New-York tribune., 1921-03-27
Repin
The Most Noted of the Modern
Russians

Russians
In the movement which has little by
little been making us acquainted with
the Russian painters, Ilya Repin cbmes
late, who should, perhaps, have come
first. He was born in 1874 and so came
to his artistic maturity long before
modernism was dreamed of, long before
types like Bakst had become possible.
There is collection of his paintings at
the Kingore gallery, fairly representa-
tive, we take it, of the method through
which he has laid the foundations of a
successful career. 1t is the method in a
nutshell, Of the Academy, vivifed by
the traits of a thoughtful and emotional
commentator on Russian life and his
tory. He has been the equivalent in his
own land of those men in Paris who
have made the backbone of the Salon,
men like Roll, or the accomplished
painter who has this moment passed
from the scene, Jean Paul Laurens This
is to say that he has known how to build
up great compositions, how to take an
episode from the dramatic annals of
Russia and give it imposing pictorial
form, the life and color of a magnificent
illustration. In the nuances of crafts
manship the analogy between French
and Russian practice breaks down.
Laurens, for example, was the master of
cleaner cut, better organized technique
than Repin's. But they had the same
point of view.
The Russian is kind of rough and
ready realist, seeing his subjects in
large terms, painting solid forms with
a certain swing and force, making
much of the elementary emotions that
stamp mems faces. His most famous
picture is "The Cossacks' Reply to the
Sultan, in which uproarious warriors
gather around the inditing of defiant
missive. They laugh, shout, gesticu-
late. The theme is violent and so, in
measure, is the painting of it. Repin
has never been the man for half tones |
His portraits, of which several are here
exhibited, are like his subject pictures
in that they denote a strong, direct
grasp upon surface fact. There is al !
ways Characterization, of a sort, in his |
heads, as there is in his gestures, but it
rever seems to penetrate very far. I
there is, to put it frankly, trace of I
the theater about Repin. He paints |
thrilling tableaux. The thrill lasts for
a moment and then loses its force as [
one comes to inquire into these can
vases as illustrations of the art of
painting, pure and simple. In that
character they reveal ability, but no
magic; all the adroitness of we'll |
trained man Of his hands and no dis
tinction Of style.
The Russian painters who are
brought to US have been important to
Russia and some of them have proved
to US. Repin is interest
ing. Roerich was, at the Kingore gal
|ery little while ago, and so was Avi-
notf, at the Ainslie gallery. But the
school does not always lift, upon the
American horizon at all events, inter
ssting figures. There are some further
of it at the Ainsle gallery,
some spirited water colors of hunting
painted by A. S. Chrenoff, and I
pictures by twelve ether men. One of
hese exhibitors. Orlovsky, the painter
It the Evening Shadows" is moder-
stely clever in the treatment of land
'cape- But this show leaves the Rus
ian school where it found it, a school
lot yet in commanding position in
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