Evening star., 1938-11-20

newest OF warrington galleries Is
made up Of paintings by ''20th
century French masters" all OF
whom are Of the extreme modern
school. Most famous In the collec-
ton is . painting Of Three Skulls"
by Cezanne, formerly In the collec-
ton Of NJ. Ambrose Vollard of
Paris, previously exhibited in Lon
don and In New York, frequently
reproduced and much commented
upon. There Is . nude by Renoir,
painted during his late period: a
large still life, la Chase" by
Derain; a head, femme Brune," by
Modigliann, very characteristic: a
street, La Rue Sainte-Rustique," by
Utrillo, and Woman With Bouquet"
by Matisse, all conforming to type
no more so, however, than a still
life, La Grape de Raisins," by
Braque: "Goodwood," by Raoul
Duty; distractions in water color by
Picasso, 'Tete," by Chain Soutine,
and lie Canal" by Henri Rousseau.
Quite out of the ordinary is paint
ing by Georges Rouault-'Le Christ
ct les Pecheurs" composition in
which there is little trace of the
influence exerted earlier by the
painters study of the colored glass
in the great Gothic cathedrals.
The Warrington public has be-
come familiar with the works Of =
majority OF these painters through
examples owned and exhibited by
the Phillips Memorial Gallery
earlier works in most instances,
fresher Of vision, less weary in
matter of execution. In his fore
word to the catalogue Of this ex-
hibition Mr.. Whyte says that the
development Of painting during the
latter part of the 18th and in the
Goth century In France has un-
doubtedly exercised a greater in
fluence upon artists Of different ma
tionaities than any other movement
In the history of the fine arts since
the Renaissance-and undoubtedly
he Is right. But he does not say
and this is something which we must
decide for Observation-Disclosures or not
this influence has been benef1cent
or evil. This question comes upon
one with greater force when as here
In the presence of the works Of the
innovators done during their last
years, when the movement had lost
some OF its momentum and the
painters their youth. Revolution is
very apt to wear itself thin in time
as impetus slackens and the starting
point is reapproached. This is pre-
cisely what befell the modernists
whose works are now on exhibition
and yet it Is these later works Of
men who had given their best that
have exerted most strong influence
upon the art Of our day In America.
Compare the Renoir nude in the
current exhibition with the same
masters Luncheon of the Canoists"
in the Phillips Gallery; the Braque
here with the Braque there; the
still life by Derain with his portrait
THE Dancer" so essentially per-
sonal; the figure composition by
Roualt with the group painting so
Gothic in feeling; even the Matisse
Of "Woman with Bouquet" with the
same vase of "Anemones' in the
Phillips Gallery: and the difference
in age and spirit will be Immediately
evident-it is like a metamorphis.
In the later works the painters
seem to have become q law unto
themselves, to have cast aside, as
inessential. all the teachings Of
tradition, but in freeing themselves
lost their hold on immortality, drop
ping from the magic ring which
represents, through the centuries,
master to master as passing on the
inscrutable from hand to hand. Thus
giants at time loom against the
horizon and then fade into shadows.
The question that we must ask
ourselves today is-shal We follow
shadows or seek reality? This is
not . matter Of the academic or the
traditional-but Of art Is an ex-