New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-11
THE FRENCH SALON Of 1905
Resembles Huge Industrial
Picture Far.
Paris, May ].

than ever before. The influence Of the dealer is
painfully apparent. Veteran heroes of half
century OF successive Salons such as Bougue-
reau. Hsrpignies. Ernest HILBERT, Jules Breton.
and Bornat. can always sell like hot cakes their
,,-uical nymphs. oak trees green pastures,
co,lrtly ladies. eminent politicians. or renowned
business men. which they turn out with prolific
.,d relentless virtuosity season after season.
,-ur,,bert Flameng and other master portrait
,s,s excel in restoring to pink virginia. fresh
moss the decrepit cheeks. wrinkied chins and
,-ovg-s-foot temples of autumnal dowagers. Ger
tain fashionable painters have acquired a vogue
or,az-hat similar 10 that Of smart dressmakers.
Tho rrosperous paterfamilias finds 1t necessary
- have his wifes or daughters portraits
fr.e5 1,,- members OF the Institute. Afiuent,
sooiet climbing rnatrons require for their salons
,,,r,,be angels, forests or decorative panels by
masters consecrated by the Academy. The vet
Gran artists have swarms of imitators. Each
exhibition contains pseudo Bouguereaus bastard
I5arpienies and fresh water Bonnats. The men
who are "hors concours'' exempted from ex-
animation for admission because they have in
former years obtained official awsrds) are
sometimes the worst offenders.
n. the two thousand oil paintings in the pres
ent salon nearly half bear the magic initials
II c" II some captious critic should set him
ser the task Of discovering the worst picture in
be ornarnented with the inevitable III c." These
II. C,s.'' moreover, enjoy "the right Of way"
sra are Invariably hung the coveted "ci-
,7aise" where they present a formidable front
rank of mediocrity. The H. C.s" are rapidly
increasing in number and ten years hence no
Mace will be left fer newcomers. It is pity
mat the H. C.'s" cannot be put all by them
selves IN a separate wing Of the Salon, and the
newcomers allotted TO special rooms facing them
This will never be done. however. for such
ryblic object lesson would offer a comparison
Ear too odious TO suit the conservative judges
and Jurors who themselves form part Of the
favored legion whose works are earmarked with
fhe impressive H C"
Nevertheless in this wilderness of pictures
there is now and then A refreshing oasis Land
scape in the Salon Of the French Artists is still
under the dominating influence Of the 1880
school One meets everywhere with the traces of
Rousseau. Corot or Daubigny. Impressionist or
romantic landscapes find place in the Salon Of
The National Society Of Fine Arts or in the
studios Of Claude Monet and others who never
exhibit in either Of the two official salons
Henri Martin. the great anaIyzer Of light and
OF atmosphere. is an exception The decorative
panel. which is really a landscape, painted by
Henri Martin for Edmond Rostand's country
house az Cambo is the finest work Of the kind
IN The present Salon. Young poplars with DELL
cate trunks grow beside a rivulet rejecting the
spring verdure Of a field near the Pyrenees.
Rose aud neuve hills extend beneath tur-
ouoise sky There is impression Of sun
shine and warmth. young goatherd walks
behind his Aancee. The youth is playing on a
Pssoue flute while the maiden is knitting.
@avv eosts browse upon Wild thyme or briers.
II is beautiful pastoral. more delicate ana
s,,btIe than the larger panels executed by Henri
Of -o,r1O1 MaTSeilleS.
The disaster" painted by Jean Paul Laurens.
ranresents the famous sunken lane at Water
loo described by Victor Hugo in Les Mise
rsnIes It IS night The ravine is filled with dead
cutrassiers and field pieces. The plain Is strewn
with corpses OF men and horses In the back
ground are the flames Of burning villages
1ningling their lurid light with the violet night
sky. Napoleon on a white charger, and wear
ing bis cooked hat and gray coat, is outlined
BY the rays OF the full moon Behind him ride
half & dozen officers of rank. Another power
sul military subject is found in Edouard De-
tsire's Ia Chevauchee de la Glorie" C'The
Route OF GIory') painted for the basilica Of the
Pantheon A winding procession Of horsemen
wearing the uniforms OF the Napoleonlo era
gaIlop IN So shape over the clouds toward
Glory mounted on a dazzling white steed
The size of this work is enormous. BY means
OF two futed columns It is divided into
triptych There IS splendid swing and action,
but the minute detail Of the uniforms makes
toward pure illustration rather than true ar
tistic decoration.
Tne -r,rU poem OF Victor Hugo describing the
stages OF Jacques Bonhomme in his struggle
against tyranny furnishes Laparra with the
theme OF his triptych. in which Jacques Bon
homme-personifying the masses of the nation
is represented as fighting for liberty by vio-
ence by love, and by thought IN the right
hand panel he is moving down segneurs and
danes with blood dripping scythe. AT the
left be is striving by affection and by religion
10 attain his ends. and in the centre panel he
succeeds by intelligence. education and thought.
It Is an ambitious. humanitarian painting
msrred by complex treatment Roolquet gives
vivid impression of the Convention or the Zoth
Brumaire, year >. when THE Goddess Reason
impersonated by naked woman, was presented
70 the assembly.
Tattegrain paints a tragedy IN the hhghsh
Channel entitled the Stolen Nets An Eng
lish and a French fishing trawler are along
side each other in the trough Of rough sea,
and the fishermen, graphing hooks IN hand
are fighting. Jules Adler in his large strongly
brushed canvas lie Faubourg" gives vie"
OF Paris street in the working quarter IN the
early morning Men and women proceed rap
idly 10 their daily tasks. while in the foreground
is q young couple-a vigorous iron laporer anu
an attractive. pale sewing girl-eVidehty De-
trothed. and walking hand in hand II Is
strong, simple idea, finely executed
Charles Honbauer's "On the Roof depicts
merry dinner party of four-two dalntlly gown
young women and two men-on the rooI ol
house IN New-York The tall buildings, the
windows Of which CLEAN with electric hghts'
the dark blue Of the sky, the searchllshts cast