Page 20 - The Studio First Edition - April 1893

The Growth of Recent Art

representatives of this movement and of its growth later, handed on the tradition. There can be no
and modification in England. But I can do no doubt that Sargent has formed many young English
more than indicate that Englishmen labour painters. Moreover, Bastien Lepage's Les Fans,
earnestly although they began at the eleventh Sara Bernhardt, and several portraits shown in
hour. The rest of Europe enlisted long ago. English galleries, educated Mr. Clausen and
Our country and our popular artists were devoted painters who, like him, had not actually studied
to pious or domestic stories told to amuse the abroad. We must not forget exhibitions of im-
artless without care for pictorial style or truth. pressionistic work by Monet and others, as well
The artistic few were agitated by movements as a show containing Sargent's El Juleo and
destined to die out. The sincerest of these were several portraits, together with work of the Gretz
the Pre-Raphaelite, The Walker, Pinwell and school. This small section is perhaps responsible
Scotch schools ; and the splendid if reactionary for some of the recent developments of English
attempts of Rossetti, B. Jones, Leighton, Watts, painting. Enfield, O'Meara, the Harrisons, and
&c., to galvanise old traditions by the infusion of others led the way; but Stott, of Oldham, with his
their strong personalities. I must not forget the Bathers, made it a public thoroughfare. The
John the Baptists of the early Academies and group considerably influenced younger men, as one
Grosvenors who prepared people to understand might note in the shows of the New English Art
the coming change. Though I cannot mention Club. This society was the first definite expression
all, nevertheless, I will not omit J. C. Hook, Alma of a change of front in England, which, virtually,
Tadema, Whistler, Legros, H. Moore, Buxton had been long effected. Various tendencies have
Knight, W. J. Hennessey, Mark Fisher, G. Bough- operated on its exhibitions; among others, the new
ton, and a later batch, J. Reid, Leslie Thomson, Scotch or Glasgow school, which partly owes its
J. M. Swan, Picknell, Parton, Parsons, E. Ellis, A. direction to the initiative of the late P. Chalmers
Lemon, Clausen, M. Hale, and J. Collier. I will go of Edinburgh, Mr. Whistler's personal pupils, and
no further or I touch the present day, when men the followers of Monet or Degas. More it is im-
who see truly and broadly are become like locusts. possible to touch on here. I would, however,
Though I cannot speak fully, I shall mention induce people to inquire for themselves whether
some channels through which this spirit has been modern art is a " fad " or something serious. Is it
propagated, either directly or, any way, at second as we sometimes hear " a baseless novelty," an
hand. Bonnat, Carolus Duran, Henner, Whistler, " ephemeral fashion," " wholly personal and ori-
and Legros have been the main cause of our ginal," an " utter eccentricity " ? I think it a
advance. Most of these men are well known logical outcome of the past, read in the light of a
exhibitors in this country. There is a square genuine change of feeling about nature. Our art
touch with melted edges which the public recog- is no more " eccentric " than the art of any vital
nise as a kind of badge of "the French School." period. Every one must learn somewhere and
This has undoubtedly sprung from the mosaic build on some foundation. Again, there are not
taught by Regnault, Duran, &c., modified by the more than two or three original men at any one
more fluid brush of Henner. It may be noted time, not two Whistlers or two Monets. The
that Henner used to visit at Duran's studio, majority are neither more original nor more
though I lay no stress on it, as this technique eccentric than those who, in their day, followed
under different aspects sprang up everywhere. Constable. On the other hand they are no more
Sargent, Hale, Lemon, Bloomer, and others of to be despised as copyists.
Carolus Duran's personal pupils who came over R. A. M. STEVENSON.

FROM A DRAWING BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY (30 X 7), TO BE GIVEN FULL SIZE IN A FUTURE NUMBER
I0