Evening star., 1936-08-01
ByLeiIa MechHn.


the cause and cure of war, |
i i the fact is that in recent |
years it has practically been exercised
in, If not by, art. War at one time |
held prominent place in art, almost
as prominent a place as religion, for,
after all, war represented, then as
now, though at present in less degree,
the religion Of nationalism. War was
the medium through which men won
to fame and distinction, it afforded
opportunity for personal advancement
and the means whereby courage and
valor might be manifested and re-
warded. 1t was attended by great
splendor Of pageantry. it was all
splendid and all-glorious. No matter
how many fell, no matter what the
carnage and the suffering, victory
was occasion for rejoicing and con-
tinuous remembrance. The ruling
monarch attained greatness through
military conquest. The triumphs Of
Caesar, Frederick the Great, Napoleon
came through war. Obviously here
was material for the painters brush,
the engraver's tool.
One of the greatest military paint
ings IN the world is THE Surrender
Of Breda," by VelasqueZ. This is
picture Of Gen. AmbroSio Spinola re-
ceiving the keys of the city from
Justin Of Nassau. 1t is a magnificent
composition, and Velasquez, consum-
mate artist that he was, used all the
display which warriors can make to
lend interest and importance to his
painting. Because Of the forest of
spears which is a conspicuous feature
| of this picture, 1t is sometimes called
"The Lances." But it was the
Napoleonic campaigns and conquests,
two centuries later, which furnished
the most material for military
painters, at least until the Franco
German War came to call for further
representation.
pERHAPS the greatest military
painter of France, and tina. is
to say Of the world, was Jean Baptiste
Edouard Detaille, who is represented
in the Corcoran Gallery. by The
Passing Regiment" included in the
Corcoran bequest. "The General of
the First Empire" gift Of the heirs
Of the late George E. Lemon, and a
| water color, French Cuirassiers
Bringing in Bavarian Prisoners" OF
these, the first. painted in 1875. is the
most important. Not only does this
commemorate an historical event, but
gives a glimpse of Paris. 1t is well
unified composition-the passing regi-
msnt has q perfect setting; there is
sense Of onward motion but static
quiet here, too; art has triumphed
over subject or least not been sub
merged by it.
Detaille, born in Paris in 1848, was
pupil of Meissonier, who was himself
a painter of military pictures. His
first success was painting of corner
of his masters studio, which he ex-
hibited in the Paris Salon of 1867.
Called to serve with the colors in the
Franco -Prussian War, he acted as Sec
retary first to Gen. Pajol and then
Gen. Appert, which gave him opportu-
nifty to famiiarize himself with mill
tary maneuvers and scenes. His
charge of the First Hussars, 1907"
an historical picture, was purchased
by the French government. With
Alphonse de Neuville he painted the
Panoramas of De Champigny and De
Rezonville, both at one time very pop
ular.
~ nn$ a.
senior, was in this field scarcely less
famous. and is equally well represented
in the Corcoran Gallery by his paint
ing, Flag of Truce" in the Clark
collection, which by the way, was at
one time in the Wagganlan collection,
and by a painting in gouache. Cham
pigny," probably study for section
of the panorama. Of noble and
wealthy family, he was sent first to
military school at Loriene, after
which he studied law in Paris for
three years. All the time, however, he
was sketching soldiers in uniform,
singly and in groups. His opportunity
to extend his knowledge came with
| the War of 1901, of which he be-
| came chief chronicler. His paintings
have more action, but less artistic
quality than Detaille's-they are
spirited and illustrative, but of no
great continuing interest.
GREATER than either of these was
Detail!e's master, MelSsonier,
| born at Lyon in about 1913, whose life
from beginning to end was made up
of an unbroken series of successes.
When he was young he went to Paris
to study and, on the recommendation
Of Daumier and others, began by copy
ing works by the Dutch masters.
Meissonier, it is said, had passion
for detail. and so it would seem. He
never used large canvases, but neither
did he ever omit from his paintings
the most minute item. Critics have
declared that, in spite of this fact,
Meissonier's paintings never were re-
garded as curiosities-that he painted
in q big way-that he unified his
effects, but judgment has somewhat
altered In recent years in this par
| ticular.
Almost as soon as Meissonier began
to exhibit he met with approval and
from the time he painted "Une Rixe,"
in 1855, he was the rage, the darling
of the gods. Most famous are his
Cavalry Charge" Soldiers at Cards"
and 1914" The last is in the Wal
ters collection, Baltimore. 1t repre-
sents Napoleon on his white charger.
overlooking the field of tomorrow's