The Detroit times., 1914-03-19
Knights Landscapes
On Exhibition Here

A collection of landscapes by Aston
Knigh: has taken the place Of the
Meunier exhibit In the Detroit Art
Museum. To those who are looking
for something ~ novel as the work
Of the futrrists, as thoughtful az that
OF Meunier. or az striking as that OF
Birge Harrison. the new exhibition
will be disappointment. The knight
pictures are 90 quiet that 1t IL hard
to make much noise about them.
The artist was born In Paris,
whittier his father, Daniel Ridgway
knight. had gone to paint. He studied
under his father and other French
artists. A brother. Charles Knight
of France. Nearly all the pictures in
the Aston Knight exhibition were
painted on the continent. though
there are few as far adeld as York.
shire.
Knights pictures give the impress
sion OF peaceful soul drifting
through Europe on an assured In.
como and saying: Here's q pretty
thing" and painting It; and passing
on. avoiding factory cities, because
they are too crowded. and wild seen.
cry. because II is too rough: looking
always for the comfortable, the
placid. the serene, the lazy. Ruins
suggest work only IN the very dim
pSst; SO Richard Occur de Lions
chateau makes nice picture. Venice
II city Of day before yesterday, and
Its least travelled canals are peaceful
enough to paint. A country vista Ia
oil very well, provided there are no
people In It to mar the artists bliss
BY tilling the soil. What can be
quieter than q gentle stream, sway
ing the yellow fags along It's borders?
Nothing. perhaps. except the same
stream In freshet, or In rapids. under
Mr.. Knights brush. White water he
can do nothing with; unless tho
stream reflects the sky, II is beyond
Mr.. knights power.
Yet every one Of the 80 or more
pictures on view shows water. Some
fines 1t is stream under control.
shooting under mill-wheel; some
times II is the placid sea of Venice:
but oftenest 1t Is country rivulet,
flowing between f0wer-clad. tree
hung banks, In q country where II Is
always afternoon and where there are
no Ash to attract vulgar people to
the water.
Peace has been sitting for her por-
trait to Mr.. Knight for many years,
and he has painted the same picture
of her over and over again, with
slight alterations In the backgrounds.
He has painted her skillfully.. too;
his technique Is excellent. He IL one
of the few painters nowadays who IL
scrupulous In his attention to detail.
Take his Normandy Garden" for In
stance. Broadly, yet definitely. with
Z skillfuB Aick 81 the brush. he has
suggested the form OF the nasturtiums
on the wall. the tall hoIlyhocks. the
deep red roses OF the brushes, ana
the climbing roses on the house. His
biousoming trees can be named from
their flowers. apple or cherry. He
has done extremely well with his
PINES In the Valley Of the Risle"-
which, by the way. contains less
water than any Of the. other pictures.
And he has paid this minute attention
TO form without seeming to be
mcticulous. To artists. Mr.. Knights
work must appear particularly sound.
He 10 so careful of his light. 30 just
In his values, that he must be admit
ted master OF technique.
The art museum win be open.
Thursday evening, from 1880 until
$3.50, for q special view Of the pic
lures. The exhibit will remain until
the end Of the month.
w. X. KELSEY.