The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-02
SEEN IN THE WORLD OF ART
WIIIIlM HOLMAN NUNS
Ram as 4 PAINTER.
HIs Vision Of the Narld Microscopic. Net
the synthetic Vision Of tho Artist
ReliEionS NppraI Of HlS Pictures
Prr-napha~llts AlmS and Nsthod-.


have filed from tune To- ,ime disCrtSsl Jns
about art and artists ON. VA M" English
man Niiitfn Holman Hunt. painter. and
'r. ut ...r iuuanur. Fr'miri, PynChman
and sculptor The former chiefly con
r-Tus ~ at ;hr pr--'mt holman Hunt,
go nc va, flInnIarly known tu the world
WINS born IN London 1921. and died Ia
tl.; .Iry september :. His first p,c,rr"
Oss "Nniuit"d az IN. Academy 1870. and
49, wu"u boz" died. despite his years. h"
W. not altogether forgotten, for h." had
"an one of tho founders or th. pre-
Eaphaslite brotherhood an associate 81
ko-s.ttl Burne jones, Millais. Ford
NadoA Brown. John kuskin and William
Morris Not outstanding the exalted
ideals ~ the movement realism. however,
halnc blalonrd un its hammers II vas a
dr,ary sort Of art malady and essentially
commonplace. with it, Brown. Jones and
Hunt a. the reverse of tho romantic
medal RoSsstti was its only man ~
genius. poetic hybrid. We admit. hut
genius nevertheless As FOR Hunt. n
,uortrcre painter. We confess to not
hong able tn conjurs up thrill IN the
rrasenc" Of his lahored designs and
roacrc color schemes The fallacy II
usual 10 the great British public. including
sa.eTsl prominent critics His earlier
opponents recognized has limitations. hut
werc eventually elhowed out ~ the way
When a man paints sacred pictures
tnsn n IL useless To argue With his adj
mlr-rs n IL the sams cas- with the
unfortunate dramatic critic who pre~umes
~ PASS Judgment on that name hut
l..
az Oberammergau. II YOU remark that
tho very naivete is absent which might
r"ndcr the performance Of these Clnnv
Bavdrian. peasants interesting you are
assured that -sinCrrity- and my sticism-
compensate for me awkward acting In
a word. YOU -" without generation YOU
are told nv rrreons who write guide hooks
Tor tne festival All the Will" YOU are
oniy protesting At the naked artifciality
~ the AFFAIR ! hc same tactics were nj
first pursned when -Parsifal- was pro-
duced here. luCkiiy the sacred theory
didn't long endure when u was discovered
for what aud for whom Wagner made his
weakest and most depraved work Tn
happily reli gion has too often served as an
EXCUSE for mediocre and perverted art
Holman HUNT. like the late George
frcieriCk Watts. was his life long actu-
a'"i bv the loftie-t Ideals. But ideals
count little an the world Of art when COM
pared even with the low pulsed forth
right craItsman's hand Watts was not
a great painter was an indifferent volorist
and II hIs sculpture We need say little.
But hc had imagination and lik" William
E,hNe between the TWO men there Is no
Other aualogy--his energy and faith
movNd mountains. Hunt WAS not n Crea-
tor rather plodder whose pillar Il flame
a. night somehow or other turned into
q t-aD cloud by day. However. We do not
prnrEse % swear that our personal belief
GA ms matter ~ she whole truth, that
would smack " the art expert. Others
have thought precisely the opposite.
Al laa-t Hunt dad not Succumh 9th" blan-
disuments - worldly success. A. did sir
John NillliS
Pro- Iuthsr declares that Holman
Hunt - ia. painter who has been most
O. nsistent va chngng throughout his life
20 the original principle ~ IN. brother
ho"i Ne - distinguished nv a depth
81 thought winch 4, least tends 30 become
entirely elusive and often a depth Il
snir.t more profound than diver ever
pmmhNd hut ~ the same time 10y an angu-
lar guarled realIrn which has scarcely
I's equal IN all IN" European art Of the
century. The Flight Of Maielin" and
Porphyrlo- from m" Nv" Of 81 Agne-
Of Neat was the firsr picture. he them"
borrowed from ms 'avnrit" poet
In rho WORK M which h" first acknowl-
edged himself a member Df tn" pre-
Rauh lehts hrot Lerhood h" has given a
pilin and simple rendering Of the scene
in the Introductory chapter Of Bulver
Ivtt"us "R.-uD "" has chosen the
mamaur when RIenz. kn-.'hnE beside the
corps. of his brother. takes vow ~
vengenc.- against the murderer. who ~
r-"ling away III" composition avoids
any KIND Of conventional pyramidal struc-
tu-e I'm m" foreground every flower -
painted and every color - frankly set
hasid.. ~ n ghDor without IN" tradI.
tional rradstluu. His thlrd picture A
Converted Brush Family Shsltering a
Christian Missionary - not 20 be
rs~konai among his test performances
IL ~ a forced nalvet'., suggesting tn. old
masters tn unit" TWO entirely different
sc-u"- upon m. sam. canvas. an the
back ground there ar. fugItiyes aud pur-
suarS and asDrud merely visible bv ms
outstretch"d arms inoitinR th' pupuiaoa
10 IA. murder 81 the missionary ~ ~"
foreground hu' oI~n on all sides which
could really oIer no protection al all vet
IN thus nut a priest IA hiding. tended 10y
converted Britons However the draw
ing oG the nude bodies IL an admrabl.
piece Ut realism, admirable ais - IA" way
~ winch - Expressed IA" flea of the ,u
mates and the fnnatical. bloodthIrsty
rars ~ th" prr-u"r~. and this without
false h.roizm. without any rhetorIc based
upon the Traditional language Of gesture
Tho p.ctur. from Two Gentlemen 81
verona - rather theatrical IA IL ar
rangement. though it - earnest AID con-
v.ncing in psychological expression
Microscopic fidelity 20 nature. which
formed m" first principle in tho pro-
gTamma 81 the Brotherhood. has been
carried IN Holman Hunt - the highest
possible point Every flower and every
ear ~ corn. every feather and every
blade of grass ~ cry fragment - bark On
the ;rees and -, cry muscle - painted with
scrupulous accuracy The joke mad"
about IN" Pr Rarha"lies has referenc"
~ Holman Hunt r. Wa- SAID that when
they had ~ paint a landscape they used
10 bring 20 Their studio a blad- 81 grass
"A Leaf and q I...e - bark and thev