Studio: international art (80.1920)

her sparkling fan under the dark blue sky-
studded with stars. Then came scenes
from the world of fashion, full of a rather
morbid grace. There was no affectation
in this, for the Zubiaurres, coming from
the haute bourgeoisie, sons of an illustrious
composer, master of the music at Court,
had no difficulty in depicting the scenes
they saw continually around them. More-
over, they were very simple scenes, such as
young girls enjoying their gouter, or taking
tea in the gardens, with the artist's sister
Pilar—his Egeria, guide and collaborator,
full of bright intelligence and untiring
devotion—always and^naturally taking the
leading part. 00000
These were but the beginnings, the ten-
tative efforts. And how remote they are
from scenes such as the Premier Fils or
the painting of these Rameurs Vainqueurs,
which by their very simplicity assume an
epic grandeur. The Rameurs in particular,
the artist's most highly significant work, is
a glorification of the strength of the race
and the beauties of the earth. The almost
geometrical symmetry of the oars, the atti-
tudes, expressly and definitely stylisees, and
the sudden cutting-off of the arm ,which
appears in the extreme right of the picture
—these things display a daring allowed only
to those who are very sure of their^road,
and who know beforehand whither and
how far the road will lead them. 0 0

Valentin is rather the constructor; Ra-
mon is more essentially the colourist. The
elder concentrates on the details of form ;
the younger on the variations of tones.
After examining their work, even super-
ficially, one realises that each has his highly
personal characteristics, which serve to
define their different temperaments and
keep them distinct in the unity of their
common and — nowadays — incomparable
fervour. Having once come in touch with
their work—Valentin's and Ramon's alike
—one feels oneself for ever captured by
this ideal source of these splendid modern
paintings, these scrupulous and patient
prayers uttered with emotion and sim-
plicity in honour of the race and of the
land whence they spring consciously and
without effort. 0000

Margarita Nelken.

THE FLOWER SCULPTORS OF
CHINA. 00000

THE word " sculptor " has come to
mean in the western world a man
who works in that exceedingly soft and
pliant substance known as " modelling
clay." Having completed his clay model
he hands it almost invariably to an
Italian workman who casts it in plaster
or bronze, or sometimes makes a more or
less mechanical reproduction of the work
in marble. Only then—when it returns
to its author—does any real sculpture
begin; this generally consists in the
" sculptor " removing the indiscretions
of the Italian workman ! 0 0 0
Now, it is a singular fact that the
sculptors of hard-stones in China are,
in this country, generally regarded as
merely unusually skilled lapidarists, and

MAGNOLIA IN WHITE JADE

(Collection of Mrs. George
Shedngham)

175