The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-24
PUvIS DE CHAYANNES

y
battles are still fought over the artistic
merits Of Puvis de ChAyannss. Whether
you agree with Huysmans and call this
mural painter a pasticheur Of the Italian
Primitives, or else the greatest artist in
decoration since veronese. depends much
on your critical temperament. There
are many TO whom Henri Martins Eor-
geous color-in reality Monet's method
applied to vast spaces-or the blazing
originality Of Albert BesnArd makes
more intimate appeal than the pallid
poetry. solemn rhythms and faded moon
lie tonal gamut OF Puvis Because the
names OF Gustave Moreau and Puvis
were often associated. Huysmans. always
40 irdic. cries against the -obsequious
heresy' OF the conjunction. forgetting
the two men were friends. MariuD Va
chon despite his admiration for Puvis.
has rendered his memory q service In
his study because he has shown us the
real. not the legendary man.
With NJ. Vachon we are far from Hugs
mans and his succinct but disreapectful
sarcasm, -c'est un vieux rigaudon Out
s'essaie dams lee requiem The truth Ia
that some who were acquainted with the
exterior Puvis were disappointed 20 find
him a sane, healthy, solidly built man. a
hon vivant. in the best sense OF the phrase.
without a suggestion Of the morbid, vapor-
ing pontih or naughty olympian. He was
not in the least like his art. and that 10 q
crime that sentimental persons seldom
forgive. He was Burgundian Cborn at
Lyons. December II. 1920. and possessed
all the charac teristics Of his race Asceti-
~ L. u l..
A good dinner, with burgundy. plenty Of
comrades. above all the society Of his
beloved Princess Cantacuzene. whose
devotion 10 her husband was the ono ro-
mantle note in his career: these and twelve
hours toll day in his atelier made up the
long life II this distinguished painter
He lived for half a century between his
two ateliers. on the Place PiGalle
and az Neuilly Notwithstanding his
arduous combat with the Institute and
public Indifference his cannot DO called
an unhappy existence. He had his art.
in the practice Of which he was q veTitable
fanatic. he was rich by inheritance. and
he was happy in his love Afiusnce.
love. art. triad TO attain which
many men would sacrifice all. came 20
Puvis vet the gadny of ambition was in
hIs flesh. He was a visionary in his
studio. even a recluse. like his friend
Moreau. but a fighter for his ideas; and
those ideas have shown not only French
artists hut the entire world the path
back to true mural painting. IL Ia not an
exaggeration 90 sAy that Puvis created
modern decorative art.
His father was chief engineer Of mines.
a successful man with a strong will. Like
father like son vas true In this case.
though the young De Chavannes elected
painting after some opposition a. his pro-
fession. He had fallen Ill and q trip TO
Italy was ordered, There hs did not. a.
has been asserted. linger over Pompcii or
the Roman cataoombs but saved his enthu-
siasrn for the Quattrocentisti He admired
the old UmbriAn and Tuscan masters. he
was ravished by the BasilicA Of ST. Fran
cis at Assist and Santa Maria Novslla.
Florence. Titan. Tintoretto. finally Yer
onese riveted his passion for what has been
falsely styled the archaic Returning
10 PARIS. he was conducted by his friend
Beauderon 20 the studio Of Delacroix,
whom h. adored. He remained just If
teen days, when the shop was shut. Della
croix. In a rage at the lack Of talent and also
of funds among his pupils. sent them away.
Puvi- had been under the tuition Of Henri
Schcffer. the brother Of AIRY Scheffer. and
for years spoke with reverence OF that
serious though mediocre painter. He
next sought the advice ~ Couture. and re-
NAMED with him three months. not. how
ever. quarrelling with the master a. later
did another pupil. Edouard MAnet Puvis
was trActahle enough; he had one failing.
not always q sign Of either talent or the
reverse: be refused to SO or paint a. he
was told hy his teachers. or. indeed. like
other pupils For this stubbornness his
enemies. among whom ranked the most
powerful critics of Paris. declared that he
had never been grounded in the elements
Of an art education. that he could not
draw OF design. that his color sense vas
instead a color blindness. To 10 sure. he
did not boast fulgurating brush. and his
line IL often 81 and awkward; but he had
the Fundamentals Of decorative art we'll in
hand
After his death thousands Of sketches.
designs. pencilled memoranda. cartoons
wcr" found and there was another tune
whistl"d His draug htsnanship IL that
81 "a decorative artist. as the Rodn draw
ingsarc those ~ a sculptor not OF a painter.
Considering the rigid standard from which
the work IT Puvis was judged criticism
was not altogether wrong, as was claimed.
when the wave Of reaction set in. His
easel pictures are not ingratiatins. He
does not show well IN a gallery He needs
huge spaces IN which 20 swim about;
there b.. makes other mans compost
tons pygmy IL Is the case OF Wagner
repeated. though there IL little likeness
betw zen the ideas Of the frenchman and the
German except an epical bigness Judged
10y the classical concert room standards
Wagner - not TO he compared 20 the min
iaturist M-Edelssohn. His form 10 the
form ~ the music drama. not the sym
phonir form. either classic or romantic.
Time. PLACE. action are the three unities
that Inexorably hem in the music drama
OF Richard Wagner. One principle Puvis
adhered To. wall is a wall and not an
easel picture. u u fat. and that hAtness
must be emphasized. not disguised; dec
Grafton Is tho desideratum. Therefore
he contrved a schemAtio painting that
would harmonic with the hatness. the
ia xtura aud the Architectural atirround-