Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-26
A RI N 0TEs.

rev Houern painters nave enjoyed great
er popularity than William Adolphe Bou-
guereau, whose death occurred on Sunday
last at La Rochelle, France. From his
earliest student days, when still a mer-
chants clerk, he won with ease the high
est honor in M. Alaux's art school in Bor-
deaux until the close of his long, indus
trious life. each step of his way was
crowned with successes. Entering the
Eeole de Beaux Arts after short prelim-
mary study with Picot he won, in 1850
when twenty-five years of age, the much
coveted E'riX de Rome. In 1854 he exhibit
ed In the Salon a painting entitled THE
Body of st. Cecilia Borne to the Cata-
combes," which attracted wide and favor
able attention, and in 1855 and 1857 he won
successfully medals of the second and first
class. Returning to Paris from his So
1ourn in Rome, yet student, he was
straigl.tway intrusted with important dec
orative work in public buildings, and in
1859 he was made a member of the "Le-
gion of Honor" His paintings from the
first found ready sale, and in 1876 the re-
public Of France gave him 1900 francs for
a work, Mater Atf1ictorum." On both sides
of the sea art collectors have We'd with
each other for his canvases. and there Is
probably among the masses no painter bet
ter known OR more sincerely appreciated.
And yet it Is true that this is no conclu-
sive proof Of the merit of his work-and
that gratifying as this popularity might
seem, it has rather lowered than increased
the standing Of the painter. OF recent
years the disciples Of the new schools have
looked upon Bouguereau's canvases with
und1sguised disdafn-their prettiness, their
finish, their sentiment, through which was
made their popular appeal, have been &C
counted as Observation-Disclosures of
the mission of art He is supposed to have
INT RI t< 10
a copyist of nature, to have set forth lit
erary themes with mere facial technique.
To degree these criticisms cannot be
wholly confuted. Bouguereau did paint
with little emotion, he did represent all his
subjects In an Identical light, he did give
his canVaseS an unpleasant, oily finish
and the subject was undoubtedly what
first claimed his attention, But in spite
OF this he was a craftsman par excellence
he was a brushman of consummate skill
he copied nature with unfailing accuracy
and he portrayed chiefly those things
which We're beautiful and uplifting. His
pictures of children appealed to the gen.
eral public as the little ones themselves
would have, because they were lovingly
which make all mankind akin and they
were set forth in manner thoroughly in
tell1gible The pendulum has swung in
an opposite direction, the classisicm Of
the old academy has been succeeded by the
realism Of the new; the genre painting has
been replaced by the work produced purely
for arts sake; finish has given way to
force; transcription to Interpretation. Art
has undoubtedly been put during the past
decade to higher plane but among those
who have aided in this ACCOMPLISHMENT
must be numbered those who have pre-
pared the way by painting well and teach
ing conscientiously; by living up to an
ideal and setting that ideal forth with the
full measure of their ability; by leading
the public to contemplation and appre-
citation of that which was both pure and
beautiful. chief among whom was Bou-
guereau.
For an American girl to go to Paris and
establish an art school would seem to be
preposterous undertaking, but it Is nothing
less than this which Miss Catherine Critch-
er of Alexandria undertook and consl1m-
mated with success last year. Going to
the French capital last fall with two pri-
vate pupils she found, among the Ameri-
can and English students, a demand for g.
school In which portraiture and painting
from the draped model should be given
chief attention in contradistinction to the
exclusive study of the nude. Immediately
with. Shall we say American enterprise, she
set to work to supply the demand; fitted
up series of studios in the Latin Quarter
with artistic accessories, engaged good
models and, with rare wisdom, associated
with herself in the work two or three
artists who had already attained reputa-
ton as painters and teachers. So sincere
was the demand and so excellent the ar
rangement that almost directly its success
was assured, and the new school had as
many pupils as it could well accommo-
date. Miss Critcher, who, by the way, had
a painting on the line In the last Salon
which attracted considerable attention, re-
turned to her Virginia home last May, but
is now on the eve of re-embarking for
Paris. She will reopen her school early in
the fall, and. will have associated with her
as teachers for the coming year Mr.. Rich
ard Miller Of St. Louis; M. Hoffbauer of
Paris, and Mr.. Thomas r. Congden of New
York: the last named having charge Of g.
class in composition. Miss Critcher was g.
student of the Corcoran School and of the
local Art Students League. She studied for
two or more years in Paris; taught for 8
number of seasons at the Gunston Institute
In this city, and has exhibited from time to
time in the Society of Washington Artists
annual shows. She possesses distinct abil-
ity and paints with both cleverness and
force. When year ago last May the en-
tire contents of her studio on + street was
destroyed by fire much sympathy was felt
for her in the disaster. and now sincere
congratulations are to be given upon her
success. An American art school in Paris
would seem an anomaly, but the knowl-
edge that 1t has been well received should
help to establish the fact that for pure aca-
go abroad.
i
Mr.. Charles L. Freer, who it will be re-
membered offered last winter to give his
entire art collection to the nation through
the Smithsonian Institution, has recently
presented to the Detroit Art Museum four
hundred prints and paintings by the dis
unguished Dutch etcher Storm van
sGravesande. This museum has hereto
fore had no print division. but the hope is
to establish such a department with these
works as nucleus A room In the annex
has been already set aside for the purpose,
and therein the s'Gravesande autographs,
water colors and etchings are to be imme.
diately displayed. This might be inter.
preted as a spur to the regents who have so
long delfberited over the acceptance of Mr..
Freer's most valuable collection. A collec.
ton far too valuable for the nation to at
ford to lose.
X
The Fairmount Park Association Of Phila-
delphia has. 1t appears, somewhat similar
proposition to ponder; Messrs Widener,
Elkins and John G. Johnson having offered
to the Quaker city their splendid collec-