The sun., 1916-03-05
@RD EARLIER success Of the
Bakst drawings in the galleries

L Of the Berlin Photographic
Company some years ago n being re-
peased BY the present exhibition IN the
Scott and Fowies Galleries. Tho rooms
are fllled with the sort Of people that
usually do not 20 to picture exhibi-
tions. and Il Is as entertaining to
wa4cn them as to study the works Of
ART upon view. They are fashionable.
for tho most part but that doesn't
prevent them from being entertaining.
Heavenly" said one fair creature
to another, both in Goyescan costume.
"theso are the real thing! I went to
the Cezanne show because they said I
must, but got nothing from Il. Not
q single idea. not one! They meant
nothing to me. absolutely nothing. But
these. my dear. are thrilling. I think
one ought TO thrill at pictures. don't
your" and with that she drifted OF
into q soliloquy that out-Hermioned
anything Hermione ever said.
At the same moment a tall young
man in an English hunting costume
and a fur top coat hanging over one
arm barred ones progress. He leaned
with one hand resting on the wall
above q large drawing. which he COM
pieteiy eclipeed. Neither the Goya
ladies, the two foreigners talking
French with a strangely German ac-
cent, the school teacher with six young.
giggling charges. tho tall florid COM
plexioned gentleman to whom the
clerks we're SO attentive "a buyer). nor
myself could catch glimpse OF Il.
Tho young man with the fur coat
sighed and shivered. but would not
move. At one moment he appeared rs
though about to eat the drawing. He
would have. I dare Say. had IL not been
protected by glass. The six young
achoolgirls tried modified flying
wedge upon him. but ineffectively.
The red faced collector went OF into
the second gallery and purchased
something there. People came and
went. but still the young man sighed
before the drawing desperately. He
was undoubtedly one OF those Bakst
enthusiasts. However. should have
liked to have seen the drawing!
There Is no occasion to dissect Mr..
Bakst. the artist, for all Of his inner
and outer qualities have been euffi-
ciently analysed already. He is his
extravagant and irresistible self again.
and when that mas been said nine
tcnths OF the civilized world will COM
prehend what Is meant. II Is a success
that must he respected II only for It's
proportions. He has pleased the most
dimcult public that ever existed
(surely never were there so many
faded appetites In the world as now
young artists who had begun TO believe
that the game was impossible. All
hail to Leon Bakst! Stupid posterity
may not see in the drawings all the
causes for excitement that We do. I'M,
that will he because stupid posterty
fails to realize what a hopclessly me.
chanicai and washed out period these
drawings revoltcd from. For they dc
revolt. OF course. That is why the
Coya ladies' cxclaim. They hark back
to the joyous days when people didnH
work regularly so many hours every
day for their living. How long age
the time was. Not single typist
broker. chauffeur. telephone girl ol
boarding house missus to be seen
Nothing serdid anywhere. Nobody
hungry. not even poor st. Sebastian
Everybody with lovely clothes ant
shop on Fifth avenue. People will
begin TO sigh for such a time.
People will wish to be careless again
People will begin to dream. mark m!
words All hail TO Leon Bakst! II
had hard public to work upon. but HI
worked Il.
Tho setting for "Scheheraxade
should be studied by Baksts critics. /
there be any such people. II IL Ger
tainly not 70 suggestive as the firs
setting that Bakst did, and whicl
seems to have mysteriOusly disap
pcared. but IL IS far from being eth
usual stage scenery" as II was accuse.
recently at The Century when pu
upon the boards. That was the faul
Of those who carried Il out, and no
of the designer. Tho only partial &C
ccptance Of Bakst's desire for fioo
cushions and still more floor cushion
was an enforced economy. no doub,
Uue 10 tOurlIlS lNc provinces III va
times, but a misfortune Just the same
The drawing certainly vindicates N
artist from the production II received.
AZ a designer for the stage Beks
has improved. immensely in clearness
His first early and most C41armin
drawings tnever shown here. alas.
were made as though with no though
for their reproduction. BY some mir