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 THE ART CRITIC.

be injuring the less fortunate. The millionairs will impulses, sardonic smiles, narcotic dreams, chron'ic
not be more sacred to history than the clergy and mental catarrhs, ascetic efforts, godlike ideas, and
the nobility. the most absurd eccentricities and mannerisms
Or has this age merely grown old and is now which hurt Winkelinaniac esthetics like the elec
longing for rest ? It has a strange life behind it. tric light our eyes.
After loving with Byron and Heine, it has worked They indulge in an adoration of the nude in life
hard, produced many wonderful material results, and art, they are introducing a new religious wor
genuine triumphs of science and invention, and, ship, and make the boldest investigations into all
with great effort also works of art, particularly in sciences, and, in particular, into psycho-physiology.
music, which will survive many a coming century. And to what end ? To wipe away the inconsis
Now it is exhausted, weary of life, tottering on tent theories of the past, to nail all great men of
crutches to the grave. Can we be astonished that times gone by to the cross of judgment, to find out
it has grown childish and finds pleasure in an whether they are Christlike or like Dysmas and
infant's prattle ? Stegas.
They will no longer allow systems of philosophy
WHAT IS FIN DE SIECLE ? and great literary works to be developed from a
certain fundamental idea, supposed " infallible"
A meaningless phrase, not new, but lately sugges by one auguring mind.
tive of everything new and odd. -
They want everything mud and diamonds, the
The phrase was evolutionized in the golden dust slightest suggestion of a thought as well as sublime
that whirls along the social avenues of the city of actions that benefit all mankind. They soar to
Notre Dame. the stars, and meditate on the buttonholes of their
It has made its de'but in many
of the leading
shirts. Not satisfied with their tangible existence,
European journals and magazines, and threatens to they want to trace their origin into the mystery of
become the lable for all mental and artistic efforts mysteries that are weaving in ever changing
of the coming years.
visions around the throne of infinite eternity.
All, young or old, regardless of color, creed, and How did they rise so suddenly there have! Oh,
sex, who rush head over heels with new ideas been mighty pioneers for the-fin de siecle movement.
towards the 20th century are, hommes et femmes Only to mention a few among the dead, Wagner,
fin de siecle.
Schopenhauer, Walt Whitman, Taine, Rossetti, Dar
Who are its leading representatives ? Young
win, Poe, Manet; and among the living, Jbsen,
authors and artists with an indescribable enthusi Tolstoj, Monet, Puvis de Chavannes, Zola, Nietsche,
asm who are modest enough to give in that the etc. This mighty age began with Napoleon and
importance of their own efforts is limited, but who
Goethe and apparantly will end with fin de
assert without exception that they are the prophets si&cle art and Utopian aspirations.
of something (nobody knows what) glorious to With gigantic strides we will pass through the
come.
coming centuries! The rough diamond of our
They are a set of strange young men, dreamers globe will be cut, and recut, ground and polished,
and visionaries-often morbid, broken-hearted, until it has the sublime transparency of Japanese
and poor, always nervous and impossible in
crystal balls.
society, whose first and last endeavor is to do Fin de Siecle to work, develop men and
something original, however odd and erroneous it
women worthy of the 20th century!
may be. In great despair they rush about on the Let us go from darkness to light, from light to
stage of lifeand yell: "My life, my life, for an
darkness, and again, to light, to the light of lights'!
original idea! "
Some are imbeciles but fnasters of technique, CRITIC FIN DE SIECLE.

other philosophers but botchers.

A TUESDAYEVENINGAT STEPHANEMALLARME'S.
And society-,with luscious eyes, secretly nibbles
away at their forbidden fruit, while the fin de siecle It was half past eight on a Tuesday evening
poets, who are disgusted with wearing a mask, are when I entered 89, rue de Rome and climbed up to
considered candidates for the insane asylums. the fourth where
story, Stephane Mallarme' "the
I will tell you some of their characteristics. father of symbolism," holds his weekly receptions.
There is in them a confusion of suppressed ideas, He had invited me, sending me one of his exquisite
10 THE AR T CRITIC.

