2
THE SALON.
New Sculptures and Paintings Note
To Be Seen in Paris.
Paris. April 23.
The salon of the National Society of Fine
Arts larks youth, nerve and audacity. Most of
the artists .yon their laurels fifteen years ago;
since that date they have been repeating them
selves like pensioned functionaries in monot
onous waves of routine. The Fame old apple
trees continue to put forth the same fruit,
which becomes each ytar more withered and
Jukeless. Paintings, pastels, drawings, water
colors and sculpture comprise some two thou
sand numbers. Of these less than two hun
«srP'l and fifty are by newcomers; that is to say,
by artists who are neither members nor asso
ciates. The National Society has thus become
more academic and more "pompier" than the
Society of French Painters, from which it se
ceded twenty-five years ago.
On entering the rotunda one meets a rough
hewn bust of a woman, bearing an expression
of penetrating melancholy. The purity of the
marble reflects the light with vibrating warmth.
It is the latest work of Room. Needless to
Kay, it is far from finished, for be persists in
presenting his offspring, as it were, in dressing
gown and slippers. Near to this unfinished
work is "Repose," a beautiful composition by
Philippe Besnard, son of the painter, and close
by an exquisitely modelled bead by Jean Oar
rier*, son of the lamented master of "grisaille."
Near the staircase to the right attention is at
tracted by a group of two little girls; the
younger Is toying with her doll and reclines
Upon the shoulder of her elder sister; these are
the portraits executed by Mme. Charlotte Bes
jiard of her two children. A "Jeanne d'Arc," by
i:.. ml* •!!• . dominates the platform to the left,
Chiselled in a soft gray, porous stone. The fig
ure has the effect of being detached from the
entrance to a cathedral. There is a fascinating
series of portraits by Prince Troubetzkoi, in
cluding those of the Marquise de Casa Fuerta
and Baron Henri de Rothschild. Vallgren's
head of a Dutch woman Is a robust piece of
work. One should note an exceedingly sympa
thetic collection of figures and statuettes in
wax by Henri Wernhea, thoroughly decorative,
ffclirious in line, soft and harmonious in eomp<v
• lii !i. Near by are some clever busts i f young
yrls by .Mirk Hopkins, of Giverny.
ML Albert Besnard exhibits the third pane] c.f
Ids ceiling decoration for the Petit Palais. We
flr.ve already seen ".La Pensfe" and "La Ma
■■••; this time it is "La Plastique," symbolized
—and here 1 copy the catalogue — "by the choice
of Beauty for Beauty's sake." (The fourth
panel will be that "f "La Mystique.") The Ira
presaion conveyed Is agreeable, light and sooth
ing. The central figure la a nude youth, slight
ly draped about the loins, the body pierced by
arrows and the gaze fixed toward the sky. The
artist's idea is to show the opposition between
thought and matter. Another admirable deco
rative work is by Ren< Menard. executed for
the law faculty of the University of Paris, and
consisting of two panels, devoted to pastoral
life. An archaic cowboy struggles with a bull
and a dark maid milks a cow— material themes
treated with poetic feeling. Alfred Roll, presi
dent of the National Society, has never achieved
a more charming piece of work than his brill
iant decorative panel where groups of nude
women, bathed in sunshine, are seen playing in
a garden full of delicate spring flowers. An
other .stirring work by the same artist is the
'.I. .■■>.:>■ R£pubJiaue, M a nervous, dark haired
young Parisian woman, draped in red, stand-
Ing with outstretched arms on the heights of
Mont mart re.
Prominent amon? the portraits Is that of a
mother and daughter, the latter playing with a
title fox terrier, by R. Woog, and with this
must be mentioned a series of Intense, diabolic
portraits of ■omen by Boldini; some refined and
beautiful "graadea dames" by l);wan-r-ou
veret; the firmly modelled family groops by
Lucieo Simon, ine'.udinK a portrait of bimself
!:i bis shirt sleeves, and several highly colored,
luminous portraits of Parisian men and women
by Jacques Blanche, including one of himself
with a white scarf about his neck. one baa al
ways something to lean: from M. Blanche. He
I, as the minute, photographic tease of ohserva
tioo which perhaps comes to him from his late
f- ■. ntific father Bungled with the imaginative
qualitii ■ of a Borne ■ Jones. Tin kodak a< cv
i.i % r iiis eve catches bold of evanescent de
bi£ fancy sixes his canvases the mystic
touch of a dream. He lias never painted a more
suggestive portrait than that of Henry James.
