New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-25
Jean Paul Lamens
From the bronze bust by RodinJ

appear that his range OF lHIefes'o ""0
wide. He wrote himself, giving some
confirmation to this judgment. He an
alyzed Greek art and Gothic. BE was
SYMPATHETIC TO both. In the course OF
his long career the portraiture which
so frequently occupied him, both IN
busts and in monuments, nevertheless
left him free to treat NEUROLOGICAL
and historical subjects. He read po-
etry and illustrated it in marble. De
knew the classics and went to them for
themes. Altogether, one would say,
type Of intellect and Imagination. Yet
that is not the type his art actually
suggests. 1t would seem to present, in
stead, simply the modeller in excelsis,
the man Of observation rejoicing IN the
exercise OF his we'll trained fingers.
For a long time in the history OF his
career he leaves US hardly distrustful
of his fundamental character as an
artist The portraits are so good. The
nudes are so graceful, such lovely in
carnations Of sensuous youth. Roam
for wears, seems a veritable poet, dedl'
Gated 10 the evocation Of images OF
tender beauty. Under the spell Of his
picturesque manner you are really un-
concerned with the probable depth OF
his emotion. Paul Leroi. the editor OF
"L,Art," of whom | used TO see good
deal in Paris in old days, was wont 70
declaim TO me for fifteen minutes on
stretch about what he termed Rooms
passion for recldme, and about the
sculptors weakness in the very GAS
sizes upon which he presumed to draw
for his motives. They had had long
talk when the "Danaid" was being mod
elled. and Leroi was furious because ne
did not believe that Rodin had any idea
Of what the subject really meant. Yet
even if Leroi was right, his point did
not seem to me exactly relevant. Sup
nose Robins culture, like his emotion,
had no deeps? A delicate charm un-
ouestionably remained. The statue was
there, exciting only admiration for It's
exquisite modulations of form. But
TLeroi refused to believe that sculpture
could live by modulations alone, ana
the shrevdness of his criticism is the
better perceived as we survey Robins
career from beginning to end. IL Is
then that the spell fades. The later
works overdo the craftsmanship OF the
earlier, monotony supervenes, we tire
Of what once appeared so graciously De-
quilting, and in the reaction we see the
old charm in a new light. We sigh for
a quality that is not there.
remember a visit TO Rodin in his
studio in the Rue de PUniversite, years
ago. when the charm was still COM
pelling. / had been with Dalou the day
before and it was interesting to bring
nv impression of his atmosphere INTO
that of his colleague. The difference
was very like that which ! have always
observed as existing between Dalou as
I knew him and Robins bust of him.
Dalou was a tense, nervous persohail'!'
tingling with energy, everything that
was going on in his studio seeming 10
he concentrated ard summed up IN him.
self. In the bust he takes on sort
of monumental weight and dignity
sort of monumental calm. This struck
me as Characteristic of Rodin. quiet,
almost grave, bearded personage-un-
mistakably a personage-he had avery
friendly touch in conversation, most
engaging way Of moving about among
his works and saying little sympathetic
things about them, but he seemed then
as he seemed when ! met him long
! afterward at the great exposition IN
| 1900, something of the assured I'm
presario. After Dalou's workshop, which
one thought Of as existing only as the
sculptor breathed, Robins suggested an
/ official establishment. Industry hummed
in room after room, where workmen
/ carried out in marble the statues he
[ had modelled. He had the authority
and the detachment Of a powerful d.
rector. | had at that time an inter
esting illustration of the doubling OF
the director with the creative artist.
He gave me a fgurine about twelve
inches high, a nude woman standing
erect with arms akimbo, the head no
mora than a swift indication of what 1t
was to be in the statue that might or
might not be developed from the sketch.
II il the merest note, a casual memo
rsndum, made probably for the pose
alone. But it lives. There in a nut
shell was one answer at all events, to
Lero;'s impatience. And on the occa-
sion Of this visit another episode
brought home to me the almost hyp-
motto power which Rodin could exer-
Else. He summoned one OF his chisel-
lers from his task, saying that he was
q countryman of mine and that there
fore should make his acquaintance.
The story Of that young man is opposite
here.
He called upon me few days later
With an old cigar box held mysteri-
ously under his arm for some time
after we had settled in our chairs. At
last he opened it and exposed a num-
her Of photographs Of soldiers monu-
uerts works in the familiar style OF
the old-fashioned American stoneyard.
IT. connection between them and
J i..,Io r,nra .bor