billets, genuine models of elegant and gourmand ever having published any remarkable work.
expression, in the writing of which he has to fear Though nearly sixty, he has only produced a few
no rival in Paris or elsewhere. verses, poems in prose, book reviews, dramatic
The author himself came to the door and received criticisms, and translations from the English. His
me with his habitual amiability. He lead me into fame rests principally upon " L Aprbs-Midi d'un
a little parlor illumined by a hanging lamp which Faune," a pamphlet of not more than six pages
threw a dull light on a landscape by Monet over of reading matter. His admirers seem easily to
the sofa, a " Hamlet and the Ghost " by Manet, dispense with his productions, they even regard it
and his wife and daughter bending over needle work as a merit that he does not consider his works
amidst the rathermediaval looking furniture. good enough for print. By his silence he announces
Mallarme is a man of medium height with a beard the fact that, as yet, he is not competent for the
plentifully streaked with grey; he is somewhat old creation of the work he contemplates, and thus to
fashioned in appearance, reminding one of an old the young literati he represents the symbolical idea
professor, (in which capacity he is employed at of a perfect poet.
the Lycee, St. Louis), only the dreamy look in The principal characteristics of his writings are
his eyes betrays the poet. Another peculiarity in (to apply a paradox), their "intelligible unin
his person which strikes the observer are his long telligibleness." There is not the slightest doubt
satyr-like ears, which would offer Hartmann, that he has meditated long over every sentence he
Frigerio or Lombroso further matter for their dis has ever published and that hiis words are full of
cussions on " degenerative influences." deep meaning, but as his own individuality alone
While waiting the arrival of the other guests we is the key to it we outsiders fail to understan*d him,
had a chat about contemporaneous art. I asked and the most we might gain by his reading are
him his opinion of " Le Pauvre Pecheur " by Puvis some vague poetical suggestioAs. His translations
de Chavannes. " It expresses he exclaimed," the of Poe's poems are in no way remarkable; how, for
utmost misery of a special type of humanity. The instance, can " Jamais Plus " interpret that elo
pose of the poor fisherman with his hands devoutly quent "Nevermore? " His books sell almost
crossed on his breast, indicates his resignation to entirely in private circulation, in numbered copies
except whatever fate may have in store for him. of editions de luxe, illustrated impressionistically
He knows that he will never catch a fish! The and very unartistically by Manet, too expensive to
landscape represents life itself, fading away in dull be purchased by any but the enthusiast and the
grey colors. It is a picture which portrays extreme rich amateur.
despair and deep humility in a marvelously perfect His fame is chiefly due to his Tuesday evenings,
manner."Y where he reveals himself as what I would term an
He then lit a candle and proceeded to afford me intellectual man of fashion par excellence. He
a nearer inspection of the two above mentioned speaks as the other symbolists write. He utters
pictures. I found but little to admire in them. any amount of mysterious and harmonious words
Hamlet was a mere sketch in black on a back and his listeners, already a little benumbed, as it
ground of snowfields, Mallarme however, expressed were, by the hot punch with which they are- served,
great admiration for the vague spot representing leave him with the impression that they have
the ghost that was perceptible on the snow, and received incomprehensible, revelations. His words
pronounced it to be a chef d'oeuvre, realized as it betray a decided admiration for the Pre-Raphaalites.
was with so little effort; there was really nothing It is he, in reality, who directed the attention of
to be seen and yet it was wrought with such deep the symbolists to the Pre-Raphaelitic movement.
meaning." I wondered in silence whether this ver Through Mallarme they imbibed the mediaeval
dict would have held good for the picture in case it spirit and the neocatholicism of their English
had had 'no title. The "marvelous atmospheric predecessors.
effects in the distance," of Monet's landscape I Bostonians would naturally never hear of Phillips
absolutely could not discover, and for politeness, Brooks being compared to Ste'phane Mallarme and
sake merely nodded approval. Parisians who know nothing of Brooks would
Stephane Mallarme is probably the most peculiar object equally. But there is notwithstanding an

apparition in the spiritual life of contemporary affinity between Mallarme's slow languid monolo
France. He enjoys the fame of a poet without. gues in the narrow, dusty, medieval looking room
 THE ART CRITIC. I1

in the rue de Rome, and Brook's rapid vehement write their best works in French. Merrill thought
sermons, which at all times contained more beauti I was to be pitied as I was soon to return to
ful words than thoughts, delivered in the dim atmos America, which he considered "'the most unartis
phere ot Trinity church. Both owe their success tic country on earth."
- By
principally to the hypnotizing influence peculiar to this time the assembly consisted of about
*strong personalities (This is not meant, to offend twenty poets and, I believe one composer who
his congregation but merely as a scientific analysis.) expressed his doubts as to whether Baudelaire's
Henri de Regnier was the first arrival. He is a verses could be set to music and who answered all
tall, lean, effeminant looking man of about thirty, my various remaks with a very polite "certes!
who, after bowing stiffly in answer to the introduc certes
tion, sat down, readjusting a monocle in his eye. It was about nine o'olock whenStephane Mallarmd
Regnier is very, fond of mentioning a certain prepared to perform his part, which has earned him
stone in his poems. On one occasion, however, the world wide reputation of a causeur. Glasses of
when a traveller showed him a sample of it, he hot punch were passed around by the host and
inquired naively: " By what name is it known ?" leaning against the mantlepiece he began to talk.
His knoweledge of the stone did not extend farther He spoke about the Baudelaire movemnent, about
than the name, the sound of which was pleasing to Rodin, Versailles, mentioned a certain poet
him. This proceeding is very characteristic of the who was in' the habit of leaving out a word
whole symbolist poetry. in the middle of a sentence, which his guests
Regnier and his host began a conversation about thought very suggestive etc. etc. The hours
Baudelaire, and commented upon a photogiaph, a passed by and Mallarme continued to talk without
very striking likeness of the great poet which any arrogance but rather witlh the condescending
Mallarme' had espied during the summer in Hon spirit of a friend and father. The others had but
fleur. little to say. My neighbor a very effeminate look
The bell announced a second visitor and another ing young Belgian with long hair, broke out con
poet was ushered in. Mallarme' was asked whether tinually into such hysterical exclamations as
he had ever met Baudelaire. *Mallarme began a "Cela me fait plasir! " Je suis tellement enthu
long speech, in which he gradually approached the siasme.
subject. He was one day sitting on an omnibus, I tried hard to gain some information during the
riding in such and such a street, when he suddenly monologue, and waited in vain for another bright
perceived an old man walking with a bundle of rem-ark like the one he had addressed to me shortly
manuscripts under his arm. I was full of expec before Regnier entered. "Literature will undoubt
tancy as 'to further interesting details of an inter edly become the religion of the aristocrats while
view, but here the story came to an abrupt end. gold, sensuality, etc., will remain the gods of the
He apparently remained in the ominibus and multitude."
Baudelaire pursued his way. On my way home all I could remember of the
The bell was now rung every few minutes and evening's conversation was a chaos of beautiful
very soon the room was filled with gentlemen. We words and the description of an impression
were invariably introduced as Mr. C. S. H., po'ete Mallarmr had received at Versailles:. Early in
americainand Mr. so and so, pobte francais." I the morning when the sun rises over the lonesome
thought France an enviable country. I never saw so park, the mists appear like female forms kissing,
many poets assembled in so small a space before. spirit-like, the statues of the past."
The collection, however, was not particularly inter
esting. Neither Rodin, nor Monet, nor any of the COLOR IN ARCHITECTURE.
well known symbolists, excepting Regnier, appeared.
Today all young ambitious artists have the some
Stuart Merrill, an American and an exquisite what morbid yet justified desire to be up to date,;
writer of French verse,, much in the style of to be modern andl fashionable. But this high press
Regnier, and the translator of " Pastels in Prose," ure is not killing art, as some wise philistines remark,
was also present. In a recent article in the what do they know about art anyhow?; on the con
"Revue Bleu," Stuart Merrill with Vie'16 Griffin trary it calls forth numerous untried faculties and
were absurdly designated as the two greatest living new combinations which will help to produce new
American poets, notwithstanding the fact that they phases of art.