Studio: international art (24.1902)

Studio-Talk

Dragon, his qualities as a visionary, be the subject and lofty imagination. No man, who is free from

what it may, are shown to be only less rare than bias and capable of understanding a conception of

his dispositions as a painter. How shall we describe art so different from the popular conception as is

as well his series of portraits of women and girls, that of M. de Groux, would, after having seen this

so sumptuously, so uncannily, so magnificently exhibition, hesitate to bring himself in line with the

immortalised amid scenery in which reigns the opinion of M. Alexandre, affirming that the painter

splendour of the Italy and the Flanders of the of the Christ Reviled is " a great painter."
sixteenth century ? And, again, what shall we say G. M.

of his astonishing revelations of Louis II. of A NTWERP.—Several exhibitions of interest

of Hamlet, of Julius Caesar, of Dante ? It is not *—» Foremost among them was that of a group
less than a joy, in these days of narrow prejudices L of young artists held in the galleries of

and narrow passions, of unswerving realism and the "Oud Muzeum," Venus Straat. The best known
finikin observation, to have the chance of greeting of the exhibitors were Edmond van Offel, the late
an artist of such a breadth of outlook and insight Karel Collens, Strymans and E. van Mieghem,
as his. Undoubtedly the art of M. de Groux is who on this particular occasion were reinforced by
not free from defects and inaccuracies; but it is a Alois de Laet, Ernst Naets and Armand Maclot.
virile art, a dramatic art, an art of high thought Van Offel displayed a numerous series of illustra-
tions, ex-libris, and pohnes
dessines, among them being
several lovely things—De
Fee (The Fairy), Koning
Lear (King Lear), Met
(May), and Legende. His oils
and pastels pleased me less,
with the exception of Verledett
(The Past), a little work,
admirably conceived and
executed. Collens on this
occasion revealed himself an
impressionist of the highest
promise, particularly in a
series of scenes from Antwerp
and the banks of the Scheldt,
done in a style at once
original and thoroughly Flem-
ish, and occasionally filled
with keenly observed figures.
Without affectation of any
sort, but solely by his insight
and fidelity of vision, he had
the gift of impressing one
deeply, even in those scenes
from which the human figure
is absent, as in Huizekens
(Cottages). Collens was one
of the most supple and
versatile of the young Ant-
werp School. Van Mieghem
exhibited a large selection
of pastels, drawings, and
sketches. Without resem-
bling or deriving inspiration

BANNER DESIGNED AND EXECUTED BY Rnffaelli he neVer-

MRS. NEWBERY AND ANN MACBETH UOU1 JVd.lld.CUl, lie licvei