New-York tribune., 1922-06-25
BY Burton Rascoe

-, he you. prose
% his He the entertaining readable
, writing English One does have agree
m the he it. Listen to his "MallO is the best
r and later "Renoir is greatest painter alive
% be certain of this that he
% all the living painters and scups in the world But
e spirited drectne Of such assertion is hedged about
ab reservations 1t the view Of man, skepcal
~ shrinking conclusions humby suspect
49, Naio is very good sculptor indeed
w heard impelled Of
~ earliest opportunity. We privileged still doubt that Renor
than our favoe modern painter but the impression is forced
mon There escaping the mold Of opinion
en expressed with authority and driven by illuminating
sunnt
THAT is Mr. Bells critic critic says
no more paaontologsts fossils;
critic gnpcst pointing TO work art and saying stop Look
dcoerer Of beauties or Kenny de Gouron says creator
values critics advantage intelligence and culture
md to be distinguish and rubbish decent
ss him. If, Mr. Bell he also is honest
srun and intense he will have difficulty in getting
Bells book bellies that statement He all these
virtues difficulty getting He is always
srht with other critics taken
,sbb over criticism He forever defending his
e He has written three books asserting Significant
h the the second with belgncy and
the querulouness He butts his head against British
he retains quxotc ideals He has delightful malice and bitter
tongue He does rego chance to them in the service Of taste
and discrimination certain Professor ronks who it seems
an academic painter hanging the
Tate gallery which small Cezanne excluded for lack OF
ro Bells haed victim Under the repetious sarcasm
Of Mr. Tonks with his unfortunate becomes for
who his work. an awful symbol OF medoery and
incompetence may estb fellow moral upright and good
that he with handicaps
than awkward patron Mr. Ben also mas IN or ,ne
Tate gallery indictment he piles against devastating His
fellow his spleen he calls them quidnuncs they have
m heard Of Mao they Renor the greatest
PAINTER alive they still repeating stupdeS about Cezanne they
Epsens scupured Christ as though were theological
bit Of moding they are taxing "vnoha
Lewis as seriously Bell himself took him three ago. they
e on the sculpture Pnesn while Mr. Bell has changed
bis mind aesthetic qualities With such an exaperanng state
affairs Mr. Bell his hands in despair He can do
nothing people who keep with his contradictions
TOWARD America Mr. Bell looks evrrevvng hope. "n
rpone he writes esued class; have only
- - rich mon mere wealth producers perform high
Wages the useful functions that miners and mkmds perform or 10"
amos Our lisred class morbund before the died peacefully IN
It's sleep year before last There no class on this SIDE Ui the
a,sric - insist on quality IT, told. all owe
money % America has acquired along with her financial
uprem certain obligations? Has she not become the esurea
class s world and as SUCH responsible to civilization for the NAM
ance Of those standards which civilization falls! II So Is
for America to the fine arts on some measure OF .Aen a
intelligence in society in life on cca
her reaffm those standards OF e&ceneIe ~ sd
neither art nor merchandSe sna oe
TO fall for her 10 to be fastdious 70 eoooe Us
poet painter, politician newspaper pP''S'N -
a muihe dhoel-"This is not good enough. :, - .u,r
That noble sentiment from sober man VINO was ony
nt ago calling Mr. Bernard Shaw codhopper for taking ABOUT
duty and moral obligations Let not disiuon Mr. BEL e;
The passage quoted not the only element OF
Ctnre" Mr. has queed down. When ne wrote AI' w
.,, believed in absolute beauty built theory by which
The Quality Of absolute beauty might be discovered or iouno
spv given work of Perhaps were better 70 say 'nS'
Of tbeor be found two words significant form by which absolute
u.v wight no identified quite clear wha'
-n c orp than absolute beauty But it was at all events
reord an exceptional sensbity. Mr.. Bell and Mr. Roger
~ we're prbaby only in all England 60 enu0u,
. - 49, had its pleasure well enough but 1t was deprNea
=. dorivae from the contemplation Of Significant form
rs i dffu Mr. Bell because he was always meeting ny WIN
t - ,rable 90 perceve significant FORM even "heh ne
~ - =, r+ - them This irritating Moreover since ue
ov vas wholly absent prose literature poetry mus'
80 f a.. arts and crafts canvas or so by Oioo
some alan pritves Cezanne, few Chinese and boylonan
co3pe Of ancient pots and the woodearvinss oi 80
" NJ Ervs lives full Of ecstasy as ney nsh
,, - Mr. Bell later ruled the woodcaryngs OF foyn
san savages Whether mistaken in ms irst impression % va
,. ;sr4 form or whether with the passage oi years s
go - - dIed we cannot But we find him saying IN
l re boot with his customary dsiveness tnat 'h heso ~
.r hat their "lack artistic selfconsciousnes
, 80 al jpferiority of negro the very greatest ART
N . ~ about that in his new MI Bell begins to entertain
doubts about absolute beauty. This is great % ~, pu
knocks his pet theory his life work into coeSeo n % d
honest bs k sincere and he servtor Of beauty champion " go
tse valiant defender of and ne would not e'
way Of the universal good 81 do not disOeeve IN AO
moro than disheieve absolute truth On the W
suppose that the proposton-h object must be eIner
absolutely untrue Only recognize 1t! Cer~hy AZ . I s