Camera Work: A Photographic Quarterly (1908 (Heft 24))

writer, his novels and his stories are original in their style, throbbing with
inward life, with passionate and music-like lyrism. He has written much on
all the arts. He has been the lecturer and the endowed critic of Ibsenism;
the historian of impressionism; the commentator of the work of Rodin and
of all the great artists, painters, sculptors, musicians and poets, for which his
keen intellect has been so well adapted.
“I am reminded of modern painters that I admire above all others,
when looking at these beautiful, stirring portraits. They reveal to us the
intimate being of the individualities, which they represent with a quality of
art absolutely unquestionable. They are visible pages of psychology, and I
admire their grandeur—their intensity of expression, for these photographs
are complete. In spite of all the restrictions which one could make on
account of certain details, and which are in fact only the result of the personal
knowledge of the subject, one is forced sincerely to admire their beautiful
and interesting variety. All these photographs are attractive, some by the
impressions, the masterful memories that they suggest; others by the ingen-
iousness of their decorative qualities. Besides, there are many very cleverly
interpreted, full of beautiful effects and of the assembling of beautiful
material.”
FRANCIS JOURDAIN
A clever decorator, one of the first promotors of art researches in mod-
ern furniture; but above all a nature sensitive to very touching poetry and
somewhat retiring; a painter interested in quiet glimpses of the streets, little
shops, show-windows of dealers, chaste fagades, and landscapes of the lie de
France, rendered with naivety by a colorist of talent, in compositions of
always novel arrangement.
“There can be ‘art* only where there is an artist. Be it either by
pure photography or by the interpretation of the negative, a real artist will
always produce an interesting page, whereas the vulgar workman will pro-
duce something horrible in either case. I consider, therefore, that only the
result is of importance. I am not opposed to some modification. It is in-
deed often useful, on the understanding that it is necessary to use care to
preserve in the work its well defined character of a photograph. I know
very well that from the moment one interprets, one runs the risk of obtain-
ing effects analogous to those of the arts of drawing. However, it must be
possible not to fall into an unfortunate confusion. Let photography remain
as much as possible photography; etching, etching; water-color, water-color.
It is no more a compliment to say of a photograph, ‘it looks like an etching’
than to say of a pastel, ‘it looks like a painting.’ Each process must keep
its character and qualities peculiar to itself. The photographs that you show
me are beautiful, they are living—and it is this life that photography does
not always give. I do not believe that one can ever attain great art with
photography. As between man and nature there will always be the machine,

20