DOI Heft:
No. 47 (February, 1897)
DOI Artikel:Mourey, Gabriel: A dream painter: M. L. Lévy-Dhurmer
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18388#0014
A Dream Painter
FETES DE CERES FROM A FAINTING BY L. LE YY-DHURMER
in the case of artists such as these, a perfect equi- and witty in conversation, evidently by nature medi-
librium, an entire harmony, an absolute unity tative and strong-willed. He was altogether frank-
between their ideas, their fancies, and their sensa- in his replies to the direct questions I put to him.
tions, and their execution of them. All the world Born in Algeria, he first studied drawing for corn-
may not understand perhaps—what matter ! But mercial purposes, attending evening classes, and
those who do, understand at once, and love and going for a time to the studio of Raphael Collin,
admire at once also. But he soon tired of his dull lessons. It was inde-
This was the impression I felt with great intensity pendence he wanted. He must feel and think and
on my first introduction to such of M. Levy- see for himself, with his own nerves, his own brain,
Dhurmer's pictures as I chanced to come across. and his own eyes. So he worked by himself deter-
My first acquaintance with M. Levy-Dhurmer's minedly and enthusiastically. He was his own
work left me quite enthusiastic, and I was curious teacher, and thus preserved intact that personality
to know something of the artist himself—where he of which even then he felt the workings within him.
came from, how old he was, under what master he His artistic character developed slowly and nor-
had learnt the rudiments of his art. There was mally, by dint of unremitting labour, unhampered
nothing very exact to be gathered. Some people by the petty ambitions and jealousies which pre-
said he lived a retired sort of life in dignified soli- vailed down in the art world by the shores of the
tude, while others spoke of him as a man of the Cote d'Azur, on the Golfe Jouan, where Levy-
world, quite at home in the drawing-rooms of Dhurmer lived his quiet life of retirement for a
society. , number of years, working and producing for his.
So I called on him at his studio, and found own pleasure alone. For a considerable time, it
myself in the presence of a young man rather below should be stated, he was attached to M. Clement
the middle size, with close-cropped hair and fair, Massier's well-known potter)' works, and they were
curly beard, a keen and piercing glance, and the profitable years for this undertaking while Levy-
simplest and most unostentatious manners; quick Dhurmer was connected with it; for all the best,
4
FETES DE CERES FROM A FAINTING BY L. LE YY-DHURMER
in the case of artists such as these, a perfect equi- and witty in conversation, evidently by nature medi-
librium, an entire harmony, an absolute unity tative and strong-willed. He was altogether frank-
between their ideas, their fancies, and their sensa- in his replies to the direct questions I put to him.
tions, and their execution of them. All the world Born in Algeria, he first studied drawing for corn-
may not understand perhaps—what matter ! But mercial purposes, attending evening classes, and
those who do, understand at once, and love and going for a time to the studio of Raphael Collin,
admire at once also. But he soon tired of his dull lessons. It was inde-
This was the impression I felt with great intensity pendence he wanted. He must feel and think and
on my first introduction to such of M. Levy- see for himself, with his own nerves, his own brain,
Dhurmer's pictures as I chanced to come across. and his own eyes. So he worked by himself deter-
My first acquaintance with M. Levy-Dhurmer's minedly and enthusiastically. He was his own
work left me quite enthusiastic, and I was curious teacher, and thus preserved intact that personality
to know something of the artist himself—where he of which even then he felt the workings within him.
came from, how old he was, under what master he His artistic character developed slowly and nor-
had learnt the rudiments of his art. There was mally, by dint of unremitting labour, unhampered
nothing very exact to be gathered. Some people by the petty ambitions and jealousies which pre-
said he lived a retired sort of life in dignified soli- vailed down in the art world by the shores of the
tude, while others spoke of him as a man of the Cote d'Azur, on the Golfe Jouan, where Levy-
world, quite at home in the drawing-rooms of Dhurmer lived his quiet life of retirement for a
society. , number of years, working and producing for his.
So I called on him at his studio, and found own pleasure alone. For a considerable time, it
myself in the presence of a young man rather below should be stated, he was attached to M. Clement
the middle size, with close-cropped hair and fair, Massier's well-known potter)' works, and they were
curly beard, a keen and piercing glance, and the profitable years for this undertaking while Levy-
simplest and most unostentatious manners; quick Dhurmer was connected with it; for all the best,
4