The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-04-01
Iobnson on German Art.
T-,rscript. March goth. I

30 reference w Wy SoAi>SS toiA
'' 5n tbe walls. He is specially
54al with this subject, owing
,,,st, acquaintance with Ger
5anla and artists. In his in
rsmarks he reminded his hear
,,h we owe to Germany in
rsrr departments of artistic,
+4rqry and practical endeavor,
IN. could best get into SYM
..atons with these contribu-
many to civilization and prog
.atrasted American tenden-
With German tendencies, on
.f the scientific spirit, the
,-a,ity. which animates Ameri-
p. he other hand the German
IDEAL. which sometimes seems
mentality. The idea most
was that we must get into
.,9taj attitude towards foreign
ming ourselves in the place
-54rs so far as possible, and
them by our own standards
I'M. way alone it is possible to
s sort of justice. And, in
o., get into touch with Ger
M arl, it is necessary to know
as at first hand, by living there
.ecturer had done, by walk
h Germany and mingling with
5t people.
,oa to the exhibition in Cop
m Johnson took up the four
Buecklin, Mcneil, Lenbach
.,ea thoughtful analysis of
{ eh of them. What he had
t Rppcklin was especially in
s particularly with respect
M IT the "Fiddling Death, "
n a theme of much specu-
is symbolic meaning. The
.ats the figure of the artist
-nuething new and strange
uurN. said DR.. Johnson. The
# the head, the erect and
.. If the body, the arrested
e raised right eyegrow. the
Lack, the suspended lips, and
.s inactivity of the nervous,
,Ic hand which holds the
ate the alertness and ten
-ive and keen mind, intent
a. some imperfectly heard
keleton of Death bending
. le # shoulder with an i'm
nee and effrontery seems to
u his very ear. The wrist of
s as the bow is drawn down,
... across the one remaining
u. violin. almost touches the
ad we can almost hear the
r Kissing over his shoulder
rapiug. repulsive skeleton
st is significant that the
r. sJrjngs of the violin are
r-. and only the silver G
ue Of all,remains. This to
@yte.Ily typified what was
his life, and the firmly
t,- and brush typify, of
eh. Boecklin had studied
.tognized what the slight
. rs momentary stupor, and
mig, meant. Being an art
poet, and, like all men of
neat, a self analyst, what
than that he should seize
E once and attempt to record,
l. best understood by him,
-mso Wagner has said, "a
a, unto himself, and he must
. before he can create" 1t
that if ever there was an
ms thought, we have it here
this self-portrait of Boeck-
@ IN 1872, after making which
some of his most imaginative
amples of the art of painting
wed it.
,icise this picture by saying
ajsct is not a fit one to paint?
it was perhaps the most vital
his life, and that he should
Death so cheerfully and brave
% with renewed vigor, pro-
.tr things than he had ever
q almost feverish race with
Erltcant of the type of man
word genius was invented.
technical criticism of the
.tt In this way the lecturer
e 10y one, several of the more
prks in the exhibition. Of
S Hessian Peasant Girl, "
seems to me honest and
"."l. and particularly charac-
soil which produced it. |
Il the face of the peasant
the somberness Of her cos
urations of oppression and
70 the conditions of slavish
.V been necessary to evolve
#at and unified nation. At
! find in her eyes a long
non for something better,
ar picture always with a
cence that as the present
uIition Of the human mind
iormity with the immutable
-.o4ment the toilers shall no
through their toll. More
@l'l the brains and not the
,te important factor for all
III labor. These hands and
Irse, tell, as does the face, the
girls life. The very firm
r'asp of the right thumb over
The sinewy fingers, show an
.ateXterity born of generations
ial training. They are still,
he hands of the young peasant
tering womanhood, and form
ing contrast to the gnarled
ed hand of the old peasant
. S telling the bit of gossip
Nlture. Those hands and arms
dnburned by her work. They
posed to the sun and wind
md they show it in their color.
s. between their reddish brown
the coloring of the face, with
Icate skin, and natural, healthy
goes to show that Professor
d keen observer and a psy-
he hands have taken shape
rom her own personal life, and
e<lstence in the open; the face
m Of the peasant training and
{, and the prenatal influence
generations of feudal ances-
the type of peasant girl I
the wayside to chat with as
work in the cabbage fields, or
ing during the Tanz-pause in
ON of the local Gasthaus or