The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-12
TWO LMPREssTONIsT ARTISTS.
Pictures OF q Painter and a Photographer
Shown Together In London.

collection Of oil paintings by Henri le
Sidaner and the other a collection of cameo
pictures by Langdon Coburn, 1t is an in
teresting coincidence that these two artists
should be showing their work in such
proximity, for it is not often that two men
working in materials 80 different find them
selves 80 closely allied In aim. in feeling
and in method.
To use the word impressionist no longer
arouses the tremendous discussions that
1t did many years ago, no longer is ii
violently denounced and as ~passionately
defended, but still in the minds Of a vast
majority Of people there fingers the idea
that impressionism means either the rankest
Of rank greens, reds and blues or else a
confused muddle of dots or dashes Of
primary color with which the artist seeks
to cover his lack Of drawing and more often
than not his entire disregard Of all the
rules Of composition,
Now. inasmuch rs VI. lie Sidaner lays on
his paint in a series Of little dabs and has a
style Of composition which does not con-
form TO the ordinary rules he must be
styled an impressionist, but not for a
moment can his work be accused Of crude
ness, for except in two instances his
schemes Of color are of a delicate opales-
cence, and with regard to drawing there
are few artists who can outdo his
draughtsmanship, although he does not
use a single line to express form.
The small series Of pictures-there are
but eleven-aTe mostly taken from Hampton
Court, while three Of them are views Of
London, The two of Trafalgar Square are
wrapped in the delicate mystery OF winter
evening twilight, and st. Paul's az seen
from the river is equally delicate and mys-
FERROUS, bathed in the sunlight Of a winter
morning.
Both these aspects Of winter sun and
twilight are equally true and equally well
known TO Londoners who love their city,
but never before have they been interpreted
with the same insight and sympathy as
NJ. le Sidaner shows. He gives a true
impression Of London under these magic
conditions.
The Hampton Court series begins with
a dreamy little picture Of a houseboat
lying under the bank Of the river just out
side the grounds Of Hampton Court, and
next to it, in vivid contrast, hangs the
Great Gate Of the Palace Of which the
old bricks, with the accumulated richness
Of three and a half centuries, blaze in the
light Of the suns last rays. Opposite 10
this picture hangs one Of THE Fountain
Court at Shutdown
In this also the rays Of the setting sun
have turned the bricks blood red, and here
and there ~glinting on the windows make
the diamond panes shine like jewels. The
upper half Of the columns running round
the court are in strong sunlight, and below
they melt into the cool green Of the erase
lying in the shadow, from which the fountain
throws up its slender jet Of water. These
two pictures amply refute any implication
that NJ. le Sidaner is unable to express
himself in strong schemes Of color,
The most individual al d therefore the
most remarkable pictures are those Of THE
Old Pond Garden one seel at sunrise and
one towar { o veni g Of a September
day. | both Of them the fat. formal
garden with its square cut borders and
hedges fills the whole of the canvas without
leaving room for any sky, and in the fore
ground there is no more prominent object
than tie Tair Of birdlike forms clipped out
Of the yew tree border.
In the one the garden lies as yet somuo-
lent. the sun haviny only reached the fur
ther hedge, which is just tipped with gold,
and in the other light and sha is at a
discount, as the moment chosen il the one
Of twilight. when all objects tell by force
OF their local color. 1t is the exquisite
c~oloring and the absolute truth of relative
tones which give these two pictures their
charm and value.
The camera pictures Of Langdon Coburn
are perhaps too we'll known in New York
to need much comment, though all these
at the Goupil Gallery are shown for the
first time. with the exception, probably,
Of the portrait Of President Roosevelt. All
the twenty portraits in this series are Of
distinguished people, ior MI. Coo ri mas
an objection to phOtographing anybody
who has not an interesting phi siognomy.
Among them may be mentioned W4itelaw
Reid. John Sargent, George Meredith, G.
Bernard Shaw and also NJ. 10 Sidaner. Be-
sides the portraits there are a dozen or so
landscapes,
Mr.. Coburn is quite right to call them
pictures, for they are as different from an
ordinary photograph as they can possibly
he. They are no mere transcripts of ma
ture. but pictures carefully selected and
finished by an artist, and though they are
in black and white they all Of them sug-
gest color. Like NJ. le Sidaner, he elimi-
mates all detail that is not essential to give
the right impression Of the scene depicted.
II has taken Mr.. Coburn sixteen years Of
hard work TO bring his photographs to such
a high state of perfection. He modestly
disclaims any special talent, but attributes
his success to hard work-with, Of course,
a certain amount Of capacity thrown in,
he adds.
He has done much to influence other
artists who express themselves with the
aid Of a camera, notably Baron de Meyer.
who is exhibiting jointly with Mr.. Cobun.
Some Of Baron de Meyers studies Of flowers
are charming apd his portraits Of King
Edward and Queen Alexandra are excellent
lkenesses.
HELPED CLEAR Up MYSTERY.
Al Least "a IN Whether the Story lie Heard