Studio: international art (9.1897)

Studio-Talk

of northern snow-clad landscape, has degenerated
into a curiously mannered style, so that it is diffi-
cult for even his warmest admirers to follow him.
Skarbina's great picture Aller See/en—" All Souls "
—a churchyard scene, with the graves adorned
with candles, possesses undoubted merit; but the
sorrowing widow in the foreground reminds us
somewhat too strongly of a fashion-plate, and one
cannot get rid of the impression that the artist has
placed her in that position in order to show off his
technical skill in the various reflections of light
playing upon her features.

Ludwig von Hoffmann is an artist of remarkable
capacity, whose pictures—only appreciated perhaps
by a small circle, including, however, several
eminent art critics—are overwhelmed with scorn
and jeering by the "masses." He has been
residing for a number of years at Rome, and
having spent the summer at Capri, has chosen for
his theme the ever-present wonders of Italian
landscape.

His Idyll represents a meadow near the seashore,
with massive clumps of trees in the distance, and
white evening clouds, edged with red, crowding on
the sky. One feels the warm air and the soft
breeze which plays lightly with the dark red
frock of the girl standing close to the shore. The
upper part of her fresh young body is nude, as are
the feet, and she is twisting up her hair as she
slowly steps along. On the ground before her lies
a youth, his right knee drawn up, and his right arm
hanging carelessly over it, while the left arm rests
on the ground. Although the drawing is not
faultless, the boy is a thoroughly typical represen-
tation of the transition stage between youth and
manhood. Figure and landscape alike suggest a
sense of Spring, of vitality, of health. Does that not
suffice for a work of art? Does it not " represent
something," as the public always asks ? Any one
with the least imagination, however, does not ask,
but feels with the artist, and is silent. Hoffmann
also exhibits a Sonnenuntergang or " Sunset," similar
to the Largo, which we saw last year at Munich.
This work gives the fullest proof of his high capa-
city as a landscape painter,

Mention must be made of the one picture by
L. Dettmann, whose modern tendency has this
good quality, that it may be understood by all.
Lebensfrilhling—" Life's Springtide "—shows a fresh
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greensward and trees in bloom, the sun shining
joyously on the Angels who are playing with a
little child, and gathering flowers for him. The
whole picture is at once true and charming: no
small merit in these days when so many artists
think they are faithful to truth only when repre-
senting unpleasant subjects.

A real pleasure has been afforded to all art
lovers by the two rooms containing the works of
the Karlsruhe painters. Very quietly a little colony
of artists has been formed there who deserve our
fullest attention. This is really the only choice
collection of German art seen this year. Schon-
leber, whose only exhibit, Herbststilrme in Rapallo,
again gives proof of the old power. The broad,
yellowish-grey torrent, foaming along, the greyish-
black walls, the red house under a sombre sky—all
this is as true to nature as it is excellent in colouring.
In addition to Schonleber and Hans von Volk-
mann there are many more names which might be
cited in connection with those Karlsruhe rooms, in
which scarcely a single picture leaves us unmoved;
but it is sufficient to repeat that a group of artists has
been formed at Karlruhe whose works deserve our
unstinted admiration.

When we consider the work sent in this year to
the Exhibition from abroad—and special stress has
been laid on its international character—the im-
pression is unhappily forced upon us that France,
and in a still more remarkable degree, England,
are by no means satisfactorily represented. In the
French Gallery, apart from Boldini's spirited
portrait of Adolf Menzel, and some of the land-
scapes, in a style well-known and admired, there is
very little to arouse our interest; while in the Eng-
lish section we look in vain for many of the artists
whose work has delighted us in the past, and could
willingly spare the greater part of the productions
that take their place. However, Nisbeth's delicate
landscapes—purchased by the State—should not
be overlooked.

One feels compelled to ask, Do these Galleries,
which contain perhaps a dozen really notable works,
give a fair idea of French and English art ? And
if not, why are they displayed ? For it must be
said at once that inadequate representation such as
this is likely to give German artists, and the German
public too, a very poor impression of the capa-
bilities of foreign artists. Is it not greatly preju-