The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-10
The Two New Art Palaces in Paris
Location Annual French Salons
lis Modern French Art Degener-
ating?


which it spans with single arch at
nearly right angles. The cornerstone
of the Alexander III bridge was laid
by the present Gar Nicholas II. in Oc-
tober, 1896, being 1874 feet long by 1873
feet wide. Two immense pylons rising
fifty seven feet high are surmounted by
colossal gilded bronze figures, and at
intervals are four other columns with
groups Of sculpture representing France
symbolic figures. The broad level Of
across the river to the "Hote1 des In
yalides,'' with it's gilded dome, mark
ing the resting place Of the great
French commander. The approach to
these palaces from either side gives a
fine perspective. A vast amount of
money has been expended in many coun-
tries on buildings for expositions which
were soon to be destroyed, but these are
for permanent art uses.
trail dome with pavilions> at the four
corners Of the irregular quadrangle
which 1t occupies. The large interior
court, ornamented with sculpture, is
used as a garden, while the building
itself serves for the exhibition Of retro
spective art. This differs from the col
lection at the Trocadero palace In the
Champs de Mars, which is colonial In
character, and also an exhibit Of COM
parative sculpture.
The Grand Palace opposite is in strik-
ported by colonnades of twin Ionic col
umns. In shape it resembles a letter
H, or two main buildings connected by
large hail. A grand stairway leads
to gallery extending around four sides
and overlooking the whole vast interior.
The series Of rooms is united by a
long exterior gallery which permits the
visitor to walk quite around and choose
any entrance or exit to the rooms. A
smaller pavilion named Thomas, from
one of the architects, is decorated with
tional porcelain mandatory Of sevres
near Paris. This great frieze extends
across the entire front, about three hun
dred feet, divided by the door into two
parts, and shows the chief epochs Of
art, from the first effort Of primitive
man trying to cut stone In the rough
elements OF architecture and Sculpture,
to Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian, Grecian,
Byzantine, Roman and Renaissance art.
The second part is the apotheosis, Of
Renaissance. Truth, crowned by Re
a chariot, guided by 1naidens. In the
suite follows the master artists from
Greece, Italy, Flanders, Holland; then
the great modern artists of France, with
the Pantheon, Grand Opera house and
Arc de Etoiles in the background. A
grand fountain,9 presented by the state
to Paris, finished this achievement in
modern ceramic art, and completes the
treasure house which opened, the last
week Of May for the annual salons.
The Salon of Artistes Francois has
between four and five thousand works
Of art, not less, than two thousand
paintings, which have been chosen by
the jury from perhaps ten thousand pic
lures. The Jury consists of artists, fire.
quently teachers, who are very consid-
crate to ambitious young men, and 1t
has been less difficult to gain repre-
sentation in the French salons than in
the Royal Academy at London; but
even they do not escape cens9re from
when did a hanging committee avoid
the danger Of being hung9 A protest
against the official, long established Old
Salon was made in 1890 by young men,
painters. sculptors and metal workers.
who called themselves innovators,'
and the New Salon said broadly, "Let
all the world know that we are not
pupils Of Julien or Bouguereau. There
is room enough for all, and perhaps both
are more vigorous for the rivalry.
Is Modern French Art Degenerating7
French art has led in portrait and figure
subjects, as all work from models, and
are more nudes in the salons than else
where. But the treatment seems so
essentially different from the Greek
motif as to almost lack one. There is
conspicuous absence of classical, his
torical or NEUROLOGICAL subjects. In
recent salons there are no overwhelmed
Sabines, captive Helens, blushing Su-
sannahs or reclining Magdalenes. There
are no Dianas, riding on the new moon,
militant Judiths, wood nymphs: in syl-
van bowers, sor elusive nlermaids. In
Femmes au MIRROR and the like. There
Is constant search for the unusual.
The ideal seems lost and morbid real
ism prevails. For instance, one sees a
picture Of half -draped woman sitting
at a table, with washbowl, bathing
her arms. No one objects to this harm
less or necessary occupation, but that
the nude is used no longer as a means
but an end. The artist sets out, not to
ment, Of which nudity is an attribute,
but to paint a nude figure. It is simply
and unendurably a matter of fact with
very abnormal tendencies. Once the
pictures suggested the occasion for the
nude; now the nude is the conferred
occasion for the picture. An elbow may
be painted undeniably accurate, and the
artist may be Impressed with the
iridescent lights in flesh tint, but one
yearns for a picture with soul in it.,
painted under an inspiration. The cry
comes Of this years exhibit, that there
are so many mediocre, that while Bou-
guereau has passed away since last
years salon, and old favorites are miss
ing, no. new genius has arisen. Sensa-
tional pictures there always will be.
A few years ago Barbin exhibited one
Of the largest canvases ever painted,
on which it was estimated that $4,000
worth of color tubes were used. It is
a strange way to estimate the value Of
art works! In many pictures one sees
color put on in relief, the palette knife
being used in place of the brush, from
the transverse wavy lines Of green of
the foreground to those of the skv. For
tunately many are simply studies or
f Effects The impressionists have had
a great mission; conventional art has
overlooked many tints in nature which
they have discoveries; but if ever a
tendency in art lost its centripeta1
force and went flying off on a tangent
Of mad color and reckless disregard OF
beauty and motive, many Of them have
done so, and now reaction has begun.
No wholesale Characterization of an ex
hibit is unjust to individual works of
art, and the Grand Salon, whatever it's
general character, has meritorious
works. Already it is said that the best
are frequently found to be by Ameri-