Géricault, one of the very important innovators of French realism, is
given half a column, about an equal amount of space with such English
painters as W. E. Frost, T. S. Cooper, Thomas Creswick, Francis Danby
and David Scott; only about half the amount of space given to John
Gilbert, C. L. Eastlake, and William Mulready; and only one-third of the
space given to David Cox. One or two such disparities in space might be
overlooked, but when to almost any kind of an English painter is imputed
an importance equal to, if not greater than, truly significant painters
from France, bias, whether conscious or unconscious, has been established.
Again regard Poussin. This artist, the most representative painter of his
epoch and a man who marked a distinct step in the evolution of graphic
art, is given less than half a page, about equal to the space devoted to
W. P. Frith, J. W. Gordon, Samuel Cousins, John Crome, William Strang,
and Thornhill; and only half the space given to Holman Hunt, and only
one-third the space given to Millais! There is almost no criticism of
Poussin’s art; merely a statement of the type of work he did; and of
Géricault there is no criticism whatever. Herein lies another means by
which, through implication, a greater relative significance is conferred
on English art. Generally British painters—even minor ones—are criticised
favorably, from one standpoint or another; but only now and then is a
Frenchman given specific complimentary criticism. And often a Frenchman
is condemned for the very quality which is lauded in a British artist.
Of David it is written: “His style is severely academic, his color
lacking in richness and warmth, his execution hard and uninteresting in
its very perfection,” and more in the same derogatory strain. Although
this criticism may be strictly accurate, the same qualities in certain
English painters of far less importance than David are made the basis for
praise. The severely academic style in the case of Harding, for instance,
becomes an “elegant, highly-trained” characteristic. And perfection of
execution makes Birket Foster’s work “memorable for its delicacy and
minute finish,” and becomes, in Paul Wilson Steer’s pictures, “great
technical skill.”
Ingres, truly one of the giants of his day, is given little or no
criticism and his biography draws only a little over half the space which
is given to Watts (with his “grave, moral purpose”), and only a trifle
more space than is given Millais, the Pre-Raphaelite who was “devoted to
his family.” In Guerin’s short biography we read of his “strained and
pompous dignity.” Girodet’s biography contains very adverse criticism:
his style “harmonized ill” with his subjects, and his work was full of
“incongruity” even to the point sometimes of being “ludicrous.” Gros,
exasperated by criticism, “sought refuge in the grosser pleasures of
life.” Flandrin also is tagged with a moral criticism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account