DOI issue:
No. 54 (September, 1897)
DOI article:Keyzer, Frances: Marc Antocolsky
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18389#0244
Marc Antocolsky
would seek the development that Paris, whence of exhibiting at their Salon. What really hap-
came the troubled echoes of the workings of the pened has always remained a mystery. Taking
impressionists, alone could give him. For Anto- into consideration the position of the Russian
colsky is a psychologist, a sculptor of the mind sculptor, the event created no little stir in artistic
more than a sculptor of the body. Beauty of form, circles. The general impression is that this extra-
which, according to the Greeks, is the sole raison ordinary proceeding on the part of the committee
d'etre of plastic art, has little place in his work. —which was composed of some of the leading men
It is a fact worth noting, that with the exception of of France—did not arise from any desire to offend
the bended Satan, his figures are all robed. He the artist or from any question of national jealousy,
leans evidently more to Chateaubriand's opinion But the committee was doubtless actuated by the
than to Victor Cousin's. It may be remembered fear that Antocolsky's colossal figures would dwarf
that the former wrote that sculpture gives a soul to the works of the younger sculptors who were
marble, while the latter held that the sculptor's timidly giving forth, for the first time, their uncon-
art is exclusively antique because, before every- strained ideas. . They had just severed their con-
thing else, it is the expression of the beauty of nection with the Cham'ps-Elysees Salon, and
form. I doubt whether Antocolsky has ever read possibly it had been decided to exclude Anto-
Ruskin. I should not be surprised if he even colsky's larger works for fear of discouraging the
knows of the Englishman's
existence, but for all that
he depicts neither angels WK§3^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^MS^SS^^^^^BSSSS(l^^^^i^M^MS^^^S^i^^
nor saints, but men and , .
have^ lived valiant or strong Bk
were dwelling with him on , '; '^fiSSSrW* $
earth, instead of striving to ^BSF^^SEBB^"iSffi^^ jr^k^^^^^^^^^B
give a descriptive glory to * '^/j > V ^•^^^hvbH •
those only dreamed of in ' r.
He acknowledges that
the errors of his early days
in Paris were due much to jfj;' ^^Ib^Bb^BMBm!
the impressionability of his
nature. Does he refer to ^JPSfet
his misunderstanding with v i
the Committee of the i ^|v^- "
Champ-de-Mars, a mi sun- \
derstanding to which we * . *** * iT^^^(fc^
owe his refusal to take anv 1»V% mb.,
further part in the yearly ~M ^ ~ " " ^^fiHk aH
exhibitions at the salons? ~^sssi _______ ShmH
treated by that august body. '*' j| B
In response to a special in-
works. To his surprise, _^mm
however, he received an gpppP^ ^^mKKK/k^f^/^ 4 $ ?''jj//m pP^^^H
and those the most insigni- ^
ficant had been accepted. SHWlffffllflilMttl^Mii I
It is needless to add ■^■"■HkwhHbHbbWb^^
that he declined the honour monument to a child by marc antocolsky
218
would seek the development that Paris, whence of exhibiting at their Salon. What really hap-
came the troubled echoes of the workings of the pened has always remained a mystery. Taking
impressionists, alone could give him. For Anto- into consideration the position of the Russian
colsky is a psychologist, a sculptor of the mind sculptor, the event created no little stir in artistic
more than a sculptor of the body. Beauty of form, circles. The general impression is that this extra-
which, according to the Greeks, is the sole raison ordinary proceeding on the part of the committee
d'etre of plastic art, has little place in his work. —which was composed of some of the leading men
It is a fact worth noting, that with the exception of of France—did not arise from any desire to offend
the bended Satan, his figures are all robed. He the artist or from any question of national jealousy,
leans evidently more to Chateaubriand's opinion But the committee was doubtless actuated by the
than to Victor Cousin's. It may be remembered fear that Antocolsky's colossal figures would dwarf
that the former wrote that sculpture gives a soul to the works of the younger sculptors who were
marble, while the latter held that the sculptor's timidly giving forth, for the first time, their uncon-
art is exclusively antique because, before every- strained ideas. . They had just severed their con-
thing else, it is the expression of the beauty of nection with the Cham'ps-Elysees Salon, and
form. I doubt whether Antocolsky has ever read possibly it had been decided to exclude Anto-
Ruskin. I should not be surprised if he even colsky's larger works for fear of discouraging the
knows of the Englishman's
existence, but for all that
he depicts neither angels WK§3^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^MS^SS^^^^^BSSSS(l^^^^i^M^MS^^^S^i^^
nor saints, but men and , .
have^ lived valiant or strong Bk
were dwelling with him on , '; '^fiSSSrW* $
earth, instead of striving to ^BSF^^SEBB^"iSffi^^ jr^k^^^^^^^^^B
give a descriptive glory to * '^/j > V ^•^^^hvbH •
those only dreamed of in ' r.
He acknowledges that
the errors of his early days
in Paris were due much to jfj;' ^^Ib^Bb^BMBm!
the impressionability of his
nature. Does he refer to ^JPSfet
his misunderstanding with v i
the Committee of the i ^|v^- "
Champ-de-Mars, a mi sun- \
derstanding to which we * . *** * iT^^^(fc^
owe his refusal to take anv 1»V% mb.,
further part in the yearly ~M ^ ~ " " ^^fiHk aH
exhibitions at the salons? ~^sssi _______ ShmH
treated by that august body. '*' j| B
In response to a special in-
works. To his surprise, _^mm
however, he received an gpppP^ ^^mKKK/k^f^/^ 4 $ ?''jj//m pP^^^H
and those the most insigni- ^
ficant had been accepted. SHWlffffllflilMttl^Mii I
It is needless to add ■^■"■HkwhHbHbbWb^^
that he declined the honour monument to a child by marc antocolsky
218