The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-02

to be the first he had seen-he would take
his glasses OF and wipe them, supposing
them TO be slightly misty. All the pictures
Characteristic Of the artists present point
Of yiew-he had an earlier symbolistic phase
look slightly out Of focus.
However, having rubbed your glasses
or your eyes, and having become quite
clear In your own mind as regards the OBJ
jective and subjective, you forgive lie Sid
amer his mannerism and realize that he Ia
justified by his works. He shows you a new
beauty In familiar things, a tender, intimate
beauty, and in his subtle interplay Of color
ing there is no false note. He IL an artist
Of distinguished taste and has the faculty
Of seeing easily a true pictorial effect.
This man will go into his garden and
chance TO see, under the trees by the wall
Of the house. a table not yet cleared after
dfJeuner. In the sunlight glinting amber
through wine bottle, in the glass and silver
lying on the sun feoked table cloth, in the
white chairs standing round about he sees
a picture. And he paints it in a way that
you will not forget. He seems TO surprise
things In a moment Of rare beauty.
II may be that he sees this table in the
evening, in the moonlight There Is the
white cloth again, and on II a silver coffee
pot, some cups a sugar bowl and vase
Of white chrysanthemums. Two chairs
are pushed back from the table, and in
the background CLOVIS a lighted window
Of the house.
Evidently the people have just left
this table and gone indoors; and now,
withdrawn from human gaze, these things
have taken on their moment Of rare beauty.
But lie Sidaner is hidden somewhere close
at hand, watching for this very moment;
and he paints for you la Table au Clair
de Lune, picture full Of the beauty and
poetry OF a moonlit summer night.
1t is in the rendering Of effects Of evening
light that he excels, and lighted windows
have for him something Of the fascination
that they had for Baudelaire, who wrote
~ nest pas d'objct plus profond, plus
mystCrieur, plus j6cOnd, plus tenfbreur,
plus 6blouissdHt gu'uHe feNetre 6oldir6C
dune okdndelle.' In fact, in the art Of
lie Sidaner, his fine sense Of color and
subtlety OF expression, there Il much
that one may aptly compare with Bau-
delaires fine taste in words and power
Of expressing subtleties. It must not.
however. he understood that there Is any
thing morbid or tainted about lie Sidaner.
for he is as wholesome as any one could
be.
Several OF the pictures have been painted
at Bruges. and in these, Of course, II il the
dead city that the artist sees, "Bruges Ia
Morte,- and not the rather CHEEKY little
place that one usually finds Bruges 10 be.
Beauvais, Gravelines and Chartres are
other places In which lie Sidaner has found
inspiration, and at Gisors he painted a
charming picture called lie Petit Pont
de Fer" showing gay autumnal foliage
showering down toward a moat crossed
by a little iron bridge that leads up 10 an
ancient iron gate
There are some snow scenes beautifully
rendered, and Il Ia in these that the artist
reminds one most 81 Claude Monet. But,
as was said, II Is a. a painter 81 the evening
light 81 silence and tranquility, that lie
Sidaner eXcelz, aud his pictures are 80
delicate. 80 serene 20 far removed from
self-advert isemcnt and hustle. that one
marycls that their qualities should have
met with any recognition In the artists
lifetime.
At the present time Le Sidancr's bet
works would be no bad investment, There
are not yet very many buyers. e..