Camera Work: A Photographic Quarterly (1911 (Heft 36))

The former exhibitions were reviewed in Nos. XXVII and XXX of Camera
Work.
CEZANNE EXHIBITION
During the month of March the Secession gave the American public its
first opportunity to become acquainted with Paul Cezanne. On first glancing
at the few touches of color which made up the water-colors by Cezanne, the
fount of inspiration of the younger school of painting, the beholder was tempted
to exclaim, “Is that all ?” Yet if one gave oneself a chance, one succumbed
to the fascination of his art. The white paper no longer seemed empty space,
but became vibrant with sunlight. The artist’s touch was so sure, each stroke
was so willed, each value so true, that one had no surrender to the absolute
honesty, sincerity of purpose and great mentality of him whom posterity may
rank as the greatest artist of the last hundred years.
PICASSO EXHIBITION
In the month of April, Pablo Picasso was introduced to the American
public. Picasso, a young Spaniard living in Paris, is one of the leading
influences among modern painters. His work is analyzed with great acumen
in Camera Work, Nos. XXXIV—XXXV, by Mr. Marius de Zayas, who
also contributed to the “Forum” a valuable essay on modern art in Paris,
which will also be found reprinted in the pages of the same issue. Mr. de
Zayas’s exposition of Picasso’s work was printed as an advance sheet of
Camera Work and distributed with the catalogue of the exhibition, to satisfy
those who sought enlightenment as to the aims and purposes of an artist
who is breaking virgin ground.
It was intended to wind up the season with a show of photographs, original
prints of D. O. Hill, whose work is well known to the readers of Camera
Work and also to the visitors of the Photo-Secession galleries. But in view
of the strenuousness of the season and the prolongation of the Picasso show,
this exhibition was postponed until some future date.
It was the consensus of opinion of the live critics, the live art-loving public
and the live artists, that the series held in the Little Galleries (1910-1911) was
without question the most stimulating influence of the season in the so-called
art world of New York—in other words, it was a rich and powerful force.
It is well to remember that the exhibitions held at “291” are looked upon by
those who arrange them as nothing more than a series of mere demonstrations,
each demonstration being of unusual value in itself, but of greater value in its
relationship to the underlying idea which has brought forth “291.”

As is our custom, we reprint for the sake of record, some of the news-
paper notices which appeared in New York on the above shows. We further-
more reprint in full, Mr. Fitzgerald’s two-column editorial on the new art
criticism. This editorial refers to de Zayas’s exposition of Picasso which was
printed in full in the last number of Camera Work.

30