The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-04

doesn't prove that De Segonzac and
Marie Laurencin are In direct line of
spiritual descent from Ingres at least
It proves sufficiently clearly that there
wene tendencies to forget the literal
facts in Miss Laurencin's distin-
guished predecessors. All but the most
prejudioed must admit that such ten
denotes appear in the earliest records
OF art Those who are prejudiced say
that these distractions by the early
masters are their failures"
Those who don't feel like proving
something and are willing to take the
exhibition like any other, will have a
good time with It. The French have
owned Art in modern times, and what
ever forms their expressions take they
remain essentially Gallo. There Is al
ways Elasticity, liveliness and freedom
from self-consciousness Where this
last quality comes in, as in the cases
OF Matisse and Picasso, then the art
Is least French. It is difficult to see,
however, how Matisse and Picasso
could have avoided this faint, since
practically oil of their existence has
teen passed in shop windows. They
never had moments privacy in
which to indulge in the luxury Of
making few mistakes so how could
they grow to the dimensions OF
Cezanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin, who
didn't have to be masters until after
they were dead7
But In advance OF taking Matisse's
measure-which cannot be done until
his career has ended-it must be again
insisted in these columns that the
modern school, in which he is leading
figure, Is highly significant, and 1t is
Only too easy TO match up the achieve
ments OF modern art with the achieve
ments of modern life. There is so close
a parallel that all the criticisms that
may be made against this art may be
transferred to criticisms upon society
Art held the mirror UP to nature in
Shakespeare's time, to-day It mirrors
souls.
But why not mako beautiful pic
tures?" said the lady.
"Why not make life beautiful?" said
he.
But the harm such things are do
ingl They seem to teach that study
and work are not necessary for artists.
Our young students will be ruined"
AT any rate they won't work. No
body will work in these days, at least
at drudgery. You see that everywhere.
The housemaids are not the only class
that's in revolt. II there ever comes
a time again when the masses will
work we will look back on the arts
OF this period as exactly in line with
the other conditions, and be sure they
viii seize upon these very drawings
that now shock you as the illustrations
most suited to the argument. I sus-
pect that what shocks you In them is
their truth"
well, II life Is so ugly. why can't
the artist shut his eyes and pretend?"
What good would that dor We
write history with our art whether We
like II or not The true state of So
ciety. with its desire to have every
thing and unwillingness to pay any
thing. would be there between the lines
no matter how outwardly hypocritcal
our artists might try to be-"
"But Whistler. who was open mind
ed enough, would have detested these
things. I'm eure!"
whistler couldn't have appreciated
tho truths OF to-day any more than
Ruskin could have appreciated the
Whistlerian truths Of a generation ago.
Ruskin was open minded too, but he
was afraid Of Whistler Just as much
as you are afraid of Matisse and Tou-
louse-Lautrec, Now that It Is all over
and become history we can see that Rus
hna G
didn't fall even IL Jimmy Whist
ler's star was pinned into the constel-
lation Of impressionists. When an
other generation passes It may not
have given as good place to Matisse
as to Whistler, but at least 1t Will
make II seem absurd that We were
ever afraid Of him. There Is no use
ever in being afraid OF an artist"
But am afraid Of him He seems
to destroy 80 much"
He destroys nothing. He disproves
neither nature nor Rembrandt How
ever, II you must combat him, the
way to do II is not with talk. but with
pictures. Paint something better than
he does
And the argument ended, as most
arguments do, with both parties think
ing as they began.
The exhibition begins chronologically
with some portrait Autographs by
Ingres. and an impression OF the only
etching he is known to have made.
There are some spirited prints by
Delacroix, drawings and etchings by
Corot. drawings and prints by Dau-
mier, Guys, Courbet, Degas, Serret,
Manet, Renoir Cezanne. Gauguin,
Redon, Seurat. Toulouse-Lautrec,
Henri Rousseau, and the --latest mani
festations" that have been referred TO.
Mr.. de Zayas, who is responsible
for the exhibition. has written the
following note for the catalogue:
The great innovation in the history
OF modern art has been made by the
French art OF the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries. At the beginning
OF the nineteenth century French art
was moulded by the canons OF Greek
and Roman sculpture. But breaking
away, consciously and definitely, from
the ritualistic expressions Of antiquity,
II turned to a direct vision OF nature
and proceeded simultaneously along
two roads: BY the first, studying form
as II exists effectively, static, meas