The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-06

promoters, although II has not been 80
stated, the hope that the influence Of
such n robust, healthful, outdoor tall
ent might go far in calming the high
strung, overwrought nerves OF those
who would be our artistic spokesmen.
Courbet has had formative influence
already upon Americans, as Mr.. Bur-
roughs points out in his admirable
preface to the catalogue, and Eakins,
Whistler and even Winslow Homer owe
much TO him. He was such a turbu-
lent, forceful. magnetic spirit that the
power he exerted upon his contempo-
raries Is easily understood. and in fac.
II is still impossible, in the presence OF
his pictures, to resist It. Nine young
Quarry" and THE Amazon" will say.
by George, that's the way to paint"
1t icas the way to paint-for Cour-
bet. However, II the Metropolitan Mu-
scum really has the best interests of
our young people at heart 1t will step
right up at this juncture. once It makes
sure the young person has uttered the
remark above quoted. with an offer Of
some of DR.. Bashford Deans stoutest
armor and the earnest exhortation to
the embryo artist to grid up his loins
and fight manfully against just that
feeling. He has no earthly shadow of a
| right to paint like Courbet. Those
caught trying to paint like Courbet
should be Instantly tried before q jury
of Independent Artists. such as Wal
! ter Pach, the Baronesse Won Freitag-
Loringhoven and Miss Julia Kelly, and
condemned to exhibit exclusively in
the Academy during the rest OF their
stupid lives.
think any one who would attempt
to adopt the mannerisms OF Courbet
at this late date would be peculiarly
stupid. But the warning Is necessary
since II II a form OF mental lsssitude
to which we as a nation seem par
ticularly susceptible, and at almost
any time 1t Is possible to SEQ in our
galleries hollow mockeries OF Manet,
Renoir. Cesanne and every other fash
ionable celebrity that looms above the
European horizon. Homer and Eakins
did not achieve fame OF their own by
copying Courbet's brush stroke, but
by learning from him to look upon
nature through their own eyes. Courbet
was an exalted being. Their own souls
rose to a higher level at the con-
temptation of the masters command
ing attitude toward life. In that way
Courbet can still legitimately assist
the wise.
The pictures chosen for illustration
are THE Amazon" and The Grind
ers." THE Amazon is a portrait OF
Louise Colet, a writer Of short stories
and the picture Is considered by Riat,
who wrote one of the best Of Courbet'e
biogra phies, to be one OF the artists
most beautiful portraits. That 1t fore
Swallowed effects that Manet and
Whistler developed afterward in diff
ferent directions is obvious. THE
Grinders" as it happens. Is an aston
ishing precursor to things seen in
Cezanne. 1t is not 80 much that the
workmen correspond to the types OF
Cezanne's peasants, but the compost
ton itself has something Of the same
kind Of precision practised by the
genius of AK.
The preface TO the catalogue, BY
Bryson Burroughs, will be found ar
excellent preparation for an acquaint.
ancs with the paintings. Courbet ful,
filled the type so insistently soush,
for by Emerson and Carlyle, who were
continually preaching that It was moi
the gun but the man back Of the CUR
that counted. Mr.. Burroughs sums ur
the stormy career Of our artist as fol.
lows:
No nineteenth century painter hai
had a deeper or more widespread in,
fluence than Gustave Courbet, tn,
founder OF the realistic school thai
has furnished SO many Of the Creates
names to modern art. Nothing shoult
be invented. he held: only things actu
ally seen should be represented ant
the function OF the imagination is Il
find the fullest expression OF tn,
chosen subject.
! His principles have been particu
larry potent in America from 1877
down to almost our own day. Thre
| OF the foremost American painters
Whistler, Homer and Eakins, were hi
Observation-Disclosures directly. whereof
many Of his characteristics and pecu
liarities were determined and his earl
style formed. while Homer and Eakin
throughout their entire careers sho,
their reliance on him. 1t is therefor
/ hNehS uAal tho lVVtH anniversary
his birth, which took place on Jun
' 10, 1919. should be COMMUNICATED 4
= this country.
| THE present loan exhibition con
sists of pictures chosen from tn
splendid series of his works owne
here, which were gathered mostly be
fore the acquisition of important ex
amples became impossible. Our col
lectors were among the early ones I
appreciate his excellence. To Amer
lea, indeed, belongs the honor OF bein
the first of foreign lands to own on
OF his masterpieces. The Quarry
| Ga Curee) was bought by the All
= ston Club OF Boston IN 1885. II ha
\ lately passed into the possession Z
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, ar
has been generously lent for this O,
casion.
Looking back from our distance
is obvious that Courhet's principl,
were inevitably the outcome of IL
artistic development. The realism +,
the seventeenth century had been 70
lowed by the courtly ideality of n
eighteenth; this. in turn, was al,
placed by the interest In classic a,
! which to those OF the time seemed
return to nature, and such 1t was {
far as many OF its elements were co,
cerned.
David. the leader OF the CIassicist
was entirely a naturalist in his DO
traits and he anticipated the evol,
| ton in frequently choosing s,h4oo