DOI issue:
No. 61 (April, 1898)
DOI article:Lees, Frederic: Henri Harpignies
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18391#0173
Henri Harpignies
Harpignies considers that too much care cannot spots, those retired corners of Nature whence we
be taken over drawing. His method of wTork will can look out upon the stretch of open country ;
be seen from the various drawings executed in those shady places of the forest whence, through
chalk, in lead pencil, in wash, and in a combina- openings in the trees, we can see the spire of the
tion of lead pencil and pen and ink, reproductions church, or the blue mountains, or catch a glimpse
of which accompany this article. The necessity of the river and the village upon its banks; those
of paying attention to detail is a point he has paths winding through woods whence we know not.
always impressed upon his pupils. " If a pupil has The more we examine the two pictures which Har-
two hours at his disposal," said M. Harpignies to pignies exhibited at the last Salon des Champs-
me on one occasion, " I should advise him to devote Elysees—Les Bords du Rhone and Solitude—the
one and three-quarters of his time to drawing and more wre become convinced that there is the resume,
a quarter of an hour to painting." He does not, as it were, of all his years of labour in continuation
however, recommend his pupils to copy his own of the work of Corot. In the Solitude especially,
methods ; on the contrary, he is continually saying, in which the Loire is seen breaking over rocks after
" Do what I recommend you, not what I do," and its placid journey of miles, the sun just about to
for the reason that, through years of hard work and set, the whole scene suffused by a golden haze, do
experience, the master has discovered many short we not catch something of the spirit, the exquisite
cuts by which he can reach his goal: but were the feeling, which we find, for example, in the Souvenit
student, lacking in experience, to employ these short d'ltalie ? It is not difficult to see that the man who
cuts, he would run a great risk of losing his way. painted these pictures has, after years of study by
It is only, in M. Harpignies' opinion, by paying the river-side and at the edge of woods, become
attention to exactitude of drawing and by cultivat- filled with a passionate love of Nature, noting with
ing originality that we can eventually attain to delight the ever-changing surface of the water before
le beau dans le vrai. him, the atmosphere full of sunlight, all the varied
The stylist is revealed to us in all the works of changes in Nature's mood.
Harpignies. He loves to put before us those green Frederic Lees.
MR. HEYWOOD SUMNER AND ASSISTANTS AT WORK UPON THE SGRAFFITO DECORATIONS IN ST. AGATHA'S,
152 PORTSMOUTH
Harpignies considers that too much care cannot spots, those retired corners of Nature whence we
be taken over drawing. His method of wTork will can look out upon the stretch of open country ;
be seen from the various drawings executed in those shady places of the forest whence, through
chalk, in lead pencil, in wash, and in a combina- openings in the trees, we can see the spire of the
tion of lead pencil and pen and ink, reproductions church, or the blue mountains, or catch a glimpse
of which accompany this article. The necessity of the river and the village upon its banks; those
of paying attention to detail is a point he has paths winding through woods whence we know not.
always impressed upon his pupils. " If a pupil has The more we examine the two pictures which Har-
two hours at his disposal," said M. Harpignies to pignies exhibited at the last Salon des Champs-
me on one occasion, " I should advise him to devote Elysees—Les Bords du Rhone and Solitude—the
one and three-quarters of his time to drawing and more wre become convinced that there is the resume,
a quarter of an hour to painting." He does not, as it were, of all his years of labour in continuation
however, recommend his pupils to copy his own of the work of Corot. In the Solitude especially,
methods ; on the contrary, he is continually saying, in which the Loire is seen breaking over rocks after
" Do what I recommend you, not what I do," and its placid journey of miles, the sun just about to
for the reason that, through years of hard work and set, the whole scene suffused by a golden haze, do
experience, the master has discovered many short we not catch something of the spirit, the exquisite
cuts by which he can reach his goal: but were the feeling, which we find, for example, in the Souvenit
student, lacking in experience, to employ these short d'ltalie ? It is not difficult to see that the man who
cuts, he would run a great risk of losing his way. painted these pictures has, after years of study by
It is only, in M. Harpignies' opinion, by paying the river-side and at the edge of woods, become
attention to exactitude of drawing and by cultivat- filled with a passionate love of Nature, noting with
ing originality that we can eventually attain to delight the ever-changing surface of the water before
le beau dans le vrai. him, the atmosphere full of sunlight, all the varied
The stylist is revealed to us in all the works of changes in Nature's mood.
Harpignies. He loves to put before us those green Frederic Lees.
MR. HEYWOOD SUMNER AND ASSISTANTS AT WORK UPON THE SGRAFFITO DECORATIONS IN ST. AGATHA'S,
152 PORTSMOUTH