DOI Heft:
No. 83 (February, 1900)
DOI Artikel:Baldry, Alfred Lys: The art of J. S. Sargent, R. A., [1]
DOI Artikel:Nolhac, Pierre de: The early fountains at Versailles
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19784#0034
The Early Fountains at Versailles
perhaps the best remembered of all his pictures G. Marquand (188S), were the most memorable of
of this period—and the portrait of Madame his canvases during the period that ended with
Gautreau, over which Parisian critics were wildly his migration from Paris to London. Since then
excited on account of its audacity of treatment he has given us La Carmencita, at the Academy in
and novelty of manner. Although he made Paris 1891, and now hanging in the Luxembourg; and,
his headquarters, he was, however, by no means also at the Academy, Lady Agnew (1893), Miss
always at work there. He paid visits at more and Chainlet (1894); W. Graham Robertson, Esq.,
more frequent intervals to London, where, year by Mrs. Russell Cooke, and the two portraits of
year, his reputation was growing as surely as it had Mr. Coventry Patmore, in 1895 ; The Right Hon.
in France ; and finally, some half-dozen years after Joseph Chamberlain, Mrs. Lan Hamilton, Sir George
his trip into Spain, he crossed the Channel, not on Lewis, and Mrs. Colin LJunter, all in 1896; Mrs.
a visit, but to take up his abode permanently in Carl Meyer, one of his happiest pieces of uncon-
England. Since then, there has been no break in ventional composition, and The ILon. Laura Lister,
a progress that has brought him into the inner- a delightful study of dainty childhood, in 1897;
most sanctuary of Pritish art, and his election three of the strongest renderings that he has ever
as an Associate of the Academy in 1894, and as a produced of male sitters, Francis Cranmer Penrose,
Royal Academician in 1897, have followed as Esq.,P.RJ.D.A.,SirThomasSittherland,G.C.M.G.,
a matter of course. M.P., and Asher Wertheimer, Esq., with several
In the twenty years, or so, over which his others, in 1898; and last year four equally notable
practice has so far extended he has proved him- paintings of feminine sitters, Mrs. Charles Llunter,
self capable of many things, and has made ex- Miss Octavia Hill, Miss Jane Evans, and Lady
cursions into many fields of art. Far the largest Faudel-Phillijts. To the New Gallery he has sent
share of his time, however, has been given to from time to time pictures of superlative quality,
portrait painting, and, in any record of his pro- among them more than one that can fairly be said
duction, what he has done in this branch of work to mark great moments in his practice. There
calls for the chief attention. His portraits, indeed, was the great full length of Mrs. Hammerslcy, for
make up a long list punctuated by great successes instance ; and the more recent, but somewhat
Few of his canvases could with justice be ignored, similar, portrait of Mrs. Thursby ; and there have
or passed over as commonplace or uninteresting, heen besides The Countess Clary Aldringen, Mrs.
but every now and then he has made a leap George Swinlon, Mrs. Ernest Franklin, and Mrs.
forward in which with a single stride he has Anstruihcr Thomson, as well as the vividly realised
covered more ground than other men can pass and intensely characteristic half length of Colonel
over witli a decade of assiduous toil; and, curi- Lan Hamilton, which was at the gallery last
ously, after each advance there has been no summer. A few other important works, like the
perceptible recoil to prepare for the next effort, character portrait, Miss Ellen Terry as "Lady
If he marks one year by a success, in the next, Macbeth," and the occasional canvases which he
though he may possibly not provide another contributed to the exhibitions of the New English
sensation, he brings up all his canvases to the Art Club, while he was a member of that society,
level of the best that has gone before. It is this have found their way to other galleries. Altogether
faculty that gives him a hold upon even that his record in this direction is an ample one, and
section of the public which does not understand it is not less deserving of comment on account of
him. No one can prophesy exactly what he will the sustained effort to reach a high standard to
do next, and he keeps alive a spirit of speculation which it bears witness than it is as a proof of
that is most fascinating to everyone who loves indefatigable energy and zealous practice,
surprises. {To be continued)
There are not many gaps in the series of
portraits which he has, since he first began ex- ^pHR EARLY FOUNTAINS AT
hibiting in this country, contributed to the chief VERSAILLES. BY PIERRE DE
London galleries. He has been fairly prolific, I NOLHAC.