Whose character and thought are jw.rtrayed in
th> massive l>row and the delicately modelled
temple. AT. Blanche's portrait of Mrs. S. Nohle
js marked by stately distinction. Oaxolus-
Duran's portrait of Mme. E. de S. in a ball
iln ss, with llowers in her liair. has a fui! amwV
c f the master's brilliancy of technique; J. J.
Shannon's portrait of the late Phil May is a
Strongly brushed, wefl composed work; i'rincess
I, de Murats jx.rtrait of an old soldier is full
or character, and Bernard Ostcrman's portrait
of tho KinK of Sweden seated on a divan in
evening dress is replete with Scandinavian
freshness and strength Victor Sfharf na^i a
portrait of Mme. IX, well composed and con-
Bcier.tious in draftsmanship. S. M. Dooav H Ull'l
portrait of Antonio de la Uandura, the painter,
etunding in an observant attitude, palette and
NEW-YORK DAILY TRIBUNE, SUNDAY, MAY 2, 1909.
brush in hand, is full of interest and makes an
effective petulant to Gaudara's portrait of Haae.
A., reposing on a couch, cleverly pencilled in
Grecian tines. One of the finest portrait* In the
show is that of Mine. Simone, the actress, ly
Caro-Delvalle. The model, daintily draped in
an X npin > venlng <ln sa, reclines in a RjCcamier
!ik> attitude OB a sofa, the head supported t.y
!!:• waVA band and the left tiand toying with a
King Charles spaniel. The Qesfa tints are mar
vellously rendered, and the atmosphere of the
work is deep and luminous. John Lavery'a
parlor maid is a dexterous work, brilliant in
tutor, enhanced by v masterful treatment of ob
jects of still life.
TLere is a daring disregard of conventionality,
mingled with distressing meqnalitiea of brush
work, in Caro-Delvalle's picture of a pagan lov
ing pair, In passionate embrace, exchanging
vows. The breasts and shoulders are In paint
ing equal to what Kodin does in marble, but the
heads and extremities are neutralised by a com
plete absence of poetry and inspiration. There
are pleasing effects of morning light in the deli
cate, hazy view of. the cathedral of Mantes,
seen from across the Seine, painted by Dag
naux. Walter Gay remains the masterful cele
brant of home atmosphere and Interiors. His
fine composition and exquisite technique appear
in their full freshness in the live little gems that
AMUSEMENT.
(Prom the painting by ■> A. Horn»l.)
compose his exhibit. Miss Florence Este ex
hibits a decorative panel, a landscape by the
seaside, ir. delicate gray and pearl tones, com
posed with Japanese subtlety. A suggestive bit
of w^rk if to be E*-en in "L.es Amoureaux" — a
Hungarian youth kissing the neck of his half
concMded nancee, by I-azlos Kunfy. Perhaps
the finest nudes, an opalescent delicacy temper
ing their Ruhensesejue massiveness, are by the
American, F. K. Preiseke. The indoor pictures
of Breton peasamts and children, by Miss Eliza
beth Nourse, are works of sterling merit. Miss
Floren ■ c Dptoni "I-a Falon Jaune" is sugges
tive and tali of promise.
A critical examination of the Salon points to
trip conclusion that its dominating work is pre
sented in the two decorative panels, lllastrat-
NOVEMBER HILLS.
(From the painting by Bruce Crane.)
Ing the vision of Jeanne d'Arc and her corona
tion at Rheims, by Maurice Boutet de Monvei —
•lecorations characteristic of the purity of con
ception of tho Primitives, thoroughly unpreten
tious and simple in composition ana treatment.
Je-ruiiie d"Arc is kneeling In ecstasy in a sheep
paMure before her martial vision. In the coro
nation panel she knoels in the cathedral behind
the King and grasps the banner of the fleurs
de-lis with a cross; the work, is strong and pro
foundly impressive. The two canvases, al
though elaborated after years of conscientious
labor, claim to be merely studies for the deco-
Anglo- American
Fine Art Co.
