Studio: international art (50.1910)

Studio-Talk

PLAQUETTE IN IVORY BY ETTORE CADORIN

than on previous occasions, and this in particular
applies in the case of the old masters. The works
of Boilly deserved especial attention, for his tech-
nique, at times minute and again at times bold and
large, entitles him to a place in the front rank.
Drouais was also well represented by his two
portraits of the Comte de Provence (Louis XVIII.),
whose brother was the fortunate owner of the
Bagatelle; and as to Lepicie, he is par excellence
the painter of children, and his Famille Leroy was
one of the most charming features of the exhibi-
tion. I noticed also remarkable works by Con-
stance Mayer (1778-1821), Tassaert (1800-1874),
Nicolas Fragonard, Marguerite Ge'rard and Greuze.
Among the modems, Georges Desvalliferes, who
has recently held in Paris a most remarkable ex-
hibition of his work, Gervex, Carriere, Blanche,
Boutet de Monvel and John Alexander formed a
most interesting group.

M. Ettore Cadorin, a talented Italian sculptor,
whom the town of Venice commissioned to execute
two statues to decorate the base of the Campanile,
sent to the Soci^te de la Miniature last year a
glass case containing four bas-reliefs of small size,
in ivory, worked with loving care and of quite
i52

remarkable finish. As the sculptors of the Re-
naissance did in certain of their plaquettes, M.
Cadorin carves his ivories in very light relief, so
that his works, charming as they appear to be at
the first glance, gain by being closely studied.

The Humoristes have this year again achieved
their customary success, although the works shown,
very interesting as they always are, did not contain
any surprises or any very important manifestations
of new talent. In particular I noted the collection
of posters by Capiello, one of the masters of this
art, and indeed the creator of the modem poster ;
the lively drawings by Faivre, the titles of which
are quite rightly just as amusing; the graceful
drawings by Legat, portraits of actors by de Losques,
and the large panel shown by Louis Morin (a
delightful artist, of whom I. shall have something
to say later). Among the sculpture one observed
the work of Gir, who portrays with such force and
such fidelity various aspects of life, and whose
Cirque Medrano was one of the most successful
pieces in the show._

Under the presidency of the Marquise de Ganay
some amateurs had the happy idea of arrang-
ing, with a charitable aim in view, an exhibition of
twenty chosen pictures of the nineteenth century.
Although the exhibition contained nothing in the
nature of a new revelation, yet one could not but
appreciate the rare pleasure of seeing grouped
together a few works, the great majority of which
were of the very highest order. Corot was repre-
sented by a fine painting of figures in a landscape
setting ; and Ingres’ portrait of a man was one of
the most beautiful pictures of the nineteenth cen-
tury, but Delacroix was less well represented.
Daumier and Millet were the laureates of the
exhibition, and their pictures were exceedingly
fine; it seemed as though time had given an ad-
ditional richness to their palette. Rousseau, Duprd,
Daubigny, Diaz were represented by works all of
equal charm and power. There were also some
magnificent portraits full of charm and mystery by
Ricard. Isabey, fine colourist and charming
painter of genre, whom we do not sufficiently
esteem nowadays; Courbet (a very strong figure-
subject by whom was hung in the show); Jong-
kind, represented by some very beautiful land-
scapes ; and lastly Monet, with some superb
paintings, formed a charming spectacle, which held
the attention of all visitors to the exhibition.

The Societe des Lithographes Fran9ais, in which