New-York tribune., 1919-04-06
By Royal Cortissoz

\ hundred years ago, on June 10,
1919, Gustave Courbet was born at
Ornans. in a then almost sequestered
corner Of Eastern France. In manhood
he became the friend of Corot AS
landscape painter who was the contem-
uorarv of the Barbizon group, 1t would
have been natural enough for him to
have adopted it's romanticlzed natural
ism. But Courbet followed his own
gait. developed a body of Independents
ideas and emerged from an eXtraordl-
nary clash of personalities with
clearly defined celebrity He remains
to this day singular figure IN the ms
tory of French painting, one to whom
artists all over the world have reason
for paying cordial tribute. The tact
has been happily recognized at the
Metropolitan Museum, where Mr.. bry-
son Burroughs, curator Of paintings,
had the inspiration to invent and or
,an;ze an exhibition commemorative of
Courbet's centenary. From private and
nnblic collections he has been per-
mitted to draw important examples, as
sembling some two score pictures in
ono of the stateliest rooms in the mu
scum. Hung in a single line, they
make noble effect Nowhere else,
save in Paris, could so brilliant me-
mortal have been arranged. And not
even in Paris could collection of this
kind meet with warmer appreciation
than is TO be expected here in New
York. Courbet's qualities are peculiar
ly sympathetic to us. Mr.. Burroughs
sneaks in the catalogue of the influence
he exerted upon Whistler, Homer and
Eakins. The list could easily be ex-
tended. There are marked points OF
cotact between the genius OF Couroet
and the genius of American painting
The character of Courbet as man
and it is forced upon every commenta-
tor who approaches his works-is hard
" as Iovable as one would like it to be.
Thirty-odd years ago an American en-
thusiast. Mr. Titus Munson Coan, made
= nilerimage to the painters old haunts
in Franche- Comte, and printed in "The
Century" some interesting impressions
received from friends and neighbors
who had known Courbet we'll. He is
not very kindly remembered, said one
Of these former comrades of his. In
Paris he had some notable associates.
Sainte- Beuve, we are told, was one Of
his faithful friends. But this son Of Il
farmer never quite adjusted himself to
the suaver modes of urban life. He
was eccentric to the point of violence.
"In 1854" his friend Buchon recalled,
"when cold weather came, he bought
bed Guilt from a Jew. He made hole
in the middle of it for his head. That
was his winter overcoat." He was
prosperous enough 10 have gone abroad
in furs = he had so chosen. But the
bed quilt attracted attention, which he
craved. He had, indeed, passion for
reclame, and posed as a nlontdgndrd
because it brought him notoriety. Late
in life this histrionc disposition led to
the one tragic episode Of his career.
When the Vendome column was pulled
down under the Commune his fam
boyant radicalism had so far involved
him with the vandals who actually
brought it to the dust that in the up
shot he was held responsible by the
authorities. The reconstruction of the
column. under the Republic. was at his
cost, and he had taste Of jail into the
bargain before fight into Switzerland
gave him few more years Of broken
life. We allude to MS personal traits
and adventures chiefly for the sake of
contrast. They are antithetical to
Courbet's role as an artist There he
was, paradoxically, nothing if not
simple and sincere. There is only one
point at which it is necessary to CON
sider the man and the painter together
That is the point at which we have to
reckon with MS taste.
In the defnitive biography of Cour-
bet, by NJ. Georges Rat, there is an
amusing anecdote of the Empress Eu-
genie. She went to see Rosa Bonhour's
Horse Fair one day, and after ad