J. D. Ichenhauser, President
523 Fifth Avenue
{Eti-ween 43rd & 44th Streets) Nel» York
PAINTINGS
by
Old Masters
of the Early Italian, Flemish, Spanish, Dutch,
German and English Schools.
Galltriti Open, 9 6"c. *A. (M.—6 o'c. T. M.
INSPECTION INVITED
V. G. FISCHER
ART GALLERIES.
527 and 529 15th St.,
WASHINGTON. D. C.
Dealer. In fine Painting* of an schools. En CT* v ! n^L^
Diirer. Rembrandt. Whistier, Haden. Meryon. Bnc-a Brae.
Bindings and Rare Books.
rations in the basilique of Domremy; they have
been loaned by e-x-Senator W. A. Clark, ol Mon
tana. C I- B.
THE CARXEGIE INSTITUTE
Opening of the Annual Ejchibitiim
at Pittsburg.
£jm4 Thursday afternoon the trustees of th^
t'arnegie Institute at Pittsburgh held their thir
teenth annual c-lebration of "Founder's Day.'
This meant the owning 1 of the international
exhibition which every year, for a consider
able period, has made one of the salient
events of the art season. Indeed, Pittsburgh ha.-
enjoyed in these displays a privilege shared t>
no oth-T city in the T'niteti States. Xowhere
I a body of current work in painting' gath
ered togtth.-r und.-r tuch truly inten. .
auspices. At New York, at Philadelphia and at
Washington there may h-e seen at different time-;
during the winU-r many of the American p
\\hi<h ure brought forward in the spring 1 it
I'ittsburs. but there tht- visitor may also see n
quantity of work from abroad. This is obtained
jiartly through the establishment of for* i^ti
advisory committees and partly through the of
fering of substantial prizes. Artists everywhere
have come to regard the Pittsburgh show as on»
affording' them a valuable opportunity.
The list of pictures exhibited this year em
braces a large number of interesting pieces. We
may note here the prize winners, two of whk '.\
are reproduced on this page. The medal of th»-
ELn?t class, which carries with It the sum of
$1,500, was awarded to Mr. Edmund C. TarN 11
for the picture of "Girl Crocheting." which was
first shown in New York several years ago.
Mr. George Sauter, an English artist, hits *or:
the medal of the second cla^a and the accom
panying prizf of $1,000 with an interior. "Th-
Bridal Morning." It represents a nude youn<
woman attended by two of her kinsfolk, one of
whom she pauses to embrace while the other
stands waiting with garments in her hands. It
is a curious example of "modernity." The m- Ist
of the third class, with $500. has gune to Mr.
Bruce Crane for his "November Hills," the Mrj
striking landscape which we reproduce. It hi
gratifying that two of the three high awards
should have been secured by Americans. Th.-
Englishmen have had their luck in the matter
of Honorable Mentions. Mr. Stanhope A. Forbes
has been thus distinguished for his interior with
figures, "The Village Industry." so has Mr. X A
Hornel for his "Amusement." the open air sub
ject which appears in one of our illustrations,
and so likewise has Mr. Arnesby Brown for a
landscape with cattle, "Tho Gate."* An Ameri
can artist similarly honored is Miss Eliza:-- r!i
Starhawk- Jones, for her picture of nursemaids
with their charges. "In Rittenhouse. Square."
I LAZY LIFE.
From The London Chronicle.
BriUat-Savarin had two spinster sisters who
found as much pleasure In sleeping as the
author of the "Physiologic dv Gout" found in
eating. They lived in the country, and were
in the habit of passing ten months of the year
in their beds, leaving them only to prepare for
the annual visit of their brother, who invaria
bly arrived on October 1. He remained with
them until the end of November, when they
bade him farewell with the words. "Goodby till
next year, Anthelme; we are going- back t>>
bed." This somnolent regime agreed; with them
admirably, for they both lived to a great age,
one of them, Pierrette, attaining her hundredth
year. Pierrette's end, aeccrdlTiic to her broth
er's biographer, was worthy of her life. She
was sitting up in bed. eating her dinner, ami
not being served quickly enough, screamed
somewhat angrily, "Bring the dessert.'* When
the servant brought It. she found her mistress
dead.