The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-05

II
better. II doesn't much matter WHO
right and who is wrong in the talk.
In the end, a. we said before. the pic
lures will do the real talking. palpable
hits will be given and taken on both
sides. In the fray of battle no matter
how much truth you may have with
you your armor shifts occasionally and
Vulnerable spots are exposed to the
enemy.
Mr.. Cox shouldn't have said all tina.
about Rodin. Fully half the readers
Of ScTbner's are devoted to Rod!n and
always have been. If they get the idea
that Rod!n is at the head OF the cubls,ic
school they will consider It must he
right and go over en- Sloc to cubism.
Even Mr. Blashheld doesn't agree with
Mr.. Cox. Mr.. Blashfeld says: "In the long
succession tho chain Is unhroten from
the cavedweller To Phld!as, from Ph!d!as
to Rodin." Mr. Cox says Rod!n in his
old age has produced marvels Of mush-
iness and incoherence hitherto I'M
dreamed or and Mr.. Cox will not allow
himself To say in public what the faces
in the Rodin drawings at the Metropoli-
tan Museum really look like to him.
Tho "marvels" OF modern advertise
other portion OF his thesis are such that
instantly all Of Mr.. Cox's readers who
have not seen the Museums Rodin coll
lection will Journey up there straight
way and those Of them who have given
the same amount Of time 70 the study Of
nature that he has to drawing will be
apt - accuse him Of having achieved
a hasty remark. Mr.. Cox say1 not a
tn,sNA - AaA
Aforesaid nature.
As literature we like Mr.. Cox's essay
very much. Decidedly ne knows how 70
write. Set back the clock for him sixty
years and nobody in America can touch
him When he gets anywhere near the
firing line. however. n panic overtakes
him and confusion Is his.
Killing. what he says about the Acad-
envy! Nobody over here has been quite
so blunt before. "Ths salon picture, a
thing created for no mans pleasure"
"As exhibitions became larger and
larger and tho competition engendered
by them grew nercer II became increas-
inGly difficult to attract attention BY
mere academic merit" In the midst OF
all this uproar the voice Of Mr.. Alex
ander can be heard gently defending
the Academy and claiming that the re-
actions OF the rebels are very much 10
the Academy's interest. Mr. Cox paints
relentless and cruel picture OF our
time. Practically he throws UP his
hands and declares that everything
academic has gone 20 the demntion
bowwows. everything. that IL, except
mural decoration. at which occupation
fhYAA fat,r Of ~ "a OF ~
an honest living doing things for
Minneapolis, Council Bluffs and other
places In the Far West.
Without any doubt Mr.. Cox's article
Is tho finest thing in the way Of propa-
gandism for modern art" that has vet
appeared. He blames II all upon the
public. Tho times are out Of Joint. The
public will not look at the old fashioned
picture. Tho public has become sepa-
rated from the artist. who IL regarded
FOR tho most part as sort OF freak.
All this is traceable TO the French Revo-
luton. Since then there have been no
masters.
In other words Mr. Cox denies democ-
racy liberty and the whole OF modern
life.
He admits that the entire classic
fabric has been worn to shreds, but he
foams at the mouth when ne sees the
new art garments that the world IL ar
raging itself in. There of course ne IL
weak. Tho French Revolution may
have put b period 10 one form OF art,
but II did not put a period to life Itself.
Life goes on, and every phase of life de-
mands expression. a historian IL de-
mandsd for every epoch, and sometimes
arrives. hundred years from now the
student OF this particular age will be
Immensely Interested ~ the strtvings
after abstract art In the midst Of - ma