Studio: international art (84.1922)

STUDIO-TALK

but not so developed as it will be in later
life. The brows are straight, nose not
continuous with the brow as in the Greek,
the mOuth large and lips not too full." 0

VIENNA.—During the long and fearful
years which have passed since I last
wrote about the Vienna exhibitions for the
pages of The Studio many gaps have
occurred in the ranks of the Austrian artists
both of the older school and of the genera-
tion which helped in so large a way to bring
about the modern schools of painting and
decorative art. Of the men who have passed
away the first places must be given to
Gustav Klimt and Kolo Moser, who were
among the most prominent leaders of the
Vienna " Secession " in 1897, and eight
years later—in June 1905—were among
those to secede from this Society and
establish the " Klimt Group," of which one
hears little or nothing nowadays, though it
is still in existence and held exhibitions
during the war. Klimt, who continued
working till the very last, exerted a strong
influence on the younger artists as on those
of his own generation—an influence that
was always good. He was always ready to
recognise exceptional talent, and like all true
artists was willing to suffer the greatest
hardships in pursuit of his ideals. Kolo
Moser had long deserted the decorative
arts for painting, but whatever claims he
has to posterity will rest on his achievements
as an arts and craftsman. Among the artists
of the younger school to leave this world
was Egon Schiele, who died at the early age
of twenty-six. During his short span of life
he was unceasing in his efforts, and his
work as a painter and draughtsman will
take an honoured place in the his ory of
Austrian art. His power as a draughtsman
Klimt recognised by placing it on a higher
plane than his own. 0000
Passing from memories to the work of
artists at recent exhibitions, one must take
note of the difficulties by which they are
beset. Although times have dealt leniently
with some favoured ones, still the great
majority have for years known hunger,
many of them being reduced to the pro-
verbial dry crust. They do not complain of
this—it is a thing to which they give little
heed—and the only word of regret one
hears is that it is impossible to get good
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colours and canvases as in the happy days
of yore. Other materials, too, have to be
imported which wereobtainable easily under
the old regime, but one never hears a word
of regret for this either. The artists
pursue their way, more or less hungry, like
that cf other professions, giving their
thoughts to their own craftsmanship. This
was clearly shown at both the Kiinstlerhaus
and Secession exhibitions. 0 a a
The differences formerly existing between
these exhibitions have now been, to a large
extent, modified. In the lighting of the
galleries at the Kiinstlerhaus the velarium
was adopted some years ago, as also were
neutral backgrounds for the walls and the
spacing first introduced by Whistler and
first seen in Vienna at the exhibition held in
1897. The adaptations made here by the
architects Theiss and Jaksch in 1913
provided a spacious central hall particularly
favourable for large sculpture. This year a
fine equestrian figure by Professor Josef
Muller of a fallen warrior—the socle of

RELIEF AT BASE OF
EQUESTRIAN STATUE
BY PROF. J. MULLER

{Kiinstlerhaus, Vienna)