Studio: international art (47.1909)

Ldon Lhermitte

in him a true man, a force which had risen superior
to the ordinary routine of art, became, like his
friend Cazin, one of Lecoq’s most fervent disciples.
The youth of the day, and notably Lhermitte’s
comrades at Lecoq’s studio, had developed a pre-
judice against the teaching at the Ecole des Beaux-
Arts, believing it to be opposed to the free develop-
ment of originality, and Lhermitte left the school
deliberately, thus renouncing all those advantages
which it offers to its laureates. This was to take
the longest road; but he thereby gained, in that he
became the product of his own unaided effort;
alone he evolved his methods of work and his
technique, and in consequence has become the
most individualistic of our painters.

Lhermitte had then no other teacher than
Lecoq. This excellent master taught him to see,
to feel, and to think. He raised before the eyes
of the young artist the veil of the inner mysteries
and, as it were, led him to the very threshold of

the holy of holies. And above all he inculcated
in his pupil all the essentials of drawing—the ulti-
mate foundation of all works of art, and at the
same time the practical means of assuring one’s
daily bread ; for he would often repeat, “ II faut
vivre, et qui sait bien dessiner se tirera toujours
d’affaire.”

Thus occupied solely with drawing, under a
master who carried almost to extremes his conten-
tion that students are always pressed to start
painting before they ought, Lhermitte, already
bearing some reputation for his charcoal studies,
had so far never used a brush. He had been
anxious to do so certainly, but had rather feared to
embark upon this branch of art. Possessed of a
medium over which he had complete control, of a
means of expression which amply realised his
imagination, he came to make veritable pictures
of his charcoal drawings. It was, indeed, only
natural that he should find pleasure in a style of

BY LEOX LHERMITTE