especially of late years, and he has almost always
added to the interest of the exhibitions in which The fountains in the Gardens of Ver-
he has appeared: Mrs. H. White (1884), Lady sailles have enjoyed a curious celebrity from the
Playfair(i&8$), the admirable group of The Misses first. The difficulty experienced by the engineers
Vickers (1886), the masterly picture of Mrs. Henry in the matter of supplying running water to a place
perhaps the best remembered of all his pictures G. Marquand (188S), were the most memorable of
of this period—and the portrait of Madame his canvases during the period that ended with
Gautreau, over which Parisian critics were wildly his migration from Paris to London. Since then
excited on account of its audacity of treatment he has given us La Carmencita, at the Academy in
and novelty of manner. Although he made Paris 1891, and now hanging in the Luxembourg; and,
his headquarters, he was, however, by no means also at the Academy, Lady Agnew (1893), Miss
always at work there. He paid visits at more and Chainlet (1894); W. Graham Robertson, Esq.,
more frequent intervals to London, where, year by Mrs. Russell Cooke, and the two portraits of
year, his reputation was growing as surely as it had Mr. Coventry Patmore, in 1895 ; The Right Hon.
in France ; and finally, some half-dozen years after Joseph Chamberlain, Mrs. Lan Hamilton, Sir George
his trip into Spain, he crossed the Channel, not on Lewis, and Mrs. Colin LJunter, all in 1896; Mrs.
a visit, but to take up his abode permanently in Carl Meyer, one of his happiest pieces of uncon-
England. Since then, there has been no break in ventional composition, and The ILon. Laura Lister,
a progress that has brought him into the inner- a delightful study of dainty childhood, in 1897;
most sanctuary of Pritish art, and his election three of the strongest renderings that he has ever
as an Associate of the Academy in 1894, and as a produced of male sitters, Francis Cranmer Penrose,
Royal Academician in 1897, have followed as Esq.,P.RJ.D.A.,SirThomasSittherland,G.C.M.G.,
a matter of course. M.P., and Asher Wertheimer, Esq., with several
In the twenty years, or so, over which his others, in 1898; and last year four equally notable
practice has so far extended he has proved him- paintings of feminine sitters, Mrs. Charles Llunter,
self capable of many things, and has made ex- Miss Octavia Hill, Miss Jane Evans, and Lady
cursions into many fields of art. Far the largest Faudel-Phillijts. To the New Gallery he has sent
share of his time, however, has been given to from time to time pictures of superlative quality,
portrait painting, and, in any record of his pro- among them more than one that can fairly be said
duction, what he has done in this branch of work to mark great moments in his practice. There
calls for the chief attention. His portraits, indeed, was the great full length of Mrs. Hammerslcy, for
make up a long list punctuated by great successes instance ; and the more recent, but somewhat
Few of his canvases could with justice be ignored, similar, portrait of Mrs. Thursby ; and there have
or passed over as commonplace or uninteresting, heen besides The Countess Clary Aldringen, Mrs.
but every now and then he has made a leap George Swinlon, Mrs. Ernest Franklin, and Mrs.
forward in which with a single stride he has Anstruihcr Thomson, as well as the vividly realised
covered more ground than other men can pass and intensely characteristic half length of Colonel
over witli a decade of assiduous toil; and, curi- Lan Hamilton, which was at the gallery last
ously, after each advance there has been no summer. A few other important works, like the
perceptible recoil to prepare for the next effort, character portrait, Miss Ellen Terry as "Lady
If he marks one year by a success, in the next, Macbeth," and the occasional canvases which he
though he may possibly not provide another contributed to the exhibitions of the New English
sensation, he brings up all his canvases to the Art Club, while he was a member of that society,
level of the best that has gone before. It is this have found their way to other galleries. Altogether
faculty that gives him a hold upon even that his record in this direction is an ample one, and
section of the public which does not understand it is not less deserving of comment on account of
him. No one can prophesy exactly what he will the sustained effort to reach a high standard to
do next, and he keeps alive a spirit of speculation which it bears witness than it is as a proof of
that is most fascinating to everyone who loves indefatigable energy and zealous practice,
surprises. {To be continued)
There are not many gaps in the series of
portraits which he has, since he first began ex- ^pHR EARLY FOUNTAINS AT
hibiting in this country, contributed to the chief VERSAILLES. BY PIERRE DE
London galleries. He has been fairly prolific, I NOLHAC.
especially of late years, and he has almost always
added to the interest of the exhibitions in which The fountains in the Gardens of Ver-
he has appeared: Mrs. H. White (1884), Lady sailles have enjoyed a curious celebrity from the
Playfair(i&8$), the admirable group of The Misses first. The difficulty experienced by the engineers
Vickers (1886), the masterly picture of Mrs. Henry in the matter of supplying running water to a place