The American Jewish world. [volume] (Minneapolis ;) 1915-current, 1920-04-09
Page Nine

harvest. H0 CIlllQT0fl I'LL If01E UaU0-
kerchiefs, just as if. the down-pour-
ing had been an event of common oc-
:; currence. The same qualities are to
be found in the death Of the First
born" save that here there is some
effort to express gracious and de-
corouse emotion, as a group of gently
Wailingl ladies stand over the pros
: trate body. ia young. man. In an
other part Of the landscape, mother
crouches silently over a babe dying
in her lap. The artist has not de-
picted anything like a tragic vista
ton, but used these few concrete and
discreet examples to indicate the
catastrophe with all the reserves Of
a ceremonious and refined taste.
More quaint and personal in it's in
depreciation are two delightful pic
lures by Dirk Bouts. that great col
orist of the time of Philippe lie. Bon,
the marvellous pupil of Jan Van Eyck.
He. lived in the rich, elegant and
] learned city Of Louvain, and in his
marvellous technique he reproduces it
all exactly as it was. He had no mist
givings as to whether the familiar
Biblical events passed in any environ+
ment other than his own splendid one.
And so he has told them on us, in
the Gathering of the Mamma" and
''The First Celebration of the Pass
over" The ladies and gentlemen in
these pictures are exquisitely clothed
in the Dutch garments Of the paint
er's own day, precisely painted and
giving all the detail Of ornament and
texture. They are strolling ins trail
ing garments and gathering mamma
like berries into quaint pewter or sill
yer wrought jugs and vesselssof vari4
GUS shapes. The Passover supper''
is being celebrated in a rich bour7
geois Dutch home. The family stand
about the table all on the further side
so that the ceremony may be well OBJ
served. The roasted leg of the pascal
lamb is placed in a silver platter be-
fore the head of the house. Each per-.
son has before him, carefully painted,
the wines cup, the lettuce lea6H and
what looks likgia hard boiled egg, all
carefully placed in@irnpartiaE prbdmin-
ence, each painted with equal atte1l-
tion and fidelity. Less skilful, TECH
nically, and less graceful in concep+
ton, is picture by Cranach the4Ald-
.er, 4indthe b, Augsburg gallery ,t,shewing
the, Crossing oftheoR Red Sea. "as The
painter has composed hia picture most
,adequatelyewitha jagged rocky prom
lontory in the back ground breaking
into a. sloping beach at the left
twhereon the Israelites are >massed
'facingsthe spectator, stiffly and quiet
ly posed in all their Dutch cuffs and
long sleeved, long-tailed garments,
hands folded at the waistline as tho
going to church.. Moses has = evil
IDENTIFY crossed last, and, is walking
across the pebbly beach,, towards his
people, all sorts of delicate and
strange sea objects, strewn about his
feet, the rays of light like a crown
on his head, and wearing curious,
and quite unheroic garment, as though
sturdy and efficient burgomaster,
had been called unexpectedly to do
his duty. The wave is gigantic and
towers protectingly above his head,
while Pharoah's army in moyenage
armour founders he1plessly in sea
that has very LITTLE fluidfeyy; but which
accomplishes it's purpose to nicely.
And therein lies the charm of the
primitive paintings. One is never at
a loss to understand what it is all
a hort which ic nooro tbop ooyo he coidf