DOI issue:
No. 136 (June, 1908)
DOI article:Frantz, Henri: The paintings of Gaston la Touche
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28254#0291
Gaston La Touche
century shows itself again
and again in La Touche,
he is nevertheless reso-
lutely modern in the choice
of many of his subjects.
Some five years ago M.
Camille Mauclair wrote of
him in these excellently
chosen terms: “Although
the artist has elected to
study the world of to-day,
to paint scenes outside the
realms of fairyland and of
poetry, his vision has yet
in no way become prosaic.
On the contrary we are
indebted to him for show-
ing us how a great imagi-
native poet can succeed in
suppressing that which is
ugly and imperfect in the
luxury around us while
pointing out beauties there-
in, the existence of which
we had never even sus-
“ sous les arbr.es” by gaston la touche pected. He has shown us
favour during the 18th cen-
tury. As was the case
with Huet, he likes to
introduce monkeys into his
pictures, and they fre-
quently figure very effec-
tively in his interiors. Like
Clodion, Boucher, and
Caresme, he has too a
great fancy for the fauns
with which he continually
peoples his woods and
gardens, without restricting
himself, of course, to the
literal form of the 18th
century. Further, he often
succeeds in calling up very
accurately the spirit of that
period, as in the decorative
panel styled La petite Mar-
quise and in many other
scenes wherein he depicts
the stage-carriages and
post-chaises of olden times.
But while this affinity
with the masters of the 18th “picador en danger” by gaston la touche
271
century shows itself again
and again in La Touche,
he is nevertheless reso-
lutely modern in the choice
of many of his subjects.
Some five years ago M.
Camille Mauclair wrote of
him in these excellently
chosen terms: “Although
the artist has elected to
study the world of to-day,
to paint scenes outside the
realms of fairyland and of
poetry, his vision has yet
in no way become prosaic.
On the contrary we are
indebted to him for show-
ing us how a great imagi-
native poet can succeed in
suppressing that which is
ugly and imperfect in the
luxury around us while
pointing out beauties there-
in, the existence of which
we had never even sus-
“ sous les arbr.es” by gaston la touche pected. He has shown us
favour during the 18th cen-
tury. As was the case
with Huet, he likes to
introduce monkeys into his
pictures, and they fre-
quently figure very effec-
tively in his interiors. Like
Clodion, Boucher, and
Caresme, he has too a
great fancy for the fauns
with which he continually
peoples his woods and
gardens, without restricting
himself, of course, to the
literal form of the 18th
century. Further, he often
succeeds in calling up very
accurately the spirit of that
period, as in the decorative
panel styled La petite Mar-
quise and in many other
scenes wherein he depicts
the stage-carriages and
post-chaises of olden times.
But while this affinity
with the masters of the 18th “picador en danger” by gaston la touche
271