Studio: international art (5.1895)

The Art of Boutet de Monvel

Boutet de Monvel the entire scope which is neces- idea is indicated by its title. Being no ornithologist,

sary for its full exhibition. He yearns for subjects I may be forgiven for not knowing whether the

which offer to him a greater chance of displaying white peacock exists in Nature, or whether it is the

his gift of decoration, and so, while he has a hun- delicious fantasy of an artist's brain. In any case,

dred little sitters waiting for him, he turns from Boutet de Monvel has achieved a most memorable,

them to subjects, speaking from the point of view a most delicately original, thing of beauty. Amongst

of decoration, of deeper, of more complex interest, other decorations from his brush which I remember

The elegant little Parisienne, gowned with the most to have seen are two remarkable studies of the

adorable artificiality, has to give place for a time at mermaid-haunted depths of the sea. These as yet

least to the sinister figure of the daughter of have not, I believe, been exhibited. When they

Herodias. In his study of Salome, Boutet de are, they are sure to receive the cordial apprecia-

Monvel has achieved a decora'ive painting of very tion of all to whom Salome and Paons Blancs have

high merit. The background is extraordinary for given pleasure. As in nearly all Boutet de Monvel's

" SALOME " FROM A PAINTING BY M. BOUTET DE MONVEL

its complexity of pattern, its felicity ot invention, latter work, the colour scheme leans towards

The girl herself, with her long hair, her wealth of delicacy rather than vigour. In the earlier part of

jewels, her superb head-dress, has a magnificent air his career he indulged in vivid contrast, in wars of

of orientality. Her little body assuredly was made conflicting colours; now, it is his aim in the first

for dancing : she carries the charger and its horrible place to arrive at quiet harmony of tone. The works

contents with superb indifference. She is followed which I have just considered are in water-colour, and

by two leopards, whose stealthy movement the I venture to think that it is in this medium that

artist indicates to admiration. It is altogether Boutet de Monvel expresses himself most happily,

pleasant to turn from this theme, gruesome if fasci- And yet in not a few instances he has used oil

nating, to the exquisite Paons Blancs, which was with conspicuous success. A study of the nude,

one of the most remarkable things in the exhibition which I saw some time since on an easel in his

of French water-colour painters held in London a studio, and which had, I believe, been exhibited at

year or two ago. The colouring of this work is the New Salon, was a convincing instance of this

almost nervously fastidious ; the originality of its fact.

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