The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-30
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There will be no December meeting
of the Topeka Art Guild The Guild
has been invited to hold fits January
meeting at the home and studio of
George NJ Stone in Highland Park.
At the time of this meeting the
guild members will be shown the re-
Gently completed TRANSPORTATION,
done by Mr.. Stone at the order of
Bishop Nathaniel S. Thomas OF
wyoming, for his cathedral at Lara
mie. The bishop, who came to Topeka
Just before the holidays for the pur-
pose of viewing the finished work,
expressed himself as being well salts,
fled with the picture.
An interesting event in Paris during
the late summer or early autumn OF
each year is the "F'oire aux Croutes."
an open air picture sale held by the
artists of the Montmartre district, in
the Place Constantin Pacquer.
On certain designated Sunday, If
the weather is good, if not. on the first
fine Sunday thereafter, the artists of
"crouteS" (the local slang equivalent
of pot boiler or ''shanghai'') and
hang them on trees in the park. Or if
there are not enough trees to go
round. strings are stretched from tree
to tree and pictures are suspended
thereon like clothes on a clothes line.
Pictures are also hung on the sides of
the houses surrounding the park
EAdCA anu every dII1SL mas Ills OHH
especially assigned tree or place and
acts as his own salesman and the de-
scriber of his wares.
While much of the work is trashy
or at most, of little IAerit, neverthe-
less an occasional gem is to be found
and sometimes here are the begin
nings of genius. Pictures often may
be purchased for a mere song that
ultimately will net the purchaser hun
dreds or even thousands of francs
cir al r-iR
Consequently the 'Foire aux Croutes"
is well attended. both by shrewd deal
ers quick to discern merit. and by
amateur collectors hoping to make a
lucky strike" 1t is much like
gambling in oil or mining stocks. You
may make it and you may not. Then
too there is the usual crowd of
amused sight seers, interested in the
curious appearance and the gay chaff
of those who vend the wares
Artists are notoriously bad business
men and women. For this reason they
have organized themselves. into a So
ciety called the Commune Libre de
Montmartre, a(the Free Commune of
Montmartre) in which a gr pup of the
more practically comrades has been
delegated to transact business for the
rest. The Commune has a chief dig
nitary known as the Mayor. 1t has a
flag Of red and green bearing the
motto, Les UlIs ct Les Autres," mean
ing "AH for One and One for ALL
and also a policeman and a newspaper
Headquarters of the Commune is at
the cabaret of the Vache Enragee (the
Mad Cow). This strange name orig
mated in the fact that poor students
! in Montmartre who are continually
REDUCED Sto close cropping or grazing
in order to make both ends meet, have
given the name, "Un ragout de vache
enragee," to the curious meat food
produced by the cheap restaurants in
| Which they are compelled to dine.
A widely kI own western artist and
art authority in discussing few days
since. an article that appeared in the
I last issue of Arts and Decoration and
which was reviewed in this column
! last week, namely What is Modern
| ism in Painting?" by Percy Moore
/ Turner, takes decided issue with its
author on several points, and the writ
er of this column believes the issues
are well taken.
Mr.. Turner says. art consists not In
| the making of story telling pictures,