International studio (19.1903)

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sculpture, was that the methods of encaustic and
distemper painting their artists practised froze up
their genius. The must not be siow, arduous,
and difhcuit."
" But the masters of oid—Rubens, Rembrandt,
Veiasquez—they did not compiain? "
"They were not troubied by certain sensibiiities
which we possess nowadays, and which compiicate
our art to an uniimited extent. Rubens painted
aii his pictures in a conventional iight, being quite
content therewith. Perhaps he was right, but we
to-day have invented 'vaiues,' refiections, atmo-
sphere (morai and otherwise), etc., etc.,
and in aii these things we are reaiiy iost with the
oid process of oiis and brushes ! Rembrandt cared
so littie for atmosphere and reai iight, as we under-
stand them now, that for centuries past the art
critics have been arguing over his
some declaring that Rembrandt intended to convey
an effect of sunshine, while others deciare he meant
it to be a real night effect! What do you say to

that ? I consider, too, that we have iost the sense
of the grand decorative style because we have no
ionger around us sights caicuiated to inspire it. ... "
" But, Puvis de Chavannes ? "
" Puvis de Chavannes was an exception. More-
over, his work does not for one moment make one
think of painting in oiis. His pictures are great
dat drawings, and he would certainiy have been
deiighted to use my coiours, just as would Millet,
who was never greater than in his pastels and his
drawings. Had MHiet painted these things with
my coiours they wouid be absoiuteiy indeiibie."
" So you contend that with your sticks of coiour
one may repiace both oil-coiours and pasteis ? "
" Absolutely ! And the exhibition of seventy-five
works done with my coiours has proved it beyond
discussion ! At this same exhibition was seen a
magnihcent by Besnard, which had the
freshness of a water-coiour and the velvety tone of
an oii-painting. One saw too, severai Thauiows,
of a warmth, a strength of coiouring, and a trans-


" LE FONT DES SAINTS P&RES

FROM THE PAINTING EXECUTED IN THE NEW SOLID OIL-COLOURS
BY J. F. RAFFAELLI