Page 51 - Studio International - November 1967

stature in our hemisphere that do not write in Young Man of 1914 stood out, not only for its by the Met's curator of drawing, Jacob Bean,
English, or paint New Yorkese, or compose resemblance to this day to its sitter, Jacques showed what can be done when a great museum
exclusively for our technological conditions. In Lipchitz, but also for the wild outburst of Mexican- draws intelligently on its resources. This exhibi-
short, it is an assault on our horrible tradition of ism in an orthodox tonal cubist painting in the tion, beautifully installed, honours Alfred Stie-
Western Hemisphere superiority. form of several brilliant coloured stripes. There glitz, whose collection was formed during the early
Of all the arts, the plastic arts are the least was the good solid work of Torres Garcia, an years of the century when he ran the only significant
evolved in South America, where provincialism artist of stature in any context, and the always avant-garde gallery in this country. The Met is
was rather marked until quite recently. Conse- marvellous woodcuts of Posada, and an excellent, fortunate in owning a great many of Stieglitz's
quently, the opening exhibition, 'Precursors of academic, Courbet-influenced nude by the Argen- `finds', among them the twenty-eight drawings
Modernism 1860-1930,' was on the whole more tinian Eduardo Sivori, dated 1889. that comprised this show.
interesting as an historical and sociological docu- Another institution, the venerable METROPOLITAN, Some of the drawings here, such as the works by
ment than as an aesthetic experience. is showing signs of real life with the new Hoving Picabia, are indispensable documents. Others are
There were a number of startling exhibits, among administration. I haven't the faintest idea what fine examples—very fine indeed—of high moments
them an etching by Julio Ruelas, a Mexican who exactly has been done, but there is something far in the oeuvres of Picasso, Matisse, Severini and
died in 1907 and who probably was acquainted more welcoming about the Met these days, and an Brancusi. In the quiet environment provided by
with the work of Grandville. Then, in the context undercurrent of enthusiasm pervading its halls. the Met, these drawings came forward with their
of this exhibition, Diego Rivera's Portrait of a Recently, a small but superb exhibition organized true vitality. One could not ask for more.
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