. Great pictures, as seen and described by famous writers. not the largestof Paul Potters canvases ; but it is, at least, the only oneof his great pictures that merits serious attention. TheBear Hunt in the Museum of Amsterdam (supposing it tobe authentic), even by ridding it of the retouches whichdisfigure it, has never been anything else save the extrava-gance of a young man, the greatest mistake he Bull is not priced. Estimating it according to thepresent value of Paul Potters other works, nobody doubtsthat in a European auction it would fetch a fabulous is it a beaut
. Great pictures, as seen and described by famous writers. not the largestof Paul Potters canvases ; but it is, at least, the only oneof his great pictures that merits serious attention. TheBear Hunt in the Museum of Amsterdam (supposing it tobe authentic), even by ridding it of the retouches whichdisfigure it, has never been anything else save the extrava-gance of a young man, the greatest mistake he Bull is not priced. Estimating it according to thepresent value of Paul Potters other works, nobody doubtsthat in a European auction it would fetch a fabulous is it a beautiful picture ? By no means. Does itdeserve the importance attached to it ? is Paul Potter a very great painter ? Very it follow that he really does paint as well as is com-monly supposed ? Not exactly. That is a misapprehen-sion that it will be well to dissipate. On the day when this suppositious auction of which Ispeak opened, and consequently when every one had theright freely to discuss the merits of this famous work, if. THE BULL 257 anyone dared to let the truth be heard, he would speak verynearly as follows : The reputation of the picture is very much exag-gerated and at the same time very legitimate j it is contra-dictory. It is considered as an incomparable specimen ofpainting, and that is a mistake. People think it is anexample to be followed, a model to be copied, one in whichignorant generations may learn the technical secrets oftheir art. In that again they deceive themselves work is ugly and very ill-conceived, and the paintingis monotonous, thick, heavy, dull, and dry. The arrange-ment is of the poorest. Unity is lacking in this picture,which begins one knows not where, does not end any-where, receives light without being illuminated, and distrib-utes it at random, escapes on every side and runs out ofthe frame, so exactly like flowered linen prints does it seemto be painted. The space is too crowded without beingoccupied
Size: 1369px × 1826px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublish, booksubjectpainting
