The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-19

Drawing by Bellery-Desiontaines
So
A GEORGE LUKS exhibition in
II town! Yes, in the Kraushaar
I \ galleries. The word runs from
mouth to mouth. Everybody
wishes to see a George Luks. In spite
OF the complete separation between
artist and public that Mr.. Cox speaks
of, large share Of the population has
come to believe that a good picture 10
possible to this painter occasionally.
He was not always treated nicely by
the Powers II we remember rightly. We
have been trying to forget the shocking
words that were once applied to Luks
picture by one OF our most omnipotent
professional jurymen as the painting was
being rejected that year. OF what use
TO remember them, since they could
not be used upon q respectable art
page such As this! Besides, times
change.
Now that Luks has conquered the
public, enleashed a paying audience. be-
come tradition, has an income. eats
cav!are on Wednesdays and pate dc
foie gras on Saturdays, and has softened
quence, nothing would be less surprising
than to have Luks taken up by the
Academy. Indeed when We saw the
"Stroke," picture Of a polo game In
the present exhibition, We said to our
selves, This Is where George gets
crowned"
WYE should like to know the psy-
w chology Of this picture. II IL .
curious theme to have attracted
the painter of the "Pawnbroker's Daugh-
ter" Luks's culture, like that OF Mr..
Borglum. the sculptor. has often drawn
him toward the very confines Of eter-
nifty 10 the regions of mystic shadows
that have ever stirred the souls Of men,"
But in this case knowledge pointed the
way and imagination romped behind like
a British polo player Thousands saw
the great international series OF games
Thousands upon thousands did not. 1t
is to these that Mr.. Luks speaks with
the generous mind and innocent heart of
the child he takes us by the hand, wants
us to go along and enjoy the good things
too" The good things" are the British
polo players.
Larry Waterbury Is seen about to
His form" il perfect. Young Mr.. Stod-
dard Is seen shunting of the Britishers
upon whose stoical faces defeat and
despair can already be read. The thou
sands in the grand stands hold their
breaths, all, that is, except one young
English lady in a green silk jacket who
cannot bear It and turns her back at the
critical moment.
It was a great occasion. but We are
not prepared to insist that this Is q
great picture. That's the deuce Of
these great occasions. the pictures
never come up to them. When it comes
TO academical art, literature. we hum
bly, insist. has painting skinned. Every
body thrilled at Marie Corellis descrip-
ton Of the funeral Of King Edward
VII, but so few were moved by Edwin
A. Abbeys picture Of his coronation.
and Mr. Abbey was as popular a painter
a Miss Corelli is a writer, II not moro
so. Mr.. Abbey's historical picture was
painted, we understood, "by command"
Works Of any kind of art undertaken
by command have success In ratio a.
their dates are distant from this
When singers. poets, painters and
even philosophers were merely part of
the rabble who chung to the outer edges
Of the court It was easy for them to
pipe up, when prodded. into apparently
spontaneous hymns of praise in cele-
bratlon OF the royal achievement. Even
80 modern a painter as Rubens was able
to do pretty we'll for the marriage Of
Marie de Medici and Henry Nv. But
poets laureate and court painters have
been having a VIGOROUSLY bad time of Il
Ana
Jean Jacques and have imbibed all the
principles Of the new freedom. Artistic
democracy Is triumphant, These god
desses vanish at the slightest word OF
command.
1t is one reason why modern success
is so dangerous for an artist, and why
II Is sometimes Immediately fatal. The
artist In the arrogance Of his new cour.
age attempts to boss these ladies. Boss
them' The muses7 What do they care
for international polo at $40 q seat?
With cruel hooking laughter they gave
him little shove. Down, down he
falls, with Saturn and Orion. and
mildly smiling Venus. and the fair.
stark naked moon and the decent earth
wreathed in pearl and blue" Obey al
swoop!n1 comet" and down and down
bership.
All the Jury are present rejoicing. as
the victim comes to.
where am II" asks George, staring
mt the conclave; "in Heaven"
mo" Mr.. Alexander replies soIen,nly,
this is the Academy"
There, there Mr. Luks," say. Blash-
held, don't take on So Remember
there IL no dead art"
Promise us never 10 read the works
OF Gertrude stein" implores Mr.. Chase
Don't worry him at present, Will
lam" says Kenyon Cox. George will
Dc AL rsht now that he Is one OF us"
Wv must not infer that "The
stroke was officially Conn
ihanded." That IL not a custom
mere II Is true that Mr.. Wilson At
N'hded some baseball games In the
autumn previous TO his election and en-.