Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-19
PARIS ARTISTS
DISPLAY WARES
IN WINE CAFES
Rising Painters in Re-
volt Against Public
and Private Galleries.
New Scheme Eliminates
Paying Big Commits
sion to Dealers.
BY WILLIAM BIRD
Special Cable to The Great Fails Tribune

Copyright 1922. by The Great FAILS Tribune
Paris. March 1s.-Late returning
husbands, in answer to the world wide
conjugal, where have you beenw do
not have to fall back on the classic
lodge meeting" or "sick friend alibis.
I've been to an art exhibition" is
the perfectly truthful reply of the Par
iasiannte this week. The art center of
Paris has shifted from the public and
private galleries to the little cafes of
Montmarie and Montparnasse. 1t is
all part of the revolt of the artists
against juries, hanging committees and
the grasping art dealer.
The big public exhibitions are aban-
doned more and more to the painters
who have arrived" The private
shows in dealers rooms are being
ignored by scores of young aspirants,
who complain bitterly Of the big com
mission charged by the dealers.
Hospitality for works of art has been
found in the neighbOrhood drink en-
porium. 1t began, if the writer is not
misinformed. with little two-by-four
cafe on the Boulevard Montparnasse
the fame of which instantly spread
SO much so, that the cafe was quickly
paint box) and this name has now been
officially adopted and hangs over the
door.
Enthusiastic for New Plan
A dozen Or more other cafes have
followed the example.
The artists are enthusiastic about
this new plan for getting their works
before the public. They say sales are
much more rapid than under the old
salon or dealer exhibition plan, because
vxrhiln "a oh 6,
the artist gets Just as much, often
more, for his picture. as no commission
is charged by the cafe proprietor.
Another stimulant to sale is sthe fact
that while to go to regular exhibit
ton is an effort, to 30 to cafe is a
pleasure and even habit The regular
shows close at night fall, just when
most people begin to have few leisure
hours. And even when prospective
purchaser does get chance to attend
gallery show, he feels that he must
see all the pictures in the brief hour
that he has to spare. and the result
is he gets NO opportunity to fix his
attention on any particular one. On
the other hand he sits down at the cafe
with beer or vermouth and lets his
gaze wander over the walls A picture
strikes his fancy and he studies it, He
SoHiS5 Ddch lHt IU1toNllS evening ana
takes a table squarely in front Of the
picture that has attracted him. After
several visits perhaps he buys it.
Horrors" Not Shown
The artist is happy and the cafe
is far from displeased.
The writer has seen pictures in some
Of these cafes priced at 300 and 400
francs which compared favorably from
every point of view with canvasses
offered by dealers at 1000 or 1900.
Moreover. one does not see the
horror" in most of these cafes that
one sees at some of the dealers ga
Ions-such as the Independents. for
instance. There are one or two cafes
that specialize in frightfulness but the
rest are careful to maintain certain
sobriety while not excluding the new
art. The reason is that at the indie
pendents anybody can exhibit-a cab
lriver may hang up his horse blanket
and call it a tapestry if he desires.
Picabia. in fact, at the current shows.