Evening star., 1936-03-28

J great change-when newness
Is at a premium and tradi-
tions regarded askance, the art of the
past that generations have agreed to
admire still holds its own both in the
market place and in public esteem.
Nor is it necessary invariably to seek
out as instance the works of the So
called "old masters''-artists long de-
ceased. On Tuesday of this week the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York, opened a memorial exhibition
Of the work Of John La Fargo, born
10l years ago-March 81, 1835-out-
standing among the artists of America
In the last quarter of the nineteenth
century-rlo less outstanding in the
estimate of critics today-one of the
greatest masters that this country has
produced. This stability Of fame in
the contemporary fed of art is not
only interesting. but reassuring, and
the emphasis that the exhibition in
the Metropolitan Museum will place
on La Farge's work will undoubtedly
help to steady some of our wobbling
ideals and set us to thinking more
clearly.
John La Fargo was born in New
York in house midway between the
Battery and Washington Square and
lived all his life in that vicinity. His
parents were both French, descend
ants Of Norman and Breton families
Of distinction. His grandparents, both
paternal and maternal, had sought
refuge in this country at the time of
the revolution in San Domingo, where
they owned sugar plantations. The
maternal grandfather, Binsse de
Saint-Victor, who had somewhat of
an artistic temperament, took to
painting miniatures and giving draw
eng lessons, after establishing resi-
dence in New York, learning his art
rs he went along" It was he who
first taught John La Fargo to draw
and to paint. These first lessons were
given when the little lad was only 6
years old and were sufficiently stern
and exacting.
La Fargo was then well grounded in
che traditions of the eighteenth CEN
tury. But the influences which he be-
lieved most effective in his youth were |
the paintings and works of art which |
surrounded him in his home, and the |
atmosphere of regard for art, music
and literature In which he grew up.
Some engravings by Durer which he
came across, accidentally, had strong |
influence, then came acquaintance
with works by men of the 1880 school |
--Diaz, Troyon, Barge and others.
It Is usual today to decry the works
Of these artists and to deprecate their
study by the young. But La Fargo |
admitted great Indebtedness to them,
and stated, moreover. that Winslow
Homer, who it has become customary |
to single out as the one American |
artist of distinction untouched by
European influence. had, like him
self, been a student "of these things |
and largely made by them" La
Fargo, however, went abroad, became |
o pupil of Couture, Travelled, and Sc
riously studied the works of the old
masters.
With one conviction at least La
Farge returned to America, which was
''that painting, more than people |
think, Is a question of brains" A
most assiduous experimentalist, he
never lost his faith in scholarship
knowledge-as basically essential He
was always student-learning. Il
am working very hard at finishing |
some water colors," he once wrote. |
He always worked hard. japanese
and Chinese art were a revelation to
him-he absorbed their spirit-but he |
was no copyist. In some respects |
John La Fargo, stepped from his child
hood in tradition. inheritor of the
past, was far in advance of his time,
the first and perhaps so far the great
est Of the modernists.
For example, when, upon his re-
turn from Europe, he first turned to
landscape painting and produced a
large canvas, Paradise Valley" his
program was ITO paint from nature
portrait, and yet to make distinctly a
work Of art which should remain as
. type of the sort of subject under
took, q subject both novel and abso-
autely 'everydayish.' In the same
way, La Fargo painted flowers, pre-
senting them In their natural aspect,
but with q spiritual quality, rendering
their essence as well as their appear
ance. With Henry Adams, La Fargo
visited the East and his paintings Of
South Sea Island and Samoan scenes
and people have the qualities which
are priced In the works Of Gauguin,
but without his coarseness.
Above and beyond all else, La Fargo
rs . areat mural painter-one Of t4