Studio: international art (8.1896)

Studio- Talk

the art of the eighteenth century, and the art of
Japan into the bargain.

Sir John Millais' death lias caused a deep im-
pression in those artistic circles where, for some
years past, they have had sense enough to realise
that England possesses artists, and great artists
too. Our art critics still write "John Burns" or
" Burns-Jone," for Burne-Jones, and " Michel-Ange
Rosati" does duty for Dante Gabriel Rossetti; but
at the same time it would be unjust to accuse them
now of indifference as to the artistic movement
across the Channel. Sir John Millais was known
in France long before Burne-Jones and Rossetti.
It was inevitable that numerous persons should
confuse him with Millet; but some of his works,
formerly exhibited in Paris, notably his Yeoman of
the Guard, are fresh in the recollection of many,
and so will remain.

G. M.

"EXPIATION" BRONZE GROUP BY JULES LAGAE

246

BERLIN.—Opinion is very much divided
as to the merits of this year's Art
Exhibition. The general view, how-
ever, is favourable, and there are
competent critics who go so far as
to pronounce it the best we have had for years
past. I am afraid I cannot subscribe to this very
optimistic verdict, for out of the 4000 works dis-
played, there were not more than 50, or say 100
at the outside, worthy of being regarded as genuine
works of art. But these latter suffice to console one
for the somewhat gloomy impression conveyed by
the contemplation of the exhibition as a whole.
And it may be noted with complete satisfaction
that the State has purchased several of the best of
these works for the National Gallery. Conspicuous
among the artists thus justly honoured are Herrn
Zorn, Thaulow, Nisbeth, Gari Melchers, and the
sculptor Tuaillon, whose Amazon has already
appeared in The Studio. Under its new manage-
ment a new spirit seems to have sprung up in the
National Gallery, and it is well such is the case,
for of recent years the best work had seemed to be
almost entirely ignored by its directors.

Undoubtedly the very best and most remarkable
work in the Exhibition, although it was far from
attracting most notice, was found in the exhibits
of the Belgian sculptor, Jules Lagae, one of which,
by the kindness of the artist, is reproduced as an
accompaniment to these brief remarks. This is
the group called Expiation, exhibited here in
plaster, the bronze being in the museum at Ghent.

The firm and sombre scheme of this powerful
work must have required great fixity of purpose to
bring it to a successful termination. But for great
thoroughness from first to last Lagac must have
ended by producing a commonplace and incom-
prehensible group. But as it is these two figures
have the effect of moving one's inmost feelings.
The anatomy is so perfect and so true that to find
anything fit to compare with it, one must go back
to Donatello. The artist's fine aesthetic sense
has prevented him from overdoing any part of
his work. Especially remarkable are the loose-
hanging, sinewy arms of the larger figure, with the
veins standing out; the anatomy of the cranium,
too, is superlatively good.

That the artist has grasped the meaning of the
brighter, happier side of life, however, and is
capable of reproducing it at the proper season, was
shown by his charming group, Mother and Child