Studio: international art (29.1903)

Impressionist Painting

in paint and to accomplish something great. Their
old familiar sketching grounds took on new aspects
of unconventional line and brilliancy of colour,
for their minds had been enlightened, even in
foggy London; for " c'est en nous que vit la
beaute et non en dehors de nous."

Week in and week out some fresh step in
advance was achieved, duly applauded and dis-
cussed in their regular reunions, this time at the
Cafe de la Nouvelle Athenes.

On the artistic side of the picture there was
nothing but gratitude and thankfulness, joy and
wonder at their new offspring, and the admiration
and constant encouragement of their ever-widening
circle of friends. Fresh recruits joined the move-
ment almost daily, for it had begun to take on the
aspect of a crusade; artists of every denomination
and professional men of every class wer^ attracted
by the novelty of this new, bril,:_jit system of
colouring and remarkable outlook upon nature.
Amongst the crowd of their adherents was Emile

Zola,* one of the earliest of the men of letters to
grasp the full significance of the impressionist
idea, and to predict its ultimate triumph.

He was a convinced and mighty press champion
of the already persecuted painters, his invariable
text being—"II y a une lutte evidente entre les
temperaments indomptables et la foule. Je suis
pour les temperaments et j'attaque la foule. Les
temperaments seuls dominent les ages."

This valiant defence of an unpopular artistic
ideal cost him much personal prestige and financial
loss. He was practically turned off the staff of
" Le Figaro," and found the utmost difficulty in
making his opinions public; yet he, too, succeeded
in the end, and infant impressionism owes much to
its stalwart wet-nurse Zola. Together with him
were other famous writers: Alphonse Daudet,
Theodore Duret, lifelong friend and literary
executor of Manet; Gustave Geffroy, who, in

* Every art-lover should possess himself of Zola's " Mes Haines."
They will find much food for reflection therein, expressed in inimitable
language, trenchant and inspired.

"LB BOULEVARD MONTMARTRE; EFFET d'hIVER"

(By permission of M. Dtirand-Ruel)

96

BY CAMILLE PISSARRO