Studio: international art (13.1898)

Studio- Talk

difficulty. Where he expects to see unity he is
met by utter diversity of stylo ; and the only thing
that stands out clear before him is the fact that
the artists, one and all, are striving in their several
ways how best to attain the aims they have in view.

The ablest among them, those who have long
since received due acknowledgment as masters of
their art, adhere to a strong and health}' naturalism,
an easily comprehensible reproduction of Nature
pure and simple. If one may say so, they are
attracted by what they find at their very threshold.
And as Nature, amid which their daily life is spenb
makes them her confidants, lays bare to them her
secrets — one might almost say her soul—-their
productions are as real as they are attractive. The
temperament of each individual master penetrates
his work, and imparts to it that truly personal
charm which forms the essence of its artistic value
for the amateur.

I am thinking now particularly of three artists,
the chief representatives of this style, but each
differing from the others—Wilhelm Leibl, Wilhelm
Trubner, and Max Liebermann—from all of whom
we have new work. Leibl portrays the little
village where he now lives his simple, unpreten-
tious life; shows it to us as fresh and natural as
though any one of his pictures had been dashed
off in a few hours. The sureness with which even
the smallest incident has been fixed is astonishing.
The works of Trubner bear the impress of a
sober melancholy, which spreads a veil, as it were,
even over the sun's light. All his canvases are
painted in the dull, green tone which appeals most
strongly to the artist's colour sense. Triibners
personality plays a strong part in his work ; it
impregnates all he does, and stamps it with a
character of its own. Max Liebermann brought
last summer from Holland a large landscape,
which even in its unfinished state promises to
become one of his finest creations. 1 call it a
landscape, notwithstanding the group of women
in the foreground, whose presence, while it cannot
be dispensed with, yet does not determine the
character of the work. Here also every line
reveals the artist, testifies to his fresh and happy
view of Nature, by which he discovers grandeur of
effect, where others would see nothing out of the
Common. In other words, he sees as only a
master sees.

In contrast to this little group of artists who
" know their way " stands the great majority groping

in tlie darkness, whose technique displays no gradual
development, like the individual style of a writer,
but has obviously been assumed ; is, so to speak,
accidental, and, in certain circumstances, might
very well be replaced by another.

Not unfrequently one notices that a certain
method of painting, which has become known
recently through the works of eminent foreign
painters, is being wittingly imitated, and applied at
random—frequently in the most foolish manner.

Naturalism alone—that is to say, the endeav<(in-
to observe and reproduce Nature as it really is—
no longer appears to satisfy our young painters ;
and many of them seek refuge in a sort of fairy-
land, such as men ever like to represent it. It
is no longer the old, enchanted forest of romance,
but—probably owing to B<ecklin's influence—the
quiet meadows, with tall flowers all around, and
the long frail stems guiding the eye in grateful
line into the distance through the light, bluish
haze which slowly rises. The details have been
well observed, and one feels that a close study of
Nature has preceded the work; but unfortunately
this expression of natural effects has been arti-
ficially—or artistically—expanded. Philipp Franck,
one of our young Berlin artists, is among those
who have gone astray in this direction.

In portrait-painting mediocrity almost com-
pletely swamps the small proportion of better
work. One must own with regret that the standard
has fallen very low. It is perfectly astonishing to
find how easily " Society " is satisfied in regard to
portraits. The majority of these paintings would
not bear comparison with high-class photographs.
Some painters are trying to obtain a more artistic
effect by tasteful arrangement and delicacy of
colouring, which is employed in most ingenious
fashion. But I saw better work of the kind re-
cently exhibited by Reinhold Lepsius. Something
of effeminacy is inevitable in work such as this, un-
less a powerful note is struck ; although of course
the more soft and timid manner is occasionally
advantageous in portraits of women. Some pea
sants'heads by Curt Herrmann showed strength
and freshness, and were marked by their authors
well known feeling lor colour.

As for sculpture, perhaps the exhibition ol work

by Constantin Meunier in Keller and Reiner's
recently-opened art gallery, may have a beneficial

effect upon it. Here a genuine master speaks to

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