Evening star., 1939-02-05

'L'Societe de L'Art Present" which
edge throughout the world Of the &C
living in Paris. If the selection made
was truly representative this knowl-
edge was undoubtedly worth nav
Ing. even though it is found both
alarming and depressing In the ex-
treme. -.
Art reflects, as in mirror, life, 1t
"a inevitable, and this art wnlcn
comes to us today from Paris shows
us so plainly not only confusion, but
degeneracy that 1t Is startling, IN
deed A sadder show was never set
forth under distinguished patron
age. Written here on the walls OF
the Washington Gallery OF Modern
Art is the downfall of civilization,
a descent so swift and sure that
apparently nothing can halt the on
rush to destruction nor turn the
tide. Merely as means to an END
is war-as depicted in "Guerre en-
Espagne," by Rene Morere, a world
cataclysm engulflng innocent and
guilty, closing the chapter OF mans
ascent from savagery to the con-
quest of natures forces through in
tellectual control. A horrible thought,
but inescapable in the presence OF
this exhibition.
Practically all of the painters rep
resented in this exhibition are mod
ern and resident in Paris, but not
all by any means are Parisians or
even Frenchmen. They have come
hither from Russia, Italy. Spain.
Holland and other lands, and rather
pride themselves on their interna-
tionalism, but for this very fact are
the more convincing as witnesses to
the state of the world today.
Poor France!
When people loses its aspirations
and its ideals it begins to slip down.
hill; when it loses its power Of in
telligent expression it has reverted
to those types from which IN the
Dark Ages it may have derived.
Poor France, for centuries leader
in art, most proud of her heritage,
most sensitive to beauty, most con-
scious of values and true to her
tdeals-to what low estate has she
fallen! In the works of these pres
ent-day painters Of Paris, set forth
in the Washington Gallery Of the
Museum of Modern Art, there is
neither beauty nor technical skill,
but, instead, sordid ugliness and in
competence. They shock rather
than cheer; they have no message
for the afflicted world of today; all
they do is to witness to the blank
ness of the artists minds and the
triviality of their conceptions. What
could be more pitiful-especially
when one recalls the past. Set be-
side the works of these present-day
painters of Paris works by such
artists as Chardin, Ingres, Corot,
Millet, Daumier, Courbet and host
Of others-indeed, bringing the COM
parison even closer, those Of Renoir,
Degas, Monet, Manet and others of
later date-and what would be the
result? They would fade to insig-
nif1cance. And why? Because while
their predecessors were seeking
beauty, their search is for novelty.
The great artists of the past have
al sought beauty and been moved
by it; furthermore, they have striven
to manifest 1t to the best of their
ability. These painters of Paris to-
day are content, 1t would seem, to
tumble and fail: and because what
they do finds its way to exhibition
galleries they think they have
achieved success. whereas they have
only attained notoriety.
Sorrows and Pain.
The shame of the degeneracy of
art today rests not so much on the
artists as on those who have pub
icized them, using them to their
own ends, as did the Goupils van
Gogh. But these men here repre-
sented are not of such caliber-they
trade on the sorrows and the pain
of those who have gone before.
They neither build on tradition nor
of1er anything worth having in its
place; in comparison to the great
modernists they are weaklings and
shadows
Over the mantel in the second
gallery hangs a large canvas by
Picasso of a single figure, "Harle-
quin," drawn strongly in outline and
colored with rainbow tints, which
testifies to his strength of drafts
manship and power to control his
medium-technically interesting, but
certainly not a great work. Nearby
hangs little painting by Matisse,
who also had sound academic train
Ing, which, while careless in render
ing and slight, shows him to be a
master of color and decoration,
whatever else he may have missed or
thrown away.
But what of the new men? The
Deer Hunt at Alwich Castle" is
certainly childish performance,
with all its sophistication-yet the
painter, Jean de Bottom, was ap-
pointed by the French government
to represent France at the corona
ton of King George vi. What
meaning or pleasure can any one
find In such a painting.as Rugby"
an abstraction by Pellan, or in the
several other works by other
painters of the same ilk? 1t is
tncomprehensible. Yet two little
distractions by Rene Tal-Coat, nice
enough in color. but no nicer than
blobs of paint on a palette, found
purchasers even before the exhibi-
ton opened to the public, as did
also painting of large monkey
with melancholy eyes, the work of
the same artist. and a picture in
gouache by Utrillo of the exterior
of the famous Moulin de la
Galette" The last is pleasing in
color and simple in treatment; the
appeal it makes is somewhat SINH
lar to that of a Japanese print, but
1t is not an outstanding work aside
from subjective interest and the
fame Of the painter.
Pleasantest of All.
Much more engaging than any of
these or in fart than all the other