DOI Heft:
No. 201 (December, 1909)
DOI Artikel:Bayes, Walter: The landscape paintings of James Aumonier, R. I.
DOI Artikel:Mechlin, Leila: Some american figure-painters
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20968#0207
American Figure Painters
"WILD FLOWERS" BY JAMES AUMONIER
He is a product—as satisfactory a one as I know, planning and the use of more continuous line,
and a far better one than we deserve—of the It may be, after all, that his artistic person-
annual Royal Academy Exhibition. He has en- ality—which would always make of him a genial,
joyed a fair degree of patronage, but has never had robust painter rather than a raffine, a plain,
a public of whom he was so secure as to make him unpretentious artist rather than a figurant — is
independent of the R.A. as a place of sale in just the one least likely to be injured by the
which he must compete afresh each year with all ordeal of painting for Royal Academy Exhibitions,
and sundry. It has kept him robust, but this and most likely to be undervalued by those who
habit of seeing his picture in imagination as organise them,
surrounded by unquiet and turbulent form and
colour, rather than in the tranquil spaces of the /^OME AMERICAN FIGURE-
room it might decorate, cannot but have had a PAINTERS BY L MECHLIN,
certain effect on Mr. Aumonier's ideals. It says ^\
much for his innate fineness of taste that the jT been said; paradoxically, but
prospect never led him to meet tawdry theatricality with much truth, that the art of a country only
with its own weapons. He had plenty of dramatic becomes an international power when it ceases to
power for such a task, but seems to have had be international. Great art is, of course, universal
always a natural horror of pretentiousness. I have in its significance; but the greatest art is, without
thought, however, that it leads him occasionally doubt, that which reflects, or embodies, the
to over-centralise his compositions, to break his characteristic tendencies of the time and nation
line for purposes of liveliness; but then, to my which gives, or has given, it birth. The same
mind, almost all European painting is over vignetted fundamental principles underlie all art; but the
—almost all modern painting sacrifices too much mastery of these, is the beginning, rather than the
to vibration. It would tempt me too far to end, of accomplishment. It is natural, therefore,
speculate on what Mr. Aumonier might have been that the watchers on the heights should be on the
had he been able to develop in more gracious outlook for signs of developing individuality, and
conditions which had led to a habit of calmer that the wayfarer from afar should be eagerly
i85
"WILD FLOWERS" BY JAMES AUMONIER
He is a product—as satisfactory a one as I know, planning and the use of more continuous line,
and a far better one than we deserve—of the It may be, after all, that his artistic person-
annual Royal Academy Exhibition. He has en- ality—which would always make of him a genial,
joyed a fair degree of patronage, but has never had robust painter rather than a raffine, a plain,
a public of whom he was so secure as to make him unpretentious artist rather than a figurant — is
independent of the R.A. as a place of sale in just the one least likely to be injured by the
which he must compete afresh each year with all ordeal of painting for Royal Academy Exhibitions,
and sundry. It has kept him robust, but this and most likely to be undervalued by those who
habit of seeing his picture in imagination as organise them,
surrounded by unquiet and turbulent form and
colour, rather than in the tranquil spaces of the /^OME AMERICAN FIGURE-
room it might decorate, cannot but have had a PAINTERS BY L MECHLIN,
certain effect on Mr. Aumonier's ideals. It says ^\
much for his innate fineness of taste that the jT been said; paradoxically, but
prospect never led him to meet tawdry theatricality with much truth, that the art of a country only
with its own weapons. He had plenty of dramatic becomes an international power when it ceases to
power for such a task, but seems to have had be international. Great art is, of course, universal
always a natural horror of pretentiousness. I have in its significance; but the greatest art is, without
thought, however, that it leads him occasionally doubt, that which reflects, or embodies, the
to over-centralise his compositions, to break his characteristic tendencies of the time and nation
line for purposes of liveliness; but then, to my which gives, or has given, it birth. The same
mind, almost all European painting is over vignetted fundamental principles underlie all art; but the
—almost all modern painting sacrifices too much mastery of these, is the beginning, rather than the
to vibration. It would tempt me too far to end, of accomplishment. It is natural, therefore,
speculate on what Mr. Aumonier might have been that the watchers on the heights should be on the
had he been able to develop in more gracious outlook for signs of developing individuality, and
conditions which had led to a habit of calmer that the wayfarer from afar should be eagerly
i85