The sun., 1919-05-25
Posthumous Paintings
by Scharnberg

lfle late
ton L. Schamberg have been on view
in the small upper gallery at Knoed-
ler's during the last fortnight. There
has been no great public fuss over
them, but the important few have been
so deeply impressed by the little ex-
hibition that II has been decided to
continue 1t for at least another week.
This Is fortunate. 1t Is the sort OF
work that makes its way slowly, for II
speaks to the intelligent. and the intel
ligent are not organized as the unintel-
ligent are, and II takes time to get the
word to them.
"The word" in this case is that
Schamberg was an artist. 1t appears
that by his untimely death America
has lost a really distinguished talent.
The exhibition makes II clear. He was
cubist, and as he was young and still
! in the experimental stage he was sew
eral kinds OF a cubist. But whatever
form. he essayed he left his personal
touch upon it. He reminds one in a
way of Twachtman, the best OF the
American impressionists, who is now
loved not because he was an impress
sionist but because in whatever he did
he was Twachtman. II some quite
different school had happened along at
his impressionable, formative age he
might have gone in for it as enthusi-
astically as he did for the pale palette
of impressionism, and he would have
adorned II, as he adorned impression
ism, because of his ability to soar with
an idea,
Schamberg too was such an artist.
His color is ravishing. and he had
most powerful instincts for design, but
the charm OF his product is not to be
put upon any technical accomplish
ment The real artistic quality is a
thing that always escapes analysis, and
Schamberg had It. He followed va
rious experimenters. such as Matisse
Picasso and Picabia, but never slav-
ishly. His panels in pure prismatics are
attractive enough to convince some
amateurs that prismatics alone may
suffice. but his most astonishing per-
formances have been his arrangements
of mechanical forms. In these he has
gone far beyond Picabia, who. however
clearly showed the way. II seems abb
suri to say that Schamberg has
evolved structures as beautiful as
flowers from machine forms. and yet
there is no other way in which TO ex-
press the fact that beauty is the re-
suit. This artist is in advance Of criti-
cism, and 1t will be some time before
criticism will decide upon its appro.
pirate adjectives. In the meantime
although the language fails the feeling
does not, and it may be put down with
perfect confidence that Schamberg
meets with the quick response from the
sensitive spectator that spells success
not only for his reputation but for
modern art
1t is real tragedy. therefore. tina
this young man should have been Gu
off at the moment when he was abou
to master his forces. He would surely
have been an important figure in thu
new life that is beginning to find ex
preston. and even as il is his life will
make an important chapter in the his
tory that's beginning. For the sake o.
students 1t is regrettable that the col
lection may not be kept intact for ;
longer period II is an honorable
monument TO modern art.
In connection with the Schamberl
/ tAllullIpll, Which IL U
have terrifying effect upon his com
rades, a few quotations from a worl
recently received from Paris for re
| viewing purposes may not be amiss
1t is "Apres lie Cubisme," by Ozenfan
and Jeanneret.
There are some exceedingly plail
statements OF facts in 1t, particularly
in the opening chapters. in which pres
ent conditions are summed up. Fol
lowing is enough to make one blini
but who Is there to deny Il?
] Art, in the actual acceptation O
the word. is almost totally a strange
to the modern spirit Try to place tn
thought of the most modern art. III
only art that merits attention. cubisn
in this atmosphere OF science and in
dustry: the discord is striking. II 1
like change Of plan. The most mod
ern plan is not occupied with art d
we change plan in passing from tn
city TO the Acropolis? No. becaus
Phidias and Ictinos were the artists @
their time. The cubist Is not the art
list who represents ours.
Il '1t4AAs been ST. I'D that, artist