Studio: international art (6.1896)

genius in a series of incomparable plates ; Henry
Monnier, in whom one sees something of the
cruelty and something of the grandeur of the great
Hogarth; and then Gavarni, the Balzac of litho-
graphy, Gavarni with the world of his creation
swarming upon his stone; and Daumier, with his
profound and biting observation, in which one
may see both suffering and contempt, truth and

cynicism. -

Then came a time when this art decayed; and
for years and years lithography served only for
common commercial purposes. No artist worthy
of the name would condescend to use this neglected
process. One may seek in vain for the reason
why the art of lithography was held so long in
disdain, a state of things which lasted until the
Society of French Lithographers, with the powerful
help of the great printing firm of Lemercier, set to
work to revive its past glories; and thus litho-
graphy came to life once more.

With exponents like Fantin-Latour, Carriere,
Henri Martin, Aman-Jean, Henri Pille, Lunois,
Henri de Groux, A. M. Lauzet, Gceneutte, Forain,
Lepere, Toulouse-Lautrec, and others, a new vogue
came in, and the art of drawing on stone was
restored. Artists of the stamp of Puvis de
Chavannes confided to lithography the secret of
their generous inspiration ; Willette—that delicate
fantaisiste, whose pencil-tip has some of the grace
of our great Watteau himself—excelled in this
art. And soon lithography in colours came
triumphantly to the fore. It is enough to mention
Jules Cheret alone to call up the joyous charm of
this quite modern art, which, somewhat superficial
as it may be, has yet the power to deck with light
the dull and tasteless features of our streets.

Here, then, is an art full at once of charm and
of power, an art of delicacy and of depth, now in
full prosperity, and with a glorious future before
it; an art which, true to its traditions, is marvel-
lously adaptable to the demands of progress, and
of which the last word will not be said for many a
long day to come. An art which triumphs at last!

There is now on view at Georges Petit's, in the
Rue de Seze, an exhibition by the painter Osbert,
which is attracting all those who care for delicate
and poetic impressions, and is also making a name
with the public for an artist who, if he cannot be
said to excel his brethren by virtue of any very
striking personality, is at least as deserving as
many another of attention and esteem.

On the subject of the " Musees du Soir," which
M. G. Geoffroy, the art critic, has invited the
Ministry of Fine Arts to establish—but the need
for which, it may be remarked, is by no means
obvious—Jean Baffler, the sculptor, has published
an interesting and forcible little pamphlet. It
need scarcely be said that, like all those who think
wisely on the subject and are interested in the
well-being of art, M. Baffier is up in arms against
any such scheme. I would recommend the readers
of The Studio to get this brochure, which will give
them a very clear insight into the present condi-
tion of decorative art in France.

G. M.

BERLIN.—At this year's Art Exhibition
a bronze monument placed in the
entrance, before the principal door,
attracted no small degree of attention
amongst connoisseurs. I refer to the
Amazon on Horseback, by Tuaillon, the reproduc-
tion of which, given here, renders a detailed
description unnecessary.

In this work we see a repose suggestive of
movement: a restfulness, in which, at the same
time, every nerve and muscle seems extended,
ready to fall into action at any moment. Its calm
massiveness reminds the spectator at once of the
antique, and of the legends whence it springs ; and
yet the woman's figure is thoroughly modern in its
conception, while most modern of all is the horse,
a high-bred charger. Many people, I know, have
objected to it on account of this combination
of the modern and the antique; and the statue is
open to other criticism, no doubt. But the spec-
tator will nevertheless feel and retain the impression
that here he has to deal with a true work of art.
It is a wonderful conception, strictly true to nature
in every detail, with a genuine perception of all
that is ideally beautiful in the human form ; a
work, indeed, full of personality and character, in
which a true artist speaks in unmistakable tones.

The sculptor, Tuaillon, a native of Berlin, and
only in his thirtieth year, is a pupil of R. Begas.
After a short stay in Vienna he visited Rome, where
he became intimately acquainted with Hans von
Marees, the rich fruits of whose work may be seen
in the frescoes in the aquarium at Naples. Von
Marees and his pupils, Ad. Hildebrandt and Volk-
mann, are striving hard and continuously to revive
in modern form the immortal beauties of antiquity.
In Tuaillon they have a champion of the first rank,

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