Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-07
HOPE FOR ART
IN OLD SALON
PIERRE WEBER TALKS OF THE
ARTISTES FRANcAlS
scoURGE THREATENS PARIS
Declares That In This Ancient soei
ETY. Alone Are True Pictures
Shown, With Rising Hopes
Of Painting

| Special Gable to The Herald
PARIS, May 6.-The New York Her
AIDS European edition publishes the
| following criticism of the salon of the
Societe des Artistes Francais by NJ
| Pierre Weber:
When rabbits in Australia multiplied
in such an inconsiderate manner that
they threatened to invade the country
the government took steps to remove
| this unexpected scourge. When field
mice in France threatened the western
| departments the projects offered a
bounty to the gifted citizen who would
find means of exterminating them. A
worse scourge threatens Paris.
For ten years past the painters have
been allowed to develop, increase, null
tiply and ululate until they have be-
come public danger. The country is
invaded by these parasites. Statis-
ticians do not dare even to count them
and one can foresee the day when the
| community will be made up of no 9TH
ers than painters. The yellow peril"
is naught compared with this.
-Four salons and a hundred private
exhibitions no longer suffice. 1 earnest
ly beg those who govern us to organize
a competition, the prize to go to the
inventor of a system for the destruc-
ton of painters, since lack of original
ity and poverty of talent have not been
able to do so.
Coming after so many salons that of
the Artistes Francais runs the risk of
meeting with q less degree of apprecia-
tion, yet the rising hopes of painting
are to be found in this ancient society,"
There only are young painters to be
found. Above all, no longer is there to
be seen that nauseous virtuosity which
in other places masks the complete alb
sence of technique.
| A Salon of Effort
| This salon ct conscience and effort
sketches Impressions, and mere indca-
tions are banished therefrom. True
pictures alone are shown, carefully
elaborated, and if for the greater part
they lack interest and quality, they
have at any rate the merit of being
finished works.
None holds out any great hope, but
all present complete realization of an
idea. The true decorative tendency of
the modern picture is less evident, but
what matter, since each work is COM
plete? Moreover, each canvas, be it
large or small, tells a story or inter-
prets an idea. however commonplace.
And when one has made up ones
mind to examine one by one the pic
| lures crowding the halls in haphazard
| fashion, one really finds that pictorial
cross-country of this description is
not altogether devoid of interest.
L must add that the artists of this
salon are beginning to abandon that
clayey color which at one time was the
prevailing note of every daub. There
are also fewer sugary shades on ten
der green ground. This constitutes
considerable progress.
M. DetaiIle's Work
In the place of honor is large deco
ration by NJ Edouard Detaille, "Vers
la Gloire." 1t is destined for the Pan
theon, and the Pantheon is easily salts
fed, as Is well known. Between three
columns NJ Detaille has installed q
in shaped column toward a Pegasus
mounted by lay figure There is no
lack of movement in this piece What
is wanting is true greatness
But what a conscious study of uni
forms! What a lesson in costumei
Official painters do not ordinarily show
such probity toward the state so easy
to satisfy as a patron of the arts. M
Detaille has here contributed consider
able labor and deserves admiration
for it, even though the result is not
very stirring.
portrait of the professor, serious and
somewhat tiresome, as suits the sub
ject.
M. Trigoulet reveals himself as Il
landscape painter. He has softened his
melancholy and his rugged manner to
tell us all the charm of nook in a re-
tired garden.
Suffering From Venice Mania
NJ Saint Germier has for years COW
cred kilometres of Venice in a gondola.
He is one Of those numerous painters
suffering from Venice mania who never
give up their canal, crossed by little
trapezoidal bridge studded with colored
mooring posts in which greenish water
runs between burnt walls. If one sup
pressed Venice and Brittany one would
suppress half the painters at the same
time.
However, little corner in studio
proves to us that NJ Saint Germier
oo,,oa. HAL +o Darts a. ti,,,az