Studio: international art (24.1902)

G. Dupuis

with trembling hands, and eyes wide open, in vain
seeking to pierce the darkness. This may last for
a long time, but then the day breaks ; he finds his
way, walks straight towards the light; he recog-
nises himself—in short he understands. The
artist who shapes himself—and the majority, if not
all, of those who while still young succeed in
giving a strong and original expression of things
are self-made—has doubtless more trouble than
others in acquiring a knowledge—a technical
grasp—of his art; it will take him longer to
become possessed of an adequate means of ex-
pressing his vision ; but when he does succeed he
will find himself fully prepared to become a great
artist at once. And even before this period arrives,
before he is in full possession of his powers, there
is a certain charm in his very faults, his very fail-
ings—a savour which may well excuse many an
error, for all that he does will be sincere and fresh
and original; his impressions will at least be fresh
and his experiments bold.

In my opinion M. Dupuis possesses these
fascinating qualities. Moreover, his executive
capacity, although not yet quite so individual
perhaps as he would wish, is already considerable,
and one may reasonably form the highest hopes as
to his future. A lucky chance, in the shape of his
illustrations of Guy de Maupassant's posthumous
work, " Dimanches d'un Bourgeois de Paris,"
brought him before the public; but his talent was as
great two years before; it was only the opportunity
that was lacking. As it turned out he made a
remarkable start—one which strongly impressed
'all those who are in close touch with modern
French draughtsmanship. Amid all the mediocrity,
the lack of imagination and originality which mark
the greater part of the work done by the regular
illustrators, the purveyors of cheap vignettes which
help the publishers to dispose of their goods, these
drawings by M. Dupuis made a great and
immediate effect. And how much greater would
this have been bad the drawings—instead of being
engraved on wood—been faithfully reproduced
direct by mechanical process, leaving all their keen
and vigorous flavour! If only—as might have
been done—they had been relieved by the bits
of colour which the artist has so happily
distributed,—additions full of charm and creat-
ing a real atmosphere around every scene !
The young artist, indeed, gives proof here of
possessing a very bold idea of illustration. Having
obtained a thorough mastery of the text, and
sounded the depths of the author's ironies—now
bitter, now comical—the artist set himself to create
102

a strangely real set of types and personages—
bourgeois, minor officials, employes and other
humble figures—which enable the reader to gain
a most broad and intimate perception of the people
and places depicted by the novelist. The day
before this book appeared M. Dupuis was
unknown; the day after he was in a way cele-
brated. Successful authors, publishers who, six
months before, would on no account have entrusted
him with a book to illustrate, so alarmed were they
at his audacity and unconventional view of things,
now came imploring him to work for them. Thus
one may well congratulate the publishers of " Di-
manches d'un Bourgeois de Paris" on having so
warmly welcomed on his sheer merit, and all
question of notoriety apart, an artist of such ability.

There is no one who knows M. Dupuis
but rejoices at his success, for he has thoroughly
deserved it. His friends know the difficulties, the
material obstacles against which, almost from his
birth, he has had to fight; and he is now twenty-
seven years old. While still a tiny urchin, as soon
as his fingers had power enough to hold a pencil,
he began to draw everything and everybody around
him—his parents, his school mates, dock labourers,
sailors and others. Naturally his lessons suffered,
to such an extent indeed that his father soon cut
them short by apprenticing him, the good man
thinking that by condemning his son to hard
manual labour he would kill the germ of art in the
child. Happily such was not the case; but the
lad had to undergo many bitter hours. Chance
came to his aid. Having the tooth-ache, young
Georges went to a dentist who happened to be
fond of art, and to him he confided his woes.
The dentist became so much interested in the boy
that he employed him to assist in the mechanical
part of his business, and, instead of having to shift
heavy packages, Dupuis was soon busy preparing
wax for impressions, and fitting the gold in the
cases, etc. His spare time was spent in perfecting
his drawing.

In this way two years passed. Then one day
M. Dupuis met one of his old schoolfellows on
the pier at Havre, whither he had gone to make a
twilight study. The friend had come from Paris
to spend the holidays with his family. He wore a
pair of baggy trousers, tightened over the boots, a
high-collared coat, a magnificent velvet waistcoat,
and, despite the heat, a wonderful Toreador's
cloak ; while his head was covered by a large soft
felt hat. From head to foot he was the very type
of the rapin who flourishes in the neighbourhood
of the Place Pigalle or the Boulevard Montpar-