New-York tribune., 1907-04-28
PARIS PICTURES.
The National Society Of Fine Arts
Opens It's AnnuaI Display.

Paris April H.
The seventeenth annual salon of the National
Society Of Fine Arts. opened Friday last by
President FaIlieres. and which VIII remain open
in the west wing Of the Grand Palace Of the
Champs Elysees unit, July I, elicits this year. as
usual contradictory comments from leading
critics. Never before has the Salon been so
good full and interesting" says NJ. Arsene
Alexandra. Did YOU ever see anything so
wretched void OF originality" asks NJ.
Louis Vauxcelles. The truth is found about
midway between these two opinions Except
the colossal heroic. headIess trunk I'm plaster Of
The Man Who Walks by Rodln, and the dar-
ing details In skin and flesh studies OF young
Spanish athlete. painted by COurtois the present
manifestation OF the once revolutionary artists
of the National Society. still popularity known
as the Champs dc Mars offers nothing 20
astonsh to thrill the spectator. There is
absence Of attempts 10 create sensations or sur
prises. There is little originality. Each artist
produces exactly what is expected from him.
The trees continue TO yield the same apples.
The death list OF the men who founded the
National Society contains the names OF Puvis
de Chavannes. Whistler. Ssley Theolue Ribot
Cain Boudin. Mcissonier Alfred stevens. Lewis
Brown. Burne-Jones. Carrere Daniel. Verge.
Calls and Dalou. Among those who remain are
Alfred Roll Carolus Duran. Besnard. Lhermitte.
BHoue. Montenard, Rxens Geryex. Dagnan
Bouyeret. Jean Beraud. Bracquemond Rodin
and Saint Marceaux. Younger men have come
10 the front Among these CASTOR Ia
Touche, Anquet!n. caro- DeIyaiUe Woog
Georges and Louis Picard Jean Weber Friant.
Guillaume. Zoyn. Iavery Lucien simon Men
ard. lie Sideucr Dinet Montenard. Aublet Cot
tel. jacques Blanche. RaTaell. Boldini La Can
dara. Aman-Jean. Gabrielle Loup and DesvaI-
are nov conservative. and have become more
sober with age In no branch OF art are there
signs of waning zeal or - diminished cnthu-
siasm in search for truth. bat the main currents
have neither been broken nor renewed There
are Indications that the taste FOR light ard clear
co!o- tones IS gaining ground and more than
holds It's own against the threatened invasion
OF sombre schemes. partially due To- lmitators
Of Whistlerian mauuersms There IS manifest
striving after delicate atmospheric luminosity
Never before has IN" Salon contained So many
works inspired 10y the nude. and II Is almost an
axiom 20 say that the conscientious study Of
the human form IS a sure guarantee of the
science of painting no matter how diverse may
be its applications and it's developments.
II would be a bevilderjng task To- attempt to
describe the eighteen hundred paintings and
pastel drawings exhibited in the Salon. bu, the
best notion Of the show may be obtained by
summary glance the works Of say. dozen
men who stand foremost in the National So
ciety and who furnish its distinctive features.
Decorative panels and ceilings exceedingly
prominent Albert Besnard. intrusted with the
decoration of TWO ceilings of the Petit Palais,
has chosen for his subjects la Pens+e" and
La Natere'' Thought" and Matter"
Thought" a mystic, ncbuous figure enthroned
upon roseate clouds Illuminated by rays OF
golden sunshine dominates the universe. and
with dramatic serenity looks down upon the In
carnations Of Youth" and of Death en-
gagged in earnest controversy. Youth" is
s,alwart but intellectual man OF twenty. against
whose shoulders reclineS beautiful, confdiug
but thoughtless girl. The youth eagerly ques-
tiona the dark-veiled pante-like figure of
Death" Death with uplifted. skeleton arm
seems to say: Seek not To penetrate the mys-
teries OF Isis. Priests and philosophers have
been obliged abandon IN despair such inves-
legations, and have fallen by the wayside. Live.
love and he happy The ceiling representing
Matter" Is more complicated I'm the midst of
bright July sky. floats huge. dark brown
faun with head Of a wild goat. and foreshort-
ened somewhat after the manner OF Michael
Angelo. The faun supports on his muscular
thighs a pink -feshed Rubens-like female in full
maturity. from whose body emerges procession
of angelic children symbolic Of the germs Of
life" Beneath the dark clouds are Iivid green
decaying corpses Of both sexes. Besnard has
shown marvellous technical deXterity i'm render
ing these bold but poetic conceptions. The al
legoric figures have purity and sublimity sus-
gestive of the Divine Comedv'
Auburtin, q disciple of Puvis de Chavannes
exhibits a beautiful decorative panel of enor-
nous size. representing The Forest and the
Sea" A primeval wood with it's deeply outlined
rocks and venerable oaks. is skrted by a calm
dark blue reach of Nymphs are bathing.
and a siren perched upon mass of glistening
seaweed ia playing flute. The sky Is soft and
hazy. The effect is delightful. "MarseilIes
GTecian Colony" is the title OF the large papel
painted by Montenard for me City Hall of Mar
settles A procession Of white robed VIRGINS
ascends from the shore of a blue sea valIo
cliffs studded with trees and arbutus beartpg tn
golden statue Of Diana toword a marble ter,Dlo
to be enshrued. There is profuslon az rosa
and highly colored flowers near the temple ana
10 the right is an Arcadian cluster OF aso,I
olive trees. The brilliant bursts Of sunsbi
through the dark olive branches and the -,
bratng tones of the ProvencaI sky are beau,i
fully given. Moreover the artist has avoido,
initiating the mural decorations Of the N1ar
sees Museum painted some thirty years .o
by Puvis de Chavannes. and which are in
scribed with almost the same title as the Dane,
now under consideration. namely, ''Marseiue
AA1s GrecnuesS Arlol2 other decorative uyorl,s