The New York herald., 1921-02-20

n,
was ninety. And he was right for at
that age he died
Speaking of artists, | may be par
doned for going step out of the field
OF books to refer to a little exhibition
held in the ancient Cour de Rohan,
which is said by some to be the an
cient Cour dc Rouen, the palace of the
Archbishops of Rouen In the fifteenth
century. Henry III. made here a home
for Diane de Poitiers. And part of
the old wall of Philippe -Auguste is
still to be seen. The opening of the
boulevard Saint German DESTROYED
Danton house, the site of which is now
marked by statue. And here Marat's
paper, PAmi du PeupIe. was printed In
1893. The Paris edition of THE HERALD
published an article about the place
and the exhibition just held there. from
which will quote two paragraphs:
Hidden away behind the rue de
IAncienne-Comedie and the rue Saint
Andre-des-Arts is to be found-not
however. without a search by the un-
initiated-the Cour de Rouen, one of
the quaintest spots in the Latin quar-
ter. 1t is entered on one side by n
gateway at the end of the little rue
du Jardinet and on the other by n
small opening on the passage du Com
merce. Standing in the middle of this
winding, cobble- stoned byway one
breathes the atmosphere Of the distant
past. between the grimy, time-worn
M
deaden the noise Of traffic on the
boulevard Saint-Germain. and few
sounds are heard beyond the chirping
birds that have made their nests in
the ruins of this old world corner of
the city. A carpenter has put up his
bench In what was once a stable. but
his saw and hammer are seldom heard.
More often than not he is seen sitting
at the door of his workshop smoking
his pipe and lost i'm meditations in
spired by the quiet and historical sur
roundings.
Nothing here seems to have been
repaired or repainted since these walls
were constructed, and the stones once
trodden by Diane de Poitiers are so
worn that careless walking might
easily cause ankle twisting. Artists
have naturally found an ideal abode
I'm the Cour de Rouen, and recently II
has become the home of young paint
ers who have formed society known
as La Croute, a name which savors
delightfully."- of Latin quarter irony.
They have just opened an exhibition
of the work of one OF their number.
NJ. Thomson. whose talent has at
tracted such attention that his COM
rades are likely soon to lose his COM
pany and see him installed In more
luxurious quarters"
II you insist on my explaining
applications sont toujours beteSl-what
place this young painter has In a
literary letter, ! will add that he Is the
only artist that has had the privilege
Of making a portrait OF Henri Bar
busse. the distinguished author Of "Le
Feu" ("Under Fire"). n was made I'm
brief time. but IL carries the true
impression of Barbusse as he is to-
day. Perhaps the sketch will be re-
produced later In America And so
long as Rene Thomson has been re-
ferred 10 here, let me add that / be-
lieve he VIII. as the Crt dc Paris de-
clares. become celebrated" adding.
"RAnember that name" His work is
Of no school lie sits at the feet OF
the old masters in the Louvre and
draws inspiration from Cezanne Re-
noir Degas, OF the moderns. Like
most young painters, he curses "lit-
erary art" or the pictures that tell
story. But that is no reason writer
should not praise him