The San Francisco call., 1907-02-04
By Hanna Astrup Larsen

One Of the events Of the year in the
art world Of San Francisco will be the
exhibition of Jules Pages pictures this
month. There is much good art in San
Francisco. and we do not need to go
across the seas to see paintings of
very high order. but our artists them
selves viii be the first TO recognize the
value Of the fresh impulse brought from
the art world abroad. Naturally, it is
q matter OF pride to all San Franciscans
chat d san Franciscan, born and edu-
Gated in their city and still counting
himself one OF them, should have
achieved the international reputation
won by Pages. They VIII welcome the
oposI tunity Of seeing for themselves
some Of the work that has made him
famous.
During the ten years of his stay in
Paris, first as student and later as an
Instructor in Juliens studio. Pages has
grated on his own genius the wonder
ful technique and the peculiar brilliance
Of the French art. In truth, he seems
70 have not one. but a dozen styles.
Those who have wandered through the
many mansions of an International ex-
hibitiOn will have noticed how not only
every single artist but every country
represented has an atmosphere of it's
own, ranging from the chill bleakness
grays or Holland to the vividness of
France and the warmth OF Italy. Many
artists seem to see the world, as it
were, through a colored glass that gives
its character 10 all they touch. Pages
sees everything in the pure, white light
of heaven, and what he sees passing
through the lens Of his genius becomes
vivid and vital with his individuality,
without losing its truth or reality.
1t is because I paint everything as
il appeals to me- said the artist, when
I saw him in the little studio he has
improvised in his brothers home. 'T
do not paint after a fixed method, but
handle every subject in the way it
seems 10 require"
I had found him engaged In reviving
memories of the Chinatown that is
gone. He had not seen it for ten years,
but still remembered the Characteristic
lines and tints End enjoyed the task
Of transferring them to paper. With
the utmost readiness he pulled out one
canvas after the other. apologizing for
the poor light.
This is all work that I have done
abroad, in France and Italy and Spain.
I am now engaged In getting it ready
for the exhibition Yes, I think IL will
be quite an exhibition There will be
about thirty canvsses.
Il have not painted much while
have been here I am having a year off
while the other INSTRUCTORS in the
school take my classes. / have to be
back In the middle of September to get
ready for the school, which opens the
LIST OF October. 1 shall do some paint
ing while 1 am here, but I do not yet
know what. I do not think I shall
paint the ruins. They do not appeal
to me. They are not like the ruins of
Pompeii which have gathered an at
mosphere during the passing years.
When you see them you feel yourself
back in those times, and you half ex-
pect one of the people of the old town
to come around the corner. In the
San Francisco ruins you have no such
feeling. You merely think, Why does
he not clean up his back yard? There
is no poetry about them.
Il would rather paint the vigorous
new life Of rebuilding. That is won
derful Three days after the fire peo-
pie were talking Of rebuilding: it is
ft-there is where the poetry lies.
have been walking around the city
looking at the work, and I believe 1
have found some good subjects. The
raising of the enormous steel struc-
lures the hoisting Of heavy loads, the
straining Of men and horses. ought to
make some good pictures OF course,
IT is necessary to get a good silhouette.
The steel construction buildings are
too much like cages; you can see
everything through them. 1t will be
necessary to have some of the ruins
as a background to give sohdity. The
trouble is everything changes so fast
that YOU cannot get time to paint Il
before the effect is gone"
The exhibition will be held at
vickery<s and will be opened on the
2Oth of February. An attempt will be.
made to get for the occasion Pages
nicture. The Corner of the Studio"
which was at Mark Hopkins and was
saved from the IRE. Among the pic
lures to be seen are number OF views
from Bretagne, showing the peasant
life there, and also some charming
nictures OF children playing on the
beach. Venice is portrayed in a num-
her Of views giving the byways of the
famous city, as well as the more Ia
mfliar aspects.
Work was begun last week on the
temporary building to be erected by the
AT Association on the old site at the
corner of Mason and California streets.