New-York tribune., 1907-07-10


rooms to nave you forget that there is a room.
that you are under roof between walls; or
that the room In question is square, oblong or
circular Here VIC reach a third and vital dlt-
ference between the picture and the decorative
panel. In picture, there is no question of deco
rating surface. and there is objection to
obiterating the surface On the contrary the
more an artist can do away with fiat and even
surface, the more he hollow out space, the
more he can push back the horizon; the more,
IN word. he can make his painting concave. as
Fromentin says of Rembrandt, the more he fills
the object of his art, which IS 10 transport us
fer away from the frame which confines his
work Before a picture. thought must be
! given to the canvas, to the fiat surface which
limits vision on the other hand, before the
decoration Of a building. we must remember
that the building is there that IL has n certain
shape and that this shape is limited by wall
No holes must therefore be made in the wall.
Rembrandt's effects for instance, are the typif-
/ cation of what must he avoided; and with them,
al the violent contrasts Of values concentrating
! point the impression Of great relief or OF
profound depth II does not follow that all fig
urcs must be on the same plane. or that the
Landscape has but one plane, like a railroad en-
hankment but only that the different planes
remain parallel or Giverge gradually: and that
IN the distribution Of masses of shadow and
light, there he masses of dark, of brilliant
/ centres Of light, to appear gaming wel-hocs
as lanterns swung against the sky, or as
/ open skyghts. In the same way figures. II they
have too great relief will seem 10 start from the
wall. and thus break up that impression OF
/ fiat. surface which decorative pane!
must produce in order to remain a decoration.
. Observation of these laws will lead to the OBJ
servatfon Of another. less general, but less
/ mperative-namely. Calmness in the figures and
serenity In the effect It is less general because
while the other laws hold wherever there is
! building and decoration. this one does not apply
with its full force except where daily lives arc
/ TO be lived in the edifce where the decoration
is found And just because large number ot
| decorative masterpieces, like The Last Judg-
ment' The Victory of Constantine" The
Chastisement of Heliodore,'' which decorate
rooms where one doesn't live, ignore this law. 1t
has long been disregarded by decorators. In
fact if the decorated apartment is not lived in
If people assemble only at times therein for
some ceremony. little does It matter If the deco
rator's figures indulge in dramatic and impas
stoned scenes. But, on the whole. violent gest-
ures, scenes of carnage transport. human de-
formities. quivering flesh. Convulsed eyes.
produced and exposed all over the walls of
room in such way that at every raising Of the
eye they must be render room unin-
/ habitable. The same scenes and gestures
strained 10 the dimensions Of a picture, which
we approach IL we wish. but which ignore
when not in the mood for violent impressions.
may be admirable in easel painting though
hearable in decorative painting. Here, again,
II is question Of dimensions and OF nothing
else. and the theories which ignore the fact that
dimensions play an important role, and even de
termine the boundary lire between pure art and
decorative art ignore the primary condition Of
decoration. one thing is the work which you must
go and look At in order to il. Quite another Is
the work which YOU see without looking at It;
which imposes itself which envelops like the
air which we breathe without volition, or like
the murmurs which. coming from the forest or
the sea. hear without listening.
In the first case the violence OF the attitudes
is OF small Importance; the most violent would
perhaps be the most beautiful and would eX
cite the nerves only the nerves wished to
yield to its influence. In the second case. calm
and reposeful expressions are required; sooer
and slow gestures. easy attitudes with nothing
taut contracted or ephemeral Since sl pro-
lonRed violence becomes monotonous. since all
effort that achieves nothing becomes at length
ridiculous it is necessary that from all figures
which have 20 be lived with even the appearance
of violence and effort must be excluded 1t Is
with figures in decorative art with personali-
ties in human life the violent the impassioned.
may he beautiful for one day only the calm the
restrained. can he beautiful every day.
Passing 10 color. a difference between picture |
nainting and decorative panels may he found. |
though perhaps In less degree of Importance
The artist can choose according % his taste the
general scheme, light or deep, according 10 his
terneraroent. But once chosen. he must cling
N IL throughout the entire painting OF his panel,
without exploding fireworks here and there to
attract the gaze Of the spectator To certain
points TO the detriment OF others. lheftioif 4'I
there be no strong contrasts. no clmaXes, no
colors singing out from corners, nor even iroh
+be centre while throughout the rest OF the en-
tire panel other colors only softly chant an ac-
comma niment If there are contrasts between
the different planes, let these contrasts extend
from end 10 end and he resolved throughout IN
an even harmony.
Thus less organic less impassioned. less con
trasted than pure art decorative art Is Iess I'VE
" or at least il lives less ardent life Nhether
This he a reason for putting il higher or lower
in the hierarchy Of the fine arts is a theoretical
ouestion But practically IL is 4 decisive reason
for preventing too realistic researches and Tor
prescribing all decepuons OF the eye. II III d
rictIlre there to a certain degree he olle'I
imitation OF nature. in decoration there Is an
ine,,ita HE limitation 10 transposition OF nature
Tho artiet who is making picture works TO
greater advantage in the realm OF imitation ne-
/ cause he is working in a more ciTcumscribed
raa1rn He takes q little corner Of what ne sees,
i,cIoees IL IN a golden circle or square, which
,eolatee II and in this his chosen corner, he can
ovarciee himself 10 create an illusion The dec
I orator moving around among doors. WINDOWS
and frtezes makes no such pretension. He can
| 30, arranea the objects around his painting like
- frame because he must arrange his painting
/ aronnd the objects over them, in harmony WIN
tbero Thus the painting must enNeioP th'
frame and not be enveloped by IL
FINALLY instead OF our being able 20 embrace
II IN one look the decoration embraces us IL
surrounds us Ike a landscape or a crowd
/ yI-ticba,ar way we turn we feel it to be present
W., must also feel 1t to be beneficial and favor
/ chic IN orr thoughts. The ideal condition would
he - we could in turn repose in II all our
thoughts as We do in landscape OF calm hnes,
or in figures so far away that they are silent
opd discrent II is because ne understood ms
that in spite of his faults, Puvis de Chavannes
| is so great
ro pEDTTcE COST OF LIVING