SOMEWOMENARTISTSINMODERNPAINTING

Itis forthepurposeofspecializationthatthetermwomanisherewithappliedtotheideaofartinpainting. Artis foranyonenaturallywhocanshowdegreeofmasteryinit. Therehavebeenagreatmanywomenpoetsandmusiciansaswellasactors,thoughsingularlyenoughthewomenpaintersofhistoryhavebeenfew,andforthatmatterinquestionofproportionremainso. Whateverthewishmaybeinpointofdismissingtheideaofsexinpainting,therehassooftenbeenfeltamongmanywomenengagingto expressthemselvesin it, theneedtoshakeoffmarkedsignsofmasculinity,andevenbrutishnessofattack,asdenoting,anditmustbesaidhere,afactitiousnotionofpower. Power.inpaintingdoesnotcomefrommuscularityofarm;itcomesnaturallyfromthe intellect. Thereareagreatmanymalepaintersshowingtoomanysignsoffemininityintheirappreciationandtheconceptionofartinpainting. Artis neithermalenorfemale. Nevertheless,itispleasingtofindwomenartistssuchasIwishtotakeuphere,keepingtothecharmoftheirownfeminineperceptionsandfemininepowersofexpression. It is theirveryfemininity whichmakesthemdistinctive in these in

SOMEWOMENARTISTS

stances. Thisdoesnotimplylady-likeapproachorwomanlyattitudeofmoral. Itmerelymeansthattheirqualityisafemininequality.IntheworkofMadameDelaunayTerck,whois

thewifeofDelaunay,theFrenchOrphiste,whichIhavenotseensincethewarcameon,onecansaythatshewasthenrunningherhusbandaveryclosesecondfordistinctioninpaintingandintelligenceofexpression. Whentwopeopleworksocloselyinharmonywitheachother,it is andwillalwaysremainamatterofdifficultyinknowingjustwhoistherealexpressorofanidea. Whateverthereis oforiginalityintheideaofOrphismeshallbecreditedtoDelaunayastheinventor,butwhetherhisownexamplesaremorereplete thanthose ofMme.DelaunayTerckis noteasyofstatement. Therewasatthattimeamarkedincreaseofvirility inproductionoverthoseofDelaunayhimself,butthesearemattersofprivatepersonalattack. HerRussiantemperwasprobablyresponsibleforthis, atleastnodoubt,assistedconsiderably. TherewasneverthelessatthattimemarkedevidencethatshewasinmasteryoftheideaofOrphismebothastoconceptionandexecution. SheshowedgreatersignsofvirilityinherapproachthandidDelaunayhimself.TherewasinhisworkadealofwhatGertrudeSteinthencalled"whitewind",akindofthinescapinginthemethod. Thedesignsdidnotlocksokeenly.Hisworkhadalwaystypicalcharmif it hadnotalwayssatisfyingvigor. His"TourEiffel"ande