Studio: international art (14.1898)

Studio-Talk

influence is rather over-accentuated—for instance,
in his Neige and Un Paon blanc. But he has done
some exquisite landscapes, one particularly, showing
a range of hills sloping down towards the sea,
which in its broad bold style produces a distinctly
grand effect.

This process of etching in colour, which several
artists are attempting, is full of charm. At the
moment one is a little tired of lithography, which
has lately been abused by too many experimenters ;
so here is a new prospect in view. It is alto-
gether creditable to MM. Delatre and Jourdain
that they should be among the pioneers in this
direction.

intensity, and reveals undoubted ability on the
part of the artist. But the gems of the exhibi-
tion were the canvases sent by M. Cottet. His
Marchand de Dattes, a Luxor, his Chevaux de
bois, au Caire, and his Cr'epuscule a Assouan display
in their fidelity, their squalid grandeur, an Orient
stripped of all conventionality. These works are
powerfully painted and full of strong observation.
For three or four years past I have watched
M. Cottet’s career, and I have no hesitation in
declaring that he has exceptional ability as a
painter, in addition to great technical power, and
an altogether laudable honesty of purpose. This
is not the first time M. Cottet has been referred
to in such terms in these columns, and it will cer-
tainly not be the last, for he is steadily developing
his great gifts.

There would be little indeed to be said of the re-
cent display by the “PeintresOrientalistes Frangais,”
despite the presence of much orthodox “ official ”
work, were it not that MM. Lunois, Dinet and
Cottet were among the exhibitors. We have seen
better work than this, however, from M. Lunois, as
witness his Etudes dlEspagne, and notably his
Courses de Taureaux, of which he has recently
published several in lithograph form, full of marvel-
lous force of colouring. M. Dinet gives a most
impressive idea of the East in his pictures, Sur les
Terrasses, Clair de lime d Laghouat, and his Etudes
d’Arabes. This is supple, powerful work, of great

Le Grand Pardon dans une Synagogue de Cam-
pagne is the title of a lithograph by M. Alphonse
Levy, reproduced here. M. Levy devotes him-
self specially to the study of Jewish customs, and
brings to bear on his work genuine ability allied
with profound conviction. At times his drawings
border on the grotesque; indeed, he has been
accused of displaying an anti-Semitic feeling ! This
is not the case, however. M. Levy is a lover of
his creed and his race, and delights in reproducing,
with pencil, always faithful, sometimes full of power
—in certain ways not unlike our great, incisive
artist, Daumier—the hard
and simple life of his co-
religionists, with all its
joys and sorrows.

Among the series of
etchings recently published
should be mentioned the
Panthere Noire, by M. Van
Muyden, issued by M. Ch.
Hessele, the keen and
accomplished director of
the new exhibition of
engravings in the Rue
Laffitte. M. Van Muyden
is an aquafortist of great
ability and incisive force,
and expresses himself in
his own medium with much
energy. A reproduction of
Panthere Noire is given

w< PANTHERE NOIRE '5 BY E. VAN MUYDEN herewith.

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