International studio (15.1901/1902(1902))

Studio-Talk

theless reminds one of that artist. The French-
man’s work is richer, riper, more fully rendered;
but it is in no way superior in feeling and
sentiment. The types common to the poor
quarters of Antwerp are as thoroughly understood
by Van Mieghem as are those of the queer out-
skirts of Paris by Raffaelli. Another young man
of great talent is de Laet. A many-sided artist, at
once realist and fantaisiste, he paints with equal
facility the figures of his dreams or the concrete
beauties of Nature. With a little more finish his
Laatste Zonnestralen (Sun’s Last Rays) and his
O. L. Vrouw (The Madonna) would be exquisite
things. It is a pleasure to mention a beautiful
water-colour by Naets, also two Marken types, and
a solidly composed drawing, De Schutter (The
Archer). Strymans contributed a fine bronze,
Wanhoop (Despair). As for Maclot, the youngest
of the group, two of his pictures, although quite
superficial, are sufficiently meritorious to augur
well for him. Finally, I must mention the paint-
ings, ten in number, by L. Istas, a poor consump-
tive who died some months ago, before he had well
reached the age of twenty. Two of these works
fill one with sadness and regret—Herfst (Autumn),
an avenue of trees boldly brushed, and Winter, two

little old men supporting one another amid the
falling snow. Istas lived too brief a life to reveal the
extent of his talent, but these two canvases plainly
show that he might have become a very fine painter.

In the Salle Verlat—horrible in its new archi-
tectural garb, but admirably situated—we have
had a display by Boudry, the genre painter, and
Rul, the landscapist. The first-named artist is, I
am glad to say, making real progress. Among
his best efforts I will name Moeder Coleta (Mere
Colette), Bij Onweer (In the Storm), his portrait

of Mrs. B-, and, finally, two excellent things,

the finest I have seen of his—Bij den Haard (By
the Fireside), and his interior, Binnenhuis. With
regard to Rul, whose young, fresh, and tender
colours have long attracted me greatly, I should
like to see him penetrate more deeply into the
character of the things he paints, and also enlarge,
not his canvases, but his vision ; see him extend his
horizon, and give us our Flemish landscapes in all
their vastness. Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed
some of his recent works, such as Duinen (Downs),
Herfst (Autumn), Oude Dennen (Old. Pines), and
particularly, two admirable things, April and
Abeelen in 7 Naiaar (Autumn Birches).

“the lower Scheldt”

BY FRANZ HENS