Studio: international art (43.1908)

Studio-Talk

STILL LIFE (WATER-COLOUR) MADAME CRESPEL

President of this group, La Touche, who is soon
to have an important show at Petit’s, was here
represented by three works characteristic of his
quite personal metier, and of these we reproduce
one. The society includes in its ranks some of
the strongest personalities in the present genera-
tion of artists. Besnard sent to the exhibition
two large studies for pictures which are to
form part of the decoration of a dining room,
and as regards these, one is at a loss to know
whether to admire most the cleverness of the
composition or the harmony of the colour-
scheme ; what is certain, however, is that one
rarely sees the water-colour medium employed
on such a large scale. Steadfast in his affection
for the cliffs of Varangeville, Auburtin has given
us some fine impressions of this region in its
winter aspects treated al fresco. Mme. Crespel,
whose decorative feeling has often been a source
of pleasure to us, exhibited some capital still life
studies of impeccable draughtsmanship. Of
Luigini it must be said that he has now acquired
a manner entirely his own. His Chemin de
Haiage, Le Font sur I’Escaut, La Forte Flamande
are vigorous little drawings, strong in their con-
trasts of light and shade, but they do not seem
to be water-colours save in name. Pure water-
colour, on the other hand, was well represented
in a capital little drawing by Lucien Simon,
quite delightful in its rendering of transparency
and reflections and in its mellow effects.

Foreigners were this year well represented at
the Peinture h l’Eau Exhibition. First of all I
should name Fernand Khnopff, whose purity of

draughtsmanship and loftiness of conception seem
to have reached a still higher stage, although that
would not have seemed possible. Walter Gay is
a novice in water-colour, but at the same time a
novice who has achieved mastery at the very

THE ARTIST S WIFE BY COUNT LOUIS SPARRE

(See Helsingfors Sludio- Talkj

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