The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-14
Frederick Haskin's Letter
ESPECIAL correspenerncs . Arrus1
Artists. Paiettes and Personalities.

Finally a honeymoon couple
strolled up.
The groom said: THAT is mot
bad. | think there is something In
that" And Corots heart lespsd
with appreciation.
But the bride, whom Corot de-
seribed as the softest and gentlset
little person. drew him avav win
shudder and said: 1T is friesf-
full Come on" And Corot ems
the story-"And l said TO mys-If
Are thou satisfied? Thou bsSi
heard the opinion of the public"
Troyon, too. the master psirta-
of cows, was unappreciated in his
day. One story says that when !
jury of artists voted Troyon a d.
Grafton, official art circles were
aghast. The minister of fine s-ts
shook his head resignedly when b.
saw Troyon's name on the list AZ
artists who were to receive deco.
rations.
at appears decidedly that
know nothing about painting be
lamented as he unwillingly put his
signature to the order.
Corot Regarded as Radical.
It seems strange that these 18th
century artists were regarded then
as radicals who dared TO break
away from tradition and paint ma
tUre as she seemed to them rather
than as she had always been
painted.
One of their worst crimes was
that they chose to paint in
aightforward manner the for
ests, peasants, and farm scenes of
France when every painter was
supposed to be STEPPED in the cIas-
sic atmosphere of Greece and
Italy.
The amazement of the French
public at the French Landscapes
was something like that of our own
modern public when it discovered
recently that novels descriptive Of
mid-western life might be taken
seriously, and that all American
literature need not bear a New
York stamp. People nowadays are
less frightened by new ideas and
revolts than they were in the
France of the 18th century. Artists
and public alike held out strong
ly against Millet with his toll worn
peasants, Troyon with his endless
studies of cattle. and Corot with
his French forests which bore lit
tie resemblance to any reasonable
Italian landscape.
The source of inspiration for
these artists. with a number of 9th
ft-Ar
them, was the little French village
of Barbizon where they worked at
their painting, From their assn-
citation with this village a group
of painters came to be known as
the Barbizon school, and also as
"the men of thirty" because it was
about 1880 that the Barbizon
school came into prominence.
In 1925 two painters got lost 10
the forest of Fontdinebleau, and
wandered to the village of Barbizou
where they spent the night with 2
peasant. The next morning thew
were SO enraptured over the peace
full beauty of the remote hamlst
and the entrance to the forest near
by that they Immediately bargained
with the peasant for board and
lodging and settled down to paint.
The fame OF the Barbizon as an
ideal artists retreat spread, and
in few seasons the peasant host
had to convert a barn into an inn
to house his eager guests. In the
rush season for outdoor sketching,
artists even slept on large table
for the privilege of getting up at
5 o'clock or earlier and rushing
out to study the sunrise in the for
est. Corot tells wildly of going
out at 8 O'Clock and watching the
daybreak with its succession Of
wonders.
Mr.. Lucas. who resided in Paris
for more than so years. was espe-
ciaIIy interested in this Barbizon
school and with great foresight,
he collected both pictures and pa
lettes Of the artists, TO the lasting
benefit of America.