American painting and its tradition : as represented by Inness, Wyant, Martin, Homer, La Farge, Whistler, Chase, Alexander, Sargent . rin-cesse, and the masquerade of Japanese robe andrug and screen and fan was only a subtitle of Rose and Silver again didnot enlighten. What was wanted was the com-mon sense of it and not the harmony or the ar-rangement. But it had no common sense; itwas merely a fantasy in color. Persistently theylooked for the wrong thing and would not seewhat the painter wished them to see. It was justso with The Little White Girl—a beautifulsymphony in white sho
American painting and its tradition : as represented by Inness, Wyant, Martin, Homer, La Farge, Whistler, Chase, Alexander, Sargent . rin-cesse, and the masquerade of Japanese robe andrug and screen and fan was only a subtitle of Rose and Silver again didnot enlighten. What was wanted was the com-mon sense of it and not the harmony or the ar-rangement. But it had no common sense; itwas merely a fantasy in color. Persistently theylooked for the wrong thing and would not seewhat the painter wished them to see. It was justso with The Little White Girl—a beautifulsymphony in white showing a young girl inmuslin leaning against a white mantel with herface reflected in a mirror. It was Japanese onlyin the fan, the flowers, and the vase, but thearrangement was too flat for public appreciation,and the girl was declared the most bizarre ofbipeds. All through the sixties this misapprehension ofpurpose and aim persisted, and toward 1870another riddle was presented with the appear-ance of the nocturnes. They were things donealong the Thames at dusk and were revelationsof that blue-air envelope which forms when the. The Princesse du Pavs de la Porcelaiiie, 1)V James Whistler. In the Freer Colleclioii, Siuithsouiaii Institution. JAMES ABBOTT McNEILL WIHSTLER 1C3 shadow of the world begins to creep up theEastern sky. The idea had perhaps been sug-gested to Wiistler in the color prints of Iliro-shige and he had afterward found its reality inEnglish twilights. Such a motive was quite theopposite of Turners blazing sunset upon whichthe generations had been reared. Everything wasmufHed, vague in outline, half seen as to was left to the imagination, and as forthe composition, it was arranged with the great-est simplicity. Indeed, it was so simple that peo-ple thought it must be foolish and said so with-out hesitation. Again the subtitles of Blue and Gold andBlack and Gold carried no meaning. Even theexperienced Ruskin could see nothing in thelater Fal
Size: 1212px × 2062px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectamerica, bookyear1920
