Studio: international art (7.1896)

Studio- Talk

matter of fact, of doubtful novelty, and herein lies
the weakness of his undertaking, for there is
nothing here with any personality in it, nothing
that is not familiar—over-familiar—to any one
who has kept himself abreast with what has been
going on throughout Europe in the direction of
applied art for several years past.

Having said so much by way of complaint, one
must on the other hand take full account of the
great efforts M. Bing has made in the installation
of his exhibition—efforts worthy of all encourage-
ment. His scheme, after all, deserves support,
and, if it lasts, may one of these days be the
means of bringing out really good work, and
removing the frightful, the deplorable stagnation in
regard to decorative art in which we are now
involved. G. M.

MILAN.—The sketches exhibited in
connection with the competition
for the illustration of Alessandro
Manzoni's " Promessi Sposi"
aroused a lively interest among
the crowds who went to criticise them. The
exhibition was held in the galleries of the society
known as " La Famiglia Artistica," under the
direction of the publisher, Commendatore Hcepli,
who proposes to celebrate the jubilee of the firm
of which he is the head by issuing a splendidly
illustrated edition of the celebrated novel.

Many illustrated editions of the "Promessi
Sposi" have already been published, the first
having been brought out by Manzoni himself,
but none of them has been of sufficient artistic
value to be considered wholly satisfying. Com-
mendatore Hcepli intends his new edition to be a
real work of art; and to ensure this he placed the
competition in the hands of a society of artists,
by whom the task of awarding the prizes was
entrusted to a select jury. The result was an-
nounced on the 5 th of January, and the first award
fell to Signor Gaetano Previati, who will therefore
undertake the work, while the second prize was
awarded to Signor Chiostri, and the third to Signor
Paggiaro.

For once in a way, strange to relate, the award
has met with the approval of the public, who,
generally, during the course of the exhibition ex-

52

pressed the highest admiration for Signor Previati's
designs, which are specially distinguished by great
felicity of invention and by an intimate acquaint-
ance with the life and manners of the age in which
the story is laid.

G. B.

BERLIN.—When I paid a visit a few
weeks ago to Schulte's Salon I re-
ceived a surprise such as one but
seldom experiences. In one corner
stood a bronze statuette of a naked
youth—the Etidymion, by E. Cadwallader Guild—
a slender figure, nervous and straight, which, with
arms joined behind the upturned head, and
with half-closed eyes, steps slowly forward. The
accompanying illustration will give my readers an
idea of the figure. Wherein lies the charm of this
little work, which has been extremely admired by
all the connoisseurs in Berlin ? The truth is, the
artist has thoroughly grasped a fine conception.—
Man ever advancing, half asleep, to meet his fate ;
and this idea has found a most beautiful and finely
attuned realisation. The execution of the figure
is fully equal to the severe demands imposed upon
it; and how can one be content in plastic work
with an ill-achieved idea such as might pass muster

ILLUSTRATION" FOR " PROMESSI SPOSI "

BY GAETAN'O PREVIATI