DOI issue:
No. 303 (June 1925)
DOI article:Valotaire, Marcel: The Spring Salon, 1925
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21402#0327
THE SPRING SALON, 1925
"sous la treille." by
sebastien laurent
(Artistes Francais. Copy-
right, H. Bonnaire, London)
THE SPRING SALON, 1925. BY
M. VALOTAIRE 0000
THE Grand Palais, in which for many
years have been held the annual
exhibitions of the Societe des Artistes
Francais and the Societe Nationale des
Beaux Arts (now united under the simple
title " The Salon "), is this year engulfed
by the International Exhibition of Modern
Decorative and Industrial Art. The large
nave, usually filled with the sculpture of
the Artistes Francais, has been transformed
into a magnificent architectural room. It
was therefore necessary, if the Salon was
to be held at the usual time, to find some
way out of the accommodation difficulty.
A solution was found in two expedients :
first, the stretch of hutments in the Jardin
des Tuileries, along the bank of the Seine,
was employed, and, as this place was too
small to contain even the restricted num-
ber of exhibits sent this year, the exhibi-
tion was divided into two parts, one
beginning on May 1st and ending on
June 28th, and the other taking place
between July 10th and August 31st.
Artists had the choice of exhibiting at
either of these. These arrangements seem
to have given a peculiar and surprising
air to this year's Salon for a visitor accus-
tomed to the rather grandiose and comfort-
able setting of the Grand Palais. Further-
more, the shows additional to the Salon
properly so called gave it a renewed charm
—shows like those specially devoted to the
different countries or the decorative art
section which provided a foretaste of the
present important exhibition. This year,
of course, there is no decorative art at the
Salon, and the place of exhibition is too
small for the inclusion of special exhibi-
tions. But whatever questions may have
occurred to the visitor before crossing
the threshold of the Salon, whatever fears
he may have had, it must be at once
admitted that the organisers have made
the best use of the space at their disposal.
The hanging is as well done as possible
in the circumstances ; the works are placed
against a grey background, and are not
huddled together. 0000
Also, certain sections of the Salon have
benefited by the necessary change. The
art of the medallist, in particular, in which
we possess masters of the first order, has
so far been relegated to an obscure corner :
this time it may be seen to more advantage
in a room following those devoted to
painting. The smaller pieces of sculpture
are installed in the building, while the
larger statues and monuments are set out
under the trees on the terrace. These
works, which are meant to be placed in
public squares and gardens, are thus
"l'heure espagnole"
by jean cottenet
(Artistes Francais. Copy-
right, H. Bonnaire, London)
321
"sous la treille." by
sebastien laurent
(Artistes Francais. Copy-
right, H. Bonnaire, London)
THE SPRING SALON, 1925. BY
M. VALOTAIRE 0000
THE Grand Palais, in which for many
years have been held the annual
exhibitions of the Societe des Artistes
Francais and the Societe Nationale des
Beaux Arts (now united under the simple
title " The Salon "), is this year engulfed
by the International Exhibition of Modern
Decorative and Industrial Art. The large
nave, usually filled with the sculpture of
the Artistes Francais, has been transformed
into a magnificent architectural room. It
was therefore necessary, if the Salon was
to be held at the usual time, to find some
way out of the accommodation difficulty.
A solution was found in two expedients :
first, the stretch of hutments in the Jardin
des Tuileries, along the bank of the Seine,
was employed, and, as this place was too
small to contain even the restricted num-
ber of exhibits sent this year, the exhibi-
tion was divided into two parts, one
beginning on May 1st and ending on
June 28th, and the other taking place
between July 10th and August 31st.
Artists had the choice of exhibiting at
either of these. These arrangements seem
to have given a peculiar and surprising
air to this year's Salon for a visitor accus-
tomed to the rather grandiose and comfort-
able setting of the Grand Palais. Further-
more, the shows additional to the Salon
properly so called gave it a renewed charm
—shows like those specially devoted to the
different countries or the decorative art
section which provided a foretaste of the
present important exhibition. This year,
of course, there is no decorative art at the
Salon, and the place of exhibition is too
small for the inclusion of special exhibi-
tions. But whatever questions may have
occurred to the visitor before crossing
the threshold of the Salon, whatever fears
he may have had, it must be at once
admitted that the organisers have made
the best use of the space at their disposal.
The hanging is as well done as possible
in the circumstances ; the works are placed
against a grey background, and are not
huddled together. 0000
Also, certain sections of the Salon have
benefited by the necessary change. The
art of the medallist, in particular, in which
we possess masters of the first order, has
so far been relegated to an obscure corner :
this time it may be seen to more advantage
in a room following those devoted to
painting. The smaller pieces of sculpture
are installed in the building, while the
larger statues and monuments are set out
under the trees on the terrace. These
works, which are meant to be placed in
public squares and gardens, are thus
"l'heure espagnole"
by jean cottenet
(Artistes Francais. Copy-
right, H. Bonnaire, London)
321