Studio: international art (28.1903)

Impressionist Painting

during the past five - and - twenty years. Millet, works for all those qualities which go to the
Troyon, Courbet, Van Marck, Le pere Francaise, making of a perfect work of art.
Diaz, Harpignes, Jongkind, Cals, and that extra- Raffaelli's work is now too well known to need
ordinary character Schaunard, celebrated in "La comment here, while Whistler's position in the
Vie de Boheme," Isabey, Daubigny, Monet, and the hierarchy of the movement has been frequently
rest. Was ever such a wonderful galaxy of talent indicated. Writers of eminence have expounded
housed in a simple country inn ? and can any other his principles, weighed his genius, and classified
auberge in existence claim such a record? I think not. his work.

Boudin himself always regretted, and here we can Two women artists have proved not the least
join in his lament, that no history of the place had gifted of the exponents of impressionism. Mary
been written. There is material enough to fill Cassatt is an American, a pupil of Degas, accom-
volumes, and fame awaits the chronicler And the plished painter of children and scenes of maternal
same may be said of many another world-renowned life, a pastellist of note, who with Raffaelli re-
sketching-ground and inn. suscitated in France the moribund art of etching

Boudin's friend Cezanne was one of the pioneers in colours,
of the movement in France, a frequenter of the BertheMorisot,great-grand-daughterofFragonard,
Cafe Guerbois and particular friend of Monet's, and a famous beauty, was a pupil of Manet, and
with whom he often worked. A painter by married his brother. Contemporary with Mary
instinct, untrained and unequal, his best work Cassatt, her best work lies in the beautiful and
is to be found in his " still life," yet often his cups frequently most masterly portraits of children,
do not stand in their saucers, and his bottles are family interiors, and impressions from intimate
occasionally intoxicated. It is probable that the in- feminine life. Both these artists have produced
correct drawing of this artist has called down upon exceptionally strong work, which will live,
the whole group of impressionists the reproach of In bringing this first article to a conclusion, I
carelessness in one of the first essentials of art. cannot do better than recommend all interested

In their struggle for the mastery of light, im- in the development of impressionism to study
pressionist painters have in the past sacrificed, per- M. Gustave Geffroy's La Vie Artistique—a veritable
force, many of the qualities which go to the making storehouse of valuable information,
of a picture, and for that unavoidable reason have (To be continued.)

also incurred public dis-
pleasure. Their subjects
have been chosen at ran-
dom—haphazard for the
immediate seizure of an
effect, totally regardless of
lines of composition, etc.
The artists were far too
much occupied with tech-
nical difficulties to care
about picture-making, and
their achievements were
not intended for pictures.
Mere "studies" they were:
yet how preferable to
hundreds of pretty pic-
tures, and how treasured
at the present day !

Now that the material
difficulties are overcome
and a settled method
achieved, the displeasure
of the public has dis-
appeared, and we may
confidently look to their un dessert