The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-14

W aSllngL0n, II. u, April To-
Palettes OF number OF famous
artists of the 18th century, col
iected by the late George A. Lu-
cas- of Baltimore. are on display at
the Coreoran art gallery here.
Two little oblong pieces of wood,
besmeared with dark daubs of
paint, are souvenirs of Camille
Corot, the celebrated French
painter of landscapes. Visitors to
the collection linger before these
wooden plaques imagining how
Corot must have chosen from them
the celors for some of his famous
woodland scenes. They are teld
that one of these palettes-the one
with little red seal bearing Co.
ret's signature in one eorner-was
an outstanding feature of interest
at a French salon exhibition some
years ago. After ,Corot's death, a
friend reverently took this palette
to his studio, along with Corot's
pipe and one of his picturesque red
and white Normandy caps worn
on sketehing trips.
Constant Troyen, who is now re-
gsrded as the painter who has best
understood cows and has painted
them with the most sympathy. is
also represented by a palette in the
Lucas collection. Daubigny, jules
Breton, and Charles Boughton are
among other well known painters
whose palettes were presented to
the American cennoisseur.
It is an unusual collection A
painters palettes ordinarily are
cherished by his family or thrown
away as mere discarded tools of no
importance or value. Yet a pal
cite is the most personal belong
ing of an artist 1t is perhaps too
much to say that the character of
the artist may be read in the paint
he smears on his palette, but ar
fists say that the palette of a Corot
or Millet is a lesson in the mans
method of working. One old art
list advised a pupil: "If you would
become a great painter study as
siduously the palettes of those who
have gone before you"
The layman looking at 70 pal
cites, some oblong and some oval,
but all more or less alike to him,
sees only the outstanding differ
ences. He is attracted by the
large palette of Delacroix on which
II blohs of color are laid in neat
rows. This was an old style way
of laying a palette. he is told
Most of the artists apparently rev.
eled in a more emotional use of
color. Their palettes were pre-
scented to the collector practically
as the artists left them after some
piece of work, except that in a
number of cases the painter
cleaned off a space in the center
blurred frame of paints.
Artists i'm Carefree Mood.
These studies add greatly to the
interest and value of the palettes.
They represent the artist in a care
free mood with no thought of
painting to please the public or to
make a sale. One artist sketehed
in fresh colors a fawn and kid
dancing gaily Another painted
the head Of a Persian cat looking
out realistically from its back
ground of notified color. Still an
other painted a dim landscape in
soft. dark colors fading into the
blurred fran of paints.
But among them all, Corot's IN
decorated palette is the greatest
attraction. Now, when his work
brings fabulous sums and when
his palette is assured as price
less souvenir, it is difficult to i'm
againe that this French painter
was for years uRappreciated by the
art world. At the salons hrs pic
lures were badly hung so that the
light was either too glaring or too
dim for the picture to attract any
attention. Once, the artist tried
standing in front of his neglected
work-a landscape that would
draw crowds to any exhibition
now. He reasoned that if some
one appeared to be interested in
the picture, others would be at
tracted to come and look at it.
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