The New York herald., 1922-05-28

pictures which have totally disappea
SO obsolete that they inspire the
same sympathetic curiosity as fos-
sils-great historical pageants, myth.
illogical scenes. and romantic or
patriotic allegories. One of the last
class is from Gervex, who is con-
siderable painter, but alas, it shows
fiery, flying Justice, who blinds with
her torch the helmeted Kaiser tram
pling over murdered Children
scene which is a credit neither to
humanity nor art. There are also
almost forgotten mischievous red
choir boys, white pastry cooks, laugh
ing monks, over clean peasant girls,
smiling ladies, gold haired. rose COM
plexioned, cherry Tipped. quite unlike
the feminine types of modern art"
The English Show.
AS a companion picture Mr.. Clutton-
Brock gives us in the London Times
this impression of the English effort:
"It becomes clearer than ever this
year that subject pictures are disap-
pearing. Most of the few that remain
look as obsolete as the fashions of last
century, and seem to be done merely
because the artists have not yet heard
that no one is doing them now.
There is, as Rustin would have
said, an appalling decay of the imag-
NATIVE faculty in art; or you may put
1t another way and say that painters
no longer fake pictures, but paint
only what they see. In fact the ques-
ton, Is it well or i'll to paint subject
pictures?' is absurd. 1t depends upon
the subject picture.
italian art the greatest of the mod
ern world, consisted in the main of
subject pictures, and Rembrandt him
self was most inspired in them. But
we are not sorry to see no more. or
very little more. of the execution OF
Mary Queen of Scots and the like, be-
cause such pictures usually expressed
neither knowledge nor conviction.
They were like scenes on the stage,
and real scenes on the stage are bet
ter. because more various and less
permanent.
Moving pictures are better still, and
they perhaps have killed the old Acad-
emy subject picture. When you can
see the Queen of Sheba's whole i'm
aginary and moving history. why paint
one frozen moment OF it? OF course,
q rf~s.
the Flight Into Egypt it is we'll to
do so; but If your picture has no more
art than the movies, tken it is wise
10 leave imagination to them and
paint what you have seen.
The picture of the year ought. of
course. to be subject picture. and. il
possible, one that puts question
viii he recover?' or win they make
II upy' or what not. In this exhibition
we have found no such picture. even
by Mr.. Collier. His Producer puts no
question:; 1t seems 10 be a portrait of
well known actor telling his COM
pany how to act. You have to imagine
~the company. but that is not difficult.
Then there is the Royal Marriage,
by Mr.. Jack. That, in name at least,
Is subject picture. but really it might
be any marriage I'm Westminster
Abbey. One does not criticize such
things harshly, because they are be-
yond the powers OF any artist except
Veronese or n Rubens, who would
make a pageant of them as Of any
thing else. No doubt some historical
accuracy was expected of Mr.. Jack.
and he has not been able TO combine
this with pictorial splendor. though he
has tried"
l.. G-S.. writing TO the American
Art Netcs. adds that the slight touch
of caricature that Sir William Orpen
always permits himself is more ac-
centuated this year than ever, and
that one is disposed 10 wonder how
Sir Charles yilliers Stanford and Lord
Bearstead OF Maidstone really like the
unflinching truth, with the strain of
Jocuarity in II. that renders their pre-
sentiments SO notable. And will they
truly rejoice when their friends com
ment upon the excellence of the like
ness?
The same writer expresses much
disappointment in the contribution OF
Augustus John. now. strange TO say,
an Academician himself. Not alone
has his work weakened of late, but IL
has acquired a certain vulgarity which
cannot even pass for bravura The old
surety of touch is missing. the old
subtlety diminished. Even the por-
trait Of Bernard Shaw Is superficial.
giving little hint Of the acute brain
that lies, behind tho arresting face.
Among his five contributions there is