Studio: international art (55.1912)

Studio- Talk

though each one of the members had made it his
aim to exhibit nothing but his choicest productions
and his most careful work, worthy alike of his own
reputation and of the consideration of the public.
For this reason, therefore, we devote our attention
to this exhibition, and neglect that of the old Society
of Water-Colour Painters which held its show
simultaneously in the Georges Petit Galleries.

One of the most interesting features of the
“ Peinture a l’Eau ” was the presence of work by
some of the leading foreign water-colourists. The
Belgians were represented by some remarkable
pictures. M. Alexandre Marcette showed some
paintings which were most successful achievements
in colour. Nothing could be richer than his sea-
piece En Hollande, with its broadly treated sky and
the water reflecting so finely the great white clouds.
M. Delaunoy also showed some fine pictures of
convents, and M. Frantz Charlet interpreted with
much poetic feeling evening effects in Holland.
The ensemble of contribu-
tions by Cassiers was par-
ticularly noteworthy. He
has a fine sense of the
picturesque and great
dexterity in the use of
colour, and while Marcette
transforms reality by means
of his vivid imagination,

Cassiers renders things with
an extreme fidelity. Other
work by foreign artists was
also of importance in the
show. Sir Alfred East
contributed a most remark-
able view of Westminster;

Mr. Walter Gay, the painter
par excellence of interiors,
was also represented;

Smissaert showed some fine
pictures of dunes in Hol-
land, and Fernand Khnopff
was present with two pieces,

Une Fleur Bleue and
Souvenir de Bruges, the
poetic inspiration of which
did not in any degree pre-
clude impeccable draughts-
manship. In these works
Khnopff really reaches per-
fection. I must not omit
to mention Mile. Montalba,
who showed charming

impressions of Venice, Miss Este, who had a good
autumn landscape, and Mr. Charles W. Bartlett,
who contributed three fine pieces of work.

The group of French members of this society
comprises the most able exponents of this genre.
M. Avy is the possessor of fine qualities, though to
tell the truth his work showed a little too much
the influence of Besnard; M. Raymond Bigot is
admirable in decorative composition : his water-
colours of birds are snapped up by collectors
almost as quickly as are Japanese paintings. Mile.
Crespel showed work in which she has depicted
in her own very personal manner various flowers
and trees. M. Gaston La Touche exhibited five
works very personal in character and varied, all
of them, indeed, veritable fireworks of colour;
Spain, Italy, and Versailles inspire him with
equal felicity. Also worthy of attention were the
excellent contributions of Luigini, always attractive
by reason of their vigorous technique, and some

“la derniere epingle” by avy

(Sociiti de la Peinture a VEau, Paris)

23r