Studio: international art (18.1900)

Studio-Talk

the still vivid green of the turf and the fast
browning leaves overhead. M. Rossert is an artist
possessed of a delicate vision, with which is allied
a technique at once certain and strong. His water-
colours are boldly handled, and show a regard for
reality rarely seen in the work of our water-colourists.
Among all these fresh and humid oujuarelles is a
single pastel—a view of the terrace at Versailles,
with great fleecy clouds floating across the clear
blue sky. It is an exquisite little thing, the work
of a genuine colourist.

M. L. Levy Dhurmer succeeded M. Rossert in
the same place. The readers of The Studio, who
well know M. Dhurmer's great gifts, will not be
surprised to hear that the exhibition was a great
and well-merited success. But, alas! how. few new
works among these thirty-two canvases—seven or
eight at most! However, we had the great pleasure
of seeing once more La Medaille, Les Bergers,
Les Mysferes de Ceres and La Bourrasque, which are
among the most characteristic and most perfect
efforts of this mysterious and fascinating painter-poet.
I must not be understood to imply by this that he
has failed in his portraits, his masks of Jules
Claretie, J. Comely and Coquelin cadet, or in those
graceful studies of women which he treats so
lovingly. Far from it; indeed, did space permit, I
would willingly dwell on the delicate art, so subtle
and so thoroughly modern, revealed in such pictures
as his dazzling Justice, his Mai d'aimer, and his
pale Malade. Specially remarkable is his woman's
head, a monochrome drawing, so finely and firmly
constructed, and so admirable in its expression as
to have deserved a more prominent place. Here
we seem to be in the presence of a real human
being.

At Hessele's, in the Rue Laffitte, we have had a
fairly complete display by M. Henri Heran. Until
quite recently M. Heran was known as Paul
Herrmann, and his change of name is intended to
avoid confusion between himself and the well-
known draughtsman, Hermann Paul, who, by the
way, has just published, in volume form, the best
of his truly admirable drawings done in connection
with the Dreyfus case. Portraits in lead-pencil, in
lithography and in pastel, etchings, dry-points,
vernis mous, landscapes, symbolical subjects and
studies of heads, numbering altogether about four
score works, constitute M. Henri Heran's exhibition.
Beyond this there is nothing to be said.

G. M.

SYDNEY.—Australian art of 1899 as re-
vealed at the recent exhibitions shows a
distinct advance on the previous year's
work. The federation of the Australian
Colonies, in enabling us to take our
stand among the nations, will undoubtedly do
much to nationalise our art and literature. We
are too young yet to give the world a characteristic
Australian school of art; yet we must remember
that though our art has its roots deep in the
influence of European methods, the originality of
Australian conditions tends to ripen the character
of our art to a distinct fruition. In our continent
we have the yearlong snows of Kosciusko, the
shimmering summer blasts of the drought-stricken
west, the tropical glories of the northern forests,
and a flora and fauna characteristic of the soil :
given that, with a national soul stirred to excellence,
and consider the possibilities !

A notable advance in the year's art is Mr. G.
Lambert's oil, Across the Blacksoil Plain. It is
thoroughly Australian in method, and represents a
team of horses hauling a heavily-laden wool waggon
in the lurid week that usually follows wet weather
in the back country. It has a peculiar interest for
our English cousins, as it represents the beginning
of the long journey of Australian wool that ends at
the English looms. The artist is a young man,
and spent two years in bringing this picture to
completion. Mr. Lister-Lister's largest oil this
year is The Crossing, Hunter River, N.S. W. The
spectator takes in a glorious panorama of changing
colour. The long, lazy stream creeps by the edges
of the flats, now nestling for a moment in the
shadows of the bends, and then placidly spreading
beneath in an opalescent sheet, whilst in the middle
distance a mob of cattle slowly strings over the
crossing. Mr. Long's best work during the year is
Sadder than a Single Star that Sets at Twilight. It
is painted with deep feeling and in subdued colour-
tones, and, with Mr. Lambert's large oil, has been
purchased by the N.S.W. National Gallery.

Mr. A. H. Fullwood during the year visited
New Zealand, and his largest oil, Lake Wakitipu,
was purchased before it left his studio. T/ie Old
Whaling Station by the same artist is an excellent
study. The golden evening tints creep down the
hills in the middle distance and across the old
bridge till lost in the cold shadow of the fore-
ground. Mr. Jack Longstaff had a quiet toned but
strongly modelled full-length portrait which is a

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