DOI Heft:
No. 72 (March 1899)
DOI Artikel:Mourey, Gabriel: The work of Gaston La Touche
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19231#0088
Gaston La Touche
THE WORK OF GASTON LA and delivering their judgments with prudence and
TOUCHE. BY GABRIEL restraint.
MOURFY " But," the cynic will exclaim, "we must surely
leave our successors some wrong to repair,, some
Truly, to all who without prejudice action to revive ! " And thus it is—by sophistries
follow the course of latter-day art, it is strange such as this—every day of our lives we witness
to note the workings—the influence, whether for some fresh triumph of Mediocrity, some new
good or ill, to works of art and to their creators success for the insincerity which has waxed fat and
—of what we are wont to term " distributive prospered since art became democratised. What
justice," although "injustice" would be nearer does it matter for the moment ! The Future lies
the mark. There is, indeed, no tribunal whose before us; and the Future, we sometimes say to
decisions are more fantastic, more incoherent, ourselves to stifle our conscience, will put things
more biased than that which rules in the world of right. We no longer even think of revolting
art; none which violates right with greater im- against the insolent pretensions, the foolish vanity,
punity. One leaves an Assize Court disgusted to the quackery of this or that so-called "artist,"
see how a mass of immaterial trivialities may in- but simply shrug our shoulders in silence. Fatal
fluence not only the feelings of the jurymen—that indifference, dangerous egoism, unpardonable
is to say, the public (whose ignorance is their only cowardice ! For the result has been to mislead
excuse), but also the minds of the Judges themselves the masses in that which has to do with art, to
—the critics, who might be supposed to have deaden the critical faculty, to debase public taste,
learnt to treat everything calmly and soberly, dis- to discourage true honest effort, and to lower the
regarding all personal preferences and influences, standard of Idealism.
1
gaston la touche in his studio
XVI. No. 72.—March, 1899.
from a photograph
77
THE WORK OF GASTON LA and delivering their judgments with prudence and
TOUCHE. BY GABRIEL restraint.
MOURFY " But," the cynic will exclaim, "we must surely
leave our successors some wrong to repair,, some
Truly, to all who without prejudice action to revive ! " And thus it is—by sophistries
follow the course of latter-day art, it is strange such as this—every day of our lives we witness
to note the workings—the influence, whether for some fresh triumph of Mediocrity, some new
good or ill, to works of art and to their creators success for the insincerity which has waxed fat and
—of what we are wont to term " distributive prospered since art became democratised. What
justice," although "injustice" would be nearer does it matter for the moment ! The Future lies
the mark. There is, indeed, no tribunal whose before us; and the Future, we sometimes say to
decisions are more fantastic, more incoherent, ourselves to stifle our conscience, will put things
more biased than that which rules in the world of right. We no longer even think of revolting
art; none which violates right with greater im- against the insolent pretensions, the foolish vanity,
punity. One leaves an Assize Court disgusted to the quackery of this or that so-called "artist,"
see how a mass of immaterial trivialities may in- but simply shrug our shoulders in silence. Fatal
fluence not only the feelings of the jurymen—that indifference, dangerous egoism, unpardonable
is to say, the public (whose ignorance is their only cowardice ! For the result has been to mislead
excuse), but also the minds of the Judges themselves the masses in that which has to do with art, to
—the critics, who might be supposed to have deaden the critical faculty, to debase public taste,
learnt to treat everything calmly and soberly, dis- to discourage true honest effort, and to lower the
regarding all personal preferences and influences, standard of Idealism.
1
gaston la touche in his studio
XVI. No. 72.—March, 1899.
from a photograph
77