International studio (15.1901/1902(1902))

Studio-Talk

Dragon, his qualities as a visionary, be the subject
what it may, are shown to be only less rare than
his dispositions as a painter. How shall we describe
as well his series of portraits of women and girls,
so sumptuously, so uncannily, so magnificently
immortalised amid scenery in which reigns the
splendour of the Italy and the Flanders of the
sixteenth century ? And, again, what shall we say
of his astonishing revelations of Louis II. of
Bavaria, of Richard Wagner, of Charles Baudelaire,
of Hamlet, of Julius Csesar, of Dante? It is not
less than a joy, in these days of narrow prejudices
and narrow passions, of unswerving realism and
finikin observation, to have the chance of greeting
an artist of such a breadth of outlook and insight
as his. Undoubtedly the art of M. de Groux is
not free from defects and inaccuracies; but it is a
virile art, a dramatic art, an art of high thought

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and lofty imagination. No man, who is free from
bias and capable of understanding a conception of
art so different from the popular conception as is
that of M. de Groux, would, after having seen this
exhibition, hesitate to bring himself in line with the
opinion of M. Alexandre, affirming that the painter
of the Christ Reviled is “a great painter.”

G. M.

ANTWERP.—Several exhibitions of interest
have recently attracted attention here.
Foremost among them was that of a group
of young artists held in the galleries of
the “ Oud Muzeum,” Venus Straat. The best known
of the exhibitors were Edmond van Ofifel, the late
Karel Collens, Strymans and E. van Mieghem,
who on this particular occasion were reinforced by
Alois de Laet, Ernst Naets and Arrnand Maclot.
Van Offel displayed a numerous series of illustra-
tions, ex-libris, and poemes
dessines, among them being
several lovely things—De
Fee (The Fairy), Koning
Lear (King Lear), Mei
(May), and Legende. His oils
and pastels pleased me less,
with the exception of Verleden
(The Past), a little work,
admirably conceived and
executed. Collens on this
occasion revealed himself an
impressionist of the highest
promise, particularly in a
series of scenes from Antwerp
and the banks of the Scheldt,
done in a style at once
original and thoroughly Flem-
ish, and occasionally filled
with keenly observed figures.
Without affectation of any
sort, but solely by his insight
and fidelity of vision, he had
the gift of impressing one
deeply, even in those scenes
from which the human figure
is absent, as in Huizekens
(Cottages). Collens was one
of the most supple and
versatile of the young Ant-
werp School. Van Mieghem
exhibited a large selection
of pastels, drawings, and
sketches. Without resem-
bling or deriving inspiration
from Raffaelli, he never-

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MRS. NEWBERY AND ANN MACBETH