Studio: international art (17.1899)

Studio- Talk

RESDEN.—The German National
Exhibition does not prove to have
been selected with the same amount
of care as the International one of
1897 (the standard of which was
quite exceptionally high), but as far as arrangement
is concerned it is quite equal to it. It virtually is
our “Academy” or “Salon,” but visitors from
London are most agreeably surprised at the mise-
en-sclne here. There are no skied pictures ; very
often there is only one row on a line with the visi-
tor’s eye, never more than two. Artists exhibit in

“MOTHER AND CHILD

groups ; there is no hotch potch of irrelevant work.
The hangings of the walls and even the carpeting
on the floors are tinted differently in each room,
to suit the general tone of the works hung there.

The display of works of applied art is especially
interesting. There are over a dozen compart-
ments, and each is fitted up as a room in itself,
containing only such articles as one would look for
in that room. A staircase hall by Rose, a children’s
nursery by Ubbelohde and Bertsch, a bedroom by
Pankok, a dining-room for a seaside or summer
residence by Dulfer, and a music-room by Riemer-
schmied, are all worthy of commendation. These
artists are all painters and etchers who have be-
come “ art-workers ” for the time being.

The Exhibition embraces as many as five “ one-
man”shows. A.Hildebrandt, Germany’s “classical ”
sculptor, has sent his Luna (for which a special
little temple-like room was built), and some two
dozen further works, shown together in another
room. C. Seffner, of Leipsic, also has a room to
himself. He has, among other things, a very
successful marble bust of Klinger. Klinger is
allotted a room, which contains his huge canvas,
Christ i?i Olympus, two marbles, and a plaster
model. Finally, Hans Unger and F. Lenbach
each has a room to himself.

If the standard of the paintings as a whole was
somewhat higher two years ago, it was because the
method of collecting the work was better. Then
Dresden sent its delegates to London, Paris,
Munich, Italy, &c., each picking out the identical
work he wanted. This year invitations were sent
to the corporations and artists, the choice of the
work being left to them.

The Karlsruhe Kiinstlerbund’s exhibit is excel-
lent ; that and the Dresden Secessionists’ are
perhaps the most interesting rooms there. While
unable to enumerate all the good work by Dresden
artists, I should like to mention at least a few.
P. Poeppelmann’s marble group, ALother and Child,
attracts considerable attention. R. Sterl has con-
tributed a portrait, a splendid landscape, and two
very interesting, good-sized canvases of labourers.
W. Ritter has sent three exquisite landscapes full
of light, colour and sound workmanship. M.
Pietschmann’s four paintings are rather unequal,
the most successful and sincere being A Summer
Evening, with men bathing after sunset in a pool
shaded by dark trees. G. Miiller-Breslau’s land-

*35

BY PETER POEI’PELMANN