The Washington herald., 1908-04-07
Exhibition of Extraordinary
Pictures of Paris Painter.
CLASSIFICATION NOT POSSIBLE
Mysticism Their Most Predominant
ChHraettristic-Nine Paintings Are
shown "a the MOrrey Art Galleries.
Have Excited Enthusiastic Com
ment of Great Artists of World.

paintings in the group, the work of Mr..
T. Scott Dabo of Paris.
This artists work, so strongly marked
with unconventlonality, has excited en-
thusiastic critical comment from such
people as Georges Bal Maurice Maeter-
linck Auguste Rodin, Aman-Jean. La
sidaner, Raffani, Princess Gargarine-
Stourdza. Comte de Montesque, Princess
Dorian, Countess de NoailIes. Octave
Mirabeau. Mallarme. Gustave Genroy,
Octave Uzanne, Henri de Regnier Theo-
dore Duret George Moore. and many
others. All these have written of Mr.. 7.
Scott Dabo's work in high praise.
Battle Description.
1t is strange thing to say. in sense,
but the nine pictures that are on exhibit
seem almost 10 bafie description. In the
first place, light has a marvellous effect
on them. They are one thing in the
brilliances under the electric light, and
they Quiver and glow In quite another
way when the sunlight is admitted.
At first, as one sees them In an even
row along the two walls of the gallery,
there is a distinct sense Of the impress
slonistic school This must not convey
the Idea that there are any Of those glar-
ing puppies and blatant crimsons and
curious blues that are So characteristic
OF the American impTessiOnists, who,
especially in the West. have gone in for
a riot of color
These pictures impress you. as a whole.
with their subdued quality. As soon as
one ceases 10 take IN the group and con-
ceutrates attention on an individual can
vas, this impression ceases.
Mysticism Is Their Quality.
Then there comes a feeling OF mystI-
cism-these cease TO be mere paintings
on the walls. They are embodied thought.
They have something Of the elusive quail
ity Of thought They haunt you with a
feeling Of half-remembered things. And
as you look at them-with their strange
ight-effects, their absence OF drawing,
their lack Of positiveness-you think of
weird stories of literature such as was
made by Poe. And as one looks at these
pictures and tries 90 interpret their mean
ing. there runs through his head such
phrases as dying ember' and "drear No
yember' and 'dank tarns' and ruined
castles"
There are only nine of the pictures.
Though, At first, they seem ali of a tone
and 10 have much of a sameness about
them, this is not really so. The man who
painted these pictures is a master of
color In only two OF them. and these the
least attractive, has there been much at
tempt at drawing
n Z f- A 81
mospheric effect. with eerie shadows and
half-seen clouds
Next 10 it is Moonlight" !" the color OF
the night transparent and breathing an
air Of ghosts and things that never were
on land or sea"
Then there is a picture, Reflections on
the Water" IN which the light is pale.
unearthly yellow, that Is seen sometimes
by the fortunate ones when nature is in
one Of her capriciou5 moods.
Lights I'm the Harbor."
In Lights in the Harbor" the sea is a
pale green The distant shore is but par
TALLY perceived through the sea cloud
that seems determined 10 shut il out
from view. But back there on the shore.
coming from no one source. there is q
ray of light that throws into reflection
the shad0wy figures of some fishing boats
that are making for the harbor. It was
over just such a sea. just such a harbor as
this that Sir Bevidere gazed beneath
an arch of hand on the time when
Arthur was borne away out of the tang.sd
chaos Of his land to-
The fairy island Of Avilion.
Where falls not hail, nor rain, nor any snoE.
Nor ever wind blows loudly
Perhaps the most stFikng and the most
appealing picture in the collection is No.
.. ''Notre Dame de Paris" Il is a strange
view we get OF the old cathedral The
mist that rises from the Seine has Paris
by the throat, and We who see the. grim
bulk of this historic mystery are across
the river and the bridge is at our feet
Above the mist and fog the clouds hang
heavy, but high in the air the moon has
broken through with d yellow, fiambent
flame that touches the mist and makes
II a sheet Of gold that only emphasizes
the mystic outlines of the church There
is mighty little drawing in the picture
If you count drawing by mere line-but
there is wealth Of color and the pic
ture as a whole expresses to the beholder
the very heart and soul Of Paris-not the
Paris of the gay and giddy. but the city
that has stood long. seen much paih and
misery. the city that has suffered much.
It is picture TO wiring the heart as you
look at it.
Other Pictures shown.
Another picture in the collection is
Early Morning on the Seine" another
effect Of feg upon the river, showing a
steamer gliding like a wrath under the
bridge, The only light comes from the
shore on which the spectator stands and
this is so brilliant that it catches the
eye, and the fog. the dim shapes. the
steamer, the arches of the Pont de Con-
corde are felt rather than seen.
Then there is No. Z, Going Out to Sea. ~
the sea all yellow, and the sun mistily
shining on a swollen water
The two least satisfactory pictures. per
haps, are The Slumbering Cottage" and
"Old Mill at Senlis." These seem to trv
TO tell too much. They do not, as the
others do, leave much OF the picture to
the imagination.
This is collection OF pictures that. for
unusualness Of theme, as well as of ex-
preston, It would not be we'll for snv
Washington art lover to miss Here you
may judge of this artists great power
in reproducing light and shade and the
very heartfelt emotions Of nature.
They are, as g noted critic has said. |
painted for imaginative people by an /
imaginative man" The collection will be |
on view until April l6.