New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
Impressionisn1
H. Record as a Mode of
Objective Painting


,,,a.c exasperating part in these
! Bs,srs. Mankind dearly loves a slogan.
&. every movement 8 name must forth
IA Be attached, and this as quickly
a sds 10 the formulation Of definitions.
i gaess painting is. concerned the
4 aiatsrs themselves are naturally slow
\ i lsy down written laws. 1t is not, in
ID. their business. Criticism, any
IL is always ready to save them the
tyshle. Well, criticism has some
TRES .dsrkened counsel in respect to
rwessicnism. When it has played
,:s the rhase Of the movement that
ryolvea problems of light it has easily
,nsagh accounted for Monet ard GER
ain dthars. But then it has had to
lssl with more or less allied figures in
As period, with Manet, for example,
" Degss. @Impressionisn," as a con-
ssnisht explanatory term, presently
breaks down. Possibly criticism would
sass saved itself, in turn, some trouble,
FIT had imposed upon this French
group a word of broader significance,
I it had chosen TO talk about sob
setidty.' That, at all events, is the
s'als that unites pretty definitely all
ias earlier painters in the museum ex-
aafah. One or two of the men in
tlgdsd, it is true, are Imaginative
Epss but they are forced rather
afs'Haslly into the historical frame.
Ills good to see the lovely picture by
pavis de Chavannes and the souvenirs
oelloa Redon's sensuously romantic
en'aon. Neither artist is, strictly
s3tasing, relevant. Neither of the
'7o points to the specific achievement
Salca the student wants to keep in
|5nird.
( iae important point about impress
4 ael'H Is that it kept its eye on the
'siecs and painted with absolute di-
eesnass Monet saw a world flooded
s'A light, but not precisely trans
lsusea. There are half q dozen of his
.'saa at the Metropolitan, ranging
a'a the early "Plage de Ste. Ad-
''sase to one of his Venetian sub
/ W light immensely heightened the
1's'sse OF his color. You can see in
= OF three pieces by Pissarro-
s''SOly the river scene painted at
AVSsn--and IN the more numerous ex-
sapiss Of Renoir how to these artists.
"'0 Monet, impressionism was largely
= sAalr Of atmosphere. But all three
sentiaily masters Of q direct
sals'lc habit. That is where they arc
/ Y qnasusal comrades of Manet and
'sss' sho give thought to atmos-
a"''s' put are Inclined to subordinate
V sns whole to the claims Of form
M' Luminous or not, impression
: remains intensely objective. ex.
s.s' s''ag Tue phenomena of the visible
~ sita q kind Of dispassionate ac-
\ s's .ss IN some remarks on the genius
s.ss .saea ART, printed in these columns
m' 'shs ago as an introduction to
4. ss'sAA'oitlon, ' stress was laid upon
se relation Of the modern to the
! sa' tendencies of the race. Manet,
,,. say again, is a loyal SON of his
ss s past in art. The proof may
4 ss,W ss,a IN such a painting as the
s,.4 sA Lfe," study of fruit, with a
son. gs'ue in the composition. BY
,,s, ~ mercy the canvas has not been
1 : s'sd to death and one may come
/ !. se Quarters with tho technique.
!. : crisp, as firm, az pure almost
4 s,, : ,sshnigue of vclasques. /, One
s,,. 'ne bloom which Chardin would
1 .5,,,s s'vsn to the same subject. It is
sn - probably in obedianes to the
B 81. Ass hard nature Of Manet's
= - .ssus one might also. and per :.
d ~. more reasonably, ascribe the
Il sss sf Of the painting to his sheer
/ s.s a1 Feetitude. He painted what
I - ~ ssaetly as he saw it and with a
4 .,s,. aspect for his craft. There is
~ Nv esotsric about this conception
n I ,.s ~. 1t is one which we venture
,ss,. sss as touchstons at other
q II u the exhibition.
ma. ass.sssi0nist painting, or objective
ss we would cali ii for the
Dad no fine drawn IDEAS about
3 1. s ,ss. did not ask for beauty IN
"a. but, at the NEST, took
a.. = It's stride when the subject
\ s,' ssasa 10 possess it. Glance for an
sss at the pastel, "After the
pegas, wherein beauty Of
s. 81 : auperbly revealed. Even there
u the work resides chiefly
49, msstsrly craftsmanship. 1t
& gn the exercise Of technique
ssa sake that tha msn Of tats