International studio (61.1917)

A esthetic Hysteria


PONT NEUF

BY PAUL SIGNAC


Henri, and vice versa. In this way an exhibition
would be thoroughly catholic and would only
exclude misguided efforts which are not repre-
sentative of any school
or creed. The public
that pays to see art
wants wheat not chaff.
Alphabetical hanging
brought obloquy and
dispraise, for it resulted
in a riotous pall-mall
and hodge-podge of
paint that afforded no
sense of repose and
comfort; in fact, it was
the very negation of art.
In consequence, the ex-
hibition, like Pope’s
alexandrine measure,
“like a wounded snake
dragged its slow length
along” intolerably.
A straight display of
even pictures could

never attract the public in sufficient quantities
to ensure financial success. That is a foregone
conclusion, needing no argument. Recourse must
be had to other fea-
tures; in fact, the freak
element must be intro-
duced. Thus do we
worship mammon and
popularise art. A good
sprinkling of semi-lewd,
rude and nude can-
vases all help the brew,
along with fantastic,
circus-like pictures suffi-
ciently startling to chal-
lenge comment. All
these ruses were tried
and all these ruses
failed. The traps were
baited, but the public
found solace outside.
Even the Brancusi
bronze passed unnotic-
BY JOHN R. COVERT
ed, which was fortu-

THE TEMPTATION OF
ST. ANTHONY

CXXIV