Evening star., 1925-02-15

London. and now has come here-a
priceless possession here to remain. :.
At the time the picture was eK-
hibited in London Arsene Alexandra
wrote in the Burlington Magazine
The picture is the most important
and the most impressive of those
which we know or are likely to know
Of Daumier's. There is no work of
his of like importance among those
which have escaped the knowledge of
historians and the zeal of collectors
Naming five or six of Daumiers most
important works, he goes on to say
These are almost all the figure COM
positions larger than an easel pic
ture which can be compared with the
amazing J'Emeute' (RevolutionD
1t seems to US to equal any of these
in pictorial value and even to surpass
them in dramatic intensity and human
interest"
High praise, indeed, and thus he
aptly characterizes the work: LAS
Delacroix expressed what we may
call the lyrical side of revolution, so
Daumier has in this case, as it were,
sculptured the features of a mob. He
has done SO by that power of imagi-
nation which only real great painters
have. Six figures, some gable ends
Of houses, the crowns of few hats,
was all that he needed to give the
impression and to communicate the
emotion of a whole crowd advancing
passive but menacing through a ter
rified town The picture makes one
regret that Les Miserables' was not
illustrated by Daumier, one never
thinks of these ideas until too late. "
Thus this eminent critic sums up
the spirit of Daumier's master paint
ing. AS he says, so little has been
has he interpreted the mob spirit that
it is almost impossible to realize as
one is looking at this picture that
there are only six figures actually
portrayed. But in these figures Is
the whole story of revolution. Here
are the fanatic. the mentally incorl-
petent, the oppressed and the
wronged. Here in the aggregate is
that awful thing-human energy un-
controlled, plunging headlong with
out guidance and without regard for
consequences. A great wall cutting
off perspective seams to suggest not
merely confinement of space but that
battlement of prejudice and misun-
derstanding which invariably precipi-
tates revolution. 1t is a fearful pic
ture and yet magnificent. A lesser
artist could never have presented
such a theme and held perfect poise.
It would have become merely hideous,
fearful, perhaps even absurd. This is
the work of a master painter and of
man who not only felt deeply but
Understood
And how delightfully."- Daumier's
other POINTS of view--his versatility,
his sense of humor. his love of har-
monious color and beautiful tone, his
ability to strike precisely the right
note at the right time-are indicated
in the other little pictures which
hang adjacent to this great work.
Where else in America can such a
sroup of Daumiers be seen?
X
3T>HE other newcomer hangs on the
L opposite wall. 1t is entitled
hRocks at Ornans-Sunset" and is a
5ramatic work such as Courbet better
than almost any other knew how to
present. The rocky cliffs rise dark
and high as fortress. the foreground
Is in shadow, but bright patches of
sunlight lie on the height, and the
sky beyond is cold and blue and clear.
with just enough cloud scud to lend
1t interest. This hangs to the right
Of the "El Greco" and to the left is
a second Courbet, THE Glen; while
on the opposite wall is yet a
French school Of the nineteenth CEN
tury-a picture of sky and sea, the
Mediterranean, the former pale green
blue, the latter deepest sapphire.
In this goodly, If somewhat tragic,
company two works by Arthur b.
Davies, two by John Sloan, one by
Albert Ryder and one by Ernest Law
Eon. masters of our own day, have
been given place. One of the Davies
has not been shown before and is
very unusual. 1t is entitled The
Flood" and shows great onrush of
water. the bending before the wind
of sapling trees and foliage, while in
the left-hand corner. .indicatIve OF
destitution a1A human wrecka8e, are