The art of painting in the nineteenth century . can art, which isable to stand on her own feet, and not to anydiminution of the worth of French painting. CHAPTER II GERMAN PAINTING If it is generally true that one fails to under-stand the art of a people unless one readily entersinto its spirit, this is conspicuously so with mod-ern German art. American standards are almostexclusively French. We sympathize with the aimsof French artists, and rank a picture by the evi-dence which it gives of endeavors along theselines. We even persist in doing so, notwithstand-ing we have learned that the meage
The art of painting in the nineteenth century . can art, which isable to stand on her own feet, and not to anydiminution of the worth of French painting. CHAPTER II GERMAN PAINTING If it is generally true that one fails to under-stand the art of a people unless one readily entersinto its spirit, this is conspicuously so with mod-ern German art. American standards are almostexclusively French. We sympathize with the aimsof French artists, and rank a picture by the evi-dence which it gives of endeavors along theselines. We even persist in doing so, notwithstand-ing we have learned that the meager means atthe disposal of a painter prevent him from doingjustice to more than one point of view. This real-ization should make us charitable, and eager tostudy the works of those whose aims are differentfrom our own. To study them is the more neces-sary since our own point of view becomes moreclearly defined when it is compared with that ofother people. Subject and technique are the two notablefactors in a picture. The artist may place the 34. 2 2 § — S- § 5 c c c c c c c c r c C C <_ ( c ?t C f c «? » .. GERMAN PAINTING 35 emphasis on both alike, or on one to the detrimentof the other. Broad classifications are not alwayshelpful, but in the case of most German artistsof the nineteenth century it may be said that, incontrast to their French contemporaries, they wereconcerned with what they should paint and nothow they should paint it, the latter question inter-esting them only in so far as it is impossible to doanything without a certain amount of painter should know how to paint, KingLouis of Bavaria exclaimed in disgust when hisprotege, Cornelius, too glaringly disregarded thehow of his art. As time advanced greater emphasis was natu-rally placed, even in Germany, on the perfectionof the technical side of painting; but the strongundercurrent of the importance of a worthy sub-ject did not disappear. There may, of course, bean honest difference of opinion
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