deals with The Moral and
,7,vsne Law" his central figure being Moses kneel-
s-p az Mount Sinai In the second lunetre he Is
,.e-ned with The Relation OF the Individual 70
-. state 90 representing discussion between Soc
..-ss ana his friends. He next takes up The
r,.oorsfnr OF Precedents.'' Confucius dominating
-. busied with his pupils over the collation. and
.-.,sc-iption OF documents. Finally, In commend
-t,7 ~ The Adjustment OF Conflicting Inter
s~-s.' he shows Count Raymond OF Toulouse
Gearing az the altar. IN the presence Of eccle-
,s.sal and civic dignitaEiss TO observe the Noer-
.ies OF the city II Is noble philosopher scnefne'
o,e recurring high Imagination as well as great
..boical mower IN the artist chosen TO carry II out
Ar Ia Fargo possesses both these resources as
New-Yorkers know from many productions OF MS
4, different mediums. but more particularly IRON
r,s great decoration OF the Church OF the Ascen-
-. 4, lover Fifth-ove His work at ST. Paul Is
t,,,-6 n have when completed unusual signn-
csnoe Just how significant II viii be Is shown %
the arst lunette. which he exhibited n the IAEse
vanderbilt Gallery, al the Fine ATS SuAolns' yes
..-ssv and VIII exhibit to-day. 70 invited guests
yVith II ne has associated the cartoon Tor the tnfo
,,-,er.e the one dedicated TO Confucus, ana these
&c PRODUCTIONS taken together. leave profound
impression 80 a. -. . ,-.u.
since NJ Ia Fargo is nothing II not eoloFlsI
-. ,s-.oon which he brings forward on this oc-
- !. most decidedly not to be taken as reveal
,1g much Of his ultimate intention II Is to be
-slen rather as something ai1oroins Us glimpse
a., tss yvorlZshop q luminous ILLUSTRATION OF DIS
,.h-tcal method As such II IL OF remarkable in
- 80 sns.ises our considering II before We
-, - the painting near by. This brilliant eoiorist
= also g brilliant draughtsnaan. and master OF
,ornposscon- The oTientals whom ne has Orousnt
.orefhe- in the grove Of Coatucius are oeauurnIAy
drawn and n their expressions. attitudes ano re-
lations 70 one another Mr. La Farge useloses
,,recisely the quality that separates the creative
designer from the facle but Superficial pracuuoher
OF narrative art. Els figures are notable types OF
Eastern intellectually and spiftua4ty' ana as N-ey
50 absorbed IN their devotional work amid me
tss,-v OF q sylvan landscape. they appeal 20 Us At
cree bv the intimacy OF their grouping and by
The dignity OF the spectacle which they present
Declaring their purpose. not IN obvious ways oue
N tbe tndescr1babIe manner that signifies move
merit OF the mind expressing itself in movement
- rhe body the polse OF head. the play OF
hand these figures make Us feel that they are en-
gagged upon matters of grave moment This rnucn
we gather from the cartoon II stands IN olack
ana white More infinitely more. VIII be apparent
when color il added But are glad that the
coor Is not there noW. for IN the strokes OF char
coal and crayou can see. as II were. the very
bones OF M la Farge's fabric. and can appreciate
the more his consumnate articulation OF them In
this cartoon ne shows what an affair OF con-
gtrncton a work OF art really is. how the glowing
picture which Il IL his aim produce rests upon
basis OF truth F1gidly defined.
Every tangible factor n the composition Is care
fully set forth. Il Is not that the drawing is
rninutely realistic as a photograph would be. but
rather that the essentials OF form which the artist
wishes TO express grasped with insight and
Effectively stated. There is no begging over
dlhculcy. There obscuriciss anywhere The
elements Il the design are simply reduced with au-
tortty TO their simplest and strongest terms. II
Il done moreover with wonderful breadth. The
details beirs fused together into an imposing
whole The lire IS full and rich. The modelling
has ~ once subtlety and power. We lay stress
upon al this simply because II is fine In itself
but because the cartoon as Mr.. La Fargo uses It
is not 20 much preliminary study 20 be modified
under the influence OF moods as the process OF
actual painting 81 carried on. but true founda-
ton, prepared for the supeFimposition OF pigment
Just the foundation q q building IS prepared
u this point that the presence OF the cartoon
for one o. his decorations in the same gallery
with painting brought nearly 70 completion IL
especially appreciated. Turning from the drawing
OF Confucius and his pupils 70 the painting Of
Moses Mount Sinai. at once what II
70 NJ. Ia Fargo TO go far as he does in
black and white. before he employs color The
merits achieved IN the medium meet half way
those achieved II the other; they blend as II by
magic and the result Is one OF those paintings
which possess kind q organic life
The scene represented fl this decoration is one OF
solemn grandeur. Looming up IN the centre OF II
Is q rocky eninence OF tawny hues save where
few natural growths bring some green into the
scheme. On the LETT the landscape falls as though
into abyss and the eye travels over sinister
peakB half yelled in purple vaPors, until rirt IN
the sky fings golden light upon the mountains On
the highest plane IN the composition Moses kneels'
q massive hierauc eg1re. with the austere profile
OF his face partially contcealed by extended in
PRAYER This figure is full Of meaning. We have
been especially struck by the dignity Of the head
and the eloauence OF the arms and hands. but the
entire body is indeed obviously under the stress OF
q tremendous emotion. Il Is easy TO imagine how
theatrical OF academic fl might have become in the
hands q an ordinary painter. With Afr. La Fargo
the Eldleul handling OF form and o. drapery. ad-
nirable n itself is after al, only means to an
end His main point is 10 maze US feel that he has
portrayed IN this canvas q great man IN moment
a supreme exaltation and he carries absolute con-
votion Between Us ana Moses. on the lower slopes
o. the mount. the kneeIing figure Of Aaron Is
shown. and towering above him, every inch man
s Joshua warning the people from the scene Fire
not n sharp flames but IN rosy pillows. gives a
chastity spendor 20 the painting In the broad
blocking out OF his composition and IN the at
nosphere communicated 10 II Mr.. La Fargo works
a high plane he Is majestic and austere. IN
PRODUCING Us into sort % prfmeval world, where
nan recognizes In awe and trembling the nearness
q Divinity. We have sndeavored 10 show how his
eject IS gained through the processes OF art re-
garded as q thing OF technique but Mr. La Fargo
belongs &c the race Of painters TO whom ART Is
also thing Of the mind and soul. He paints IN
Tho grand style. To all that manual proficiency
implies he adds the force OF noble inspiration
IN this mural decoration he revtves IN his oWa
way. TIE heroic tradition OF an earlier epoch