Evening star., 1924-12-04
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN

here under the auspices of the Wash
ington Society OF the Fine Arts, said
that he fell short of greatness be-
cause he put out his work into the
world without regard to the effect 1t
would have either upon those Of to-
day or succeeding generations. Here
is standard OF greatness not fire.
quently employed within the field of
art. How many artists think Of their
art in terms OF relationship to their
fellow men? Probably few. Writers
doubtless, more than painters or
sculptors, have felt charged with a
mission, but when this has been the
case in most instances 1t must be
confessed that the product has suf-
fered in quality. Wilkie Collins wrote
the majority Of his novels with the
purpose Of correcting evils in the
life of his day, but Wi!kie Collins
name has today almost lost its gla-
mour. Hogarth painted pictures the
purpose of which was to call atten-
tion to follies and weaknesses in the
social life of his generation, but as
an artist 1t Is his portraits which give
him rank. Ten chances to one, when
Rembrandt painted biblical subjects
IT was not with the intention Of max
Ing the Bible more widely known,
but becaues the subject in itself Of
fered dramatic and artistic possibili-
ties. 1t would be foolishness to sup
pose that Corot rose at dawn and
painted his exquisite lyrical land
scapes because he thought they would
sweeten the life of those who saw
them. NO, art is produced primarily
through the urge TO give expression
to the voices of the spirit.
y Il x
The great artist glories in produc-
tlon, though creation NAV not coma
easy. Art is thing in itself and is
sun1cient unto itself. Only can IL be
Iesarded as means to an end when
IL is considered as a medium of ex-
preston. 1t is an Intangible thing
inexplicable, yet unmistakable. cv.
rano de Bergerao was an artist: he
nad the power Of beautiful express
sion. This was what Rostand meant
us to understand when he created
tnls amazing character. It is the di
VINE gift, portrayed by a half dozen
sentences in the use of words. the
silehtest sketch. few bars Of mu-
slc-and there you are: and ~ has
the power with those who recoznizs
1t to call forth the keenest deItybt
and emotion
pul 10 an extent the Able Dimnet
was right. Great artists have a prids
IN tne}r art and do not send out
into the world the children ~ .hat
brain half-clothed or in horrifving
ugliness, Such disregard for puhlic
oplhion Is more than half the trou-
PIE with the so-called modern art of
To-Day. As Chaliapin, the Russian
singer said in an interview published
IN me otar some weeks ago, there
a tendency among the younger
generation TO do their practicinE in
pubic, TO think that anything is good
enough that can be put over"
whereas the great artist who ra,,
erences art knows that nothing but
the best-his best or her best-is
Sooo enough for the people.
Great art will never have a de+ri
mental effect, because art cannot he
great unless it is true, and the truth
heeo never be feared Furthermore
nelther q great painter nor a great
sculptor VIII ever want to send out
INTO the world that which is merely
ugly Tor ugliness In itself is an
ofense to those who love art. some
times to be sure, ugliness may be so
mitigated by strength that il becomes
almost beauty. but this is a different
matter As Chaliapin has said. the
scientist does not give out his expert
ment until it has become successfuI
until IL is completed, yet much Of the
painting that We see today in exhi
bhions is essentially of an expert
mental character. Perhaps this is
almost essential TO the DEVELOPMENT
OF art. for the artist himself learns
through comparison.
x = *
Art is a social, or perhaps one
should say socia BILE, profession. and
yet the great artists in almost eyerv
instance have been men or women
who were capable of standing alone.
who produced more or less in isola-
ton, who mixed comparatively little
with their fellow men and have
| taken but small part in public affairs.
This is not to be Interpreted, how
! ever. as lack of public spirit, but
rather absorption in their own field.
10 an artist art Is never shop: no
subject is as interesting, as absorb
ing: hence with those who do not
speak his language he is dumb. De-
lightful are the conversations, how
ever, which go on behind north win
dows"-studio talk. And IL to the
layman-listener 1t would seem that to
these enthusiasts nothing mattered
but that which the brush of the
painter or the hand of the SCULPTOR
could bring into existence. he must
remember that IL is through these
gifted few that permanent beauty is
added to the world
What would the world be today ir
all art were blotted out? A dreary
place indeed. There would be no
Gothic cathedrals, no Parthenon,' no
Venus de Milo, no Victory of Samo-
thrace, no paintings by Rembrandt,
or Rubens, or Van Dyck, or Titan,
or Raphael, or Michelangelo; here
in our city no Lincoln Memorial, no
great Capitol building, no fine resi-
dences, no sculpture in our public
parks, no Dupont or Mcmillan foun-
tains, no Library of Congress. with
it's fine mural paintings: and In our
homes no beautiful furniture or
handwrought silver, no pottery and
porcelain-a strange place indeed.
Anatole LIE BraZ, the Breton poet
told at lun cheon given in New York
some years ago OF Breton painter,
a man Of great gift and promise, who
had been blinded in the war. He had
been in the habit of going to the
painters studio, and, learning of his
| misfortune, he called upon him-a
friend desired TO purchase one of his
works. The painter, sightless and
broken in health, greeted him cheer
| fly and asked him to select the paint
ing that he thought his friend would
desire. The tragedy of the painter s
misfortune pressed so heavily upon
the. poets heart that emotion found
! its way into his voice. DO not pity
me-" the painter said with perfect
calmness; 1T Is OF little consequence
that one painter should lay down his
brush; the great thing is that art
should go on-that is what matters
Weep not for me"
X \ X x