International studio (18.1902/1903)

the provincial council of Brabant the artist re-
presented a Brusseis iace-maker—Za
—which has been reproduced in these
coiumns. M. Devreese's new work depicts a
Tournaisian ceramist of the hfteenth century
working in an ateiier, whence one may see
the famous "chong clotiers"—or five bells—of the
Walioon city.

M. Devreese has aiso done a medai, inscribed :
"A M. Buls, ia viile de Bruxeiles reconnais-
sante"; and a iittie for " Les amis de
ia Mddaiiie d'Art." The remarkable scheme
designed by him for the <?/* //h?
<y (?<//'<^// has been dehniteiy accepted

after long discussion, and the artist wiii start on
the work soon. F. K.
M /T UNICH.—Fainting at Munich is at pre-
j % / S sent passing through a curious crisis.
/ W H Thearthasexhaustedneariyaliitspro-
1. T *. gressive elements, and does not know
what to do next. It might be said that it has arrived
at that stage of lethargy where creative genius ceases,
whiie taste and requirements proceed frorn rehne-
ment to refrnement. At any rate, this much is
certain : Munich art no ionger cherishes the ieast
illusions, no ionger believes in anything, no longer
hopes for anything, no longer gets enthusiastic
about anything. It is tired of the work it has done,
and wouid iike a rest.


MONUMENT OF " THE BA1TLB BY G. DEVREESE
OF THE GOLDEN SPURS"

This desire for repose hnds
expression in many ways. The
young aftergrowth of the Se-
cession, to which I referred on
the occasion of the iast Spring
Exhibition, is returning to
inferior copying of Nature—
to naturaiism, in a word. This,
however, is by no rneans that
fervent naturalism inspired by
revolutionary dehance, with
which the Secession began
thirteen years ago, but a Haccid,
spiritiess retrocession to a
point previously gained: more
iike resignation than a desire
for conquest. Aii these young
men are mediocrities, who
plod through their work; not
geniuses, who have their heads
fuh of boid ventures and ex-
perunents. If they are left to
perform quietiy their work-a-
day tasks, they wili by the end
of their lives have done a
iarge heap of paintings, but
they wiil not have advanced
art by a singie hair's-breadth.
They may do a lot, but they
wiii not accompiish anything.
They may become exceiient
workers at paintings, and
perhaps useful teachers at the
Academy, but never inventors
of new things, never creators of
an art looked up to by Europe.

67