No doubt many of the new men lack sincerity. Doubtless not a few are inspired with simply the desire to create a sensation, but these men soon betray themselves. The artist may not succeed in making _his_ meaning clear, but the public--yes, even the much despised public--will instinctively _feel_ whether there is _some_ meaning, _some_ intention worth finding out. That was the secret of the success of the Cubist pictures. They attracted throngs because they were strange, but the throngs would never have gazed as they did unless behind the outward strangeness there had not been an inward seriousness of purpose. “Those fellows are trying to do something,” was an expression often heard. * * * * * The papers would say, “They are simply making fun of the public,” but the public, generally speaking, did not feel that way. A goodly section of the public made fun of the pictures, but very few people honestly felt the pictures made fun of the public--if anything they were rather too serious. * * * * * To return to the proposition that a Cubist picture--being so largely _esoragoto_--must be well painted. [Illustration: JAWLENSKY Head of a Girl] The painter of scenes and things is helped out by his subject. The portrait of a beautiful woman may be very badly painted, but if it conveys the impression of a beautiful woman it is accepted. The Cubist who tries to paint _his_ impression of a beautiful woman has no likeness to help him out; he must make his painting so beautiful in itself that those who see it will, without knowing why, get some of the enjoyment from the mere composition of line and color that the artist received from knowing the woman who inspired the picture. To do this a man must be a greater master of line and color, a greater technician, than the average portrait painter. * * * * * Ask the average portrait painter to paint a composition of line and color, beautiful in itself without reference to any object, and not one in a hundred can do it. The average portrait painter finds his compositions of line and color ready-made; he takes them as they come to him. He has little practice in _composing_ for himself. * * * * * However disconcerting the exhibition was to most painters it should have been stimulating to decorators and interior furnishers. The older pictures are of little help to the decorator. On the contrary he rather dreads their presence on his walls. A room may be quite upset by a strong picture. To make the Leyland dining room harmonize with the “Princess from the Land of Porcelain” Whistler painted practically every inch of walls and ceilings, completely covering costly woodwork and old Spanish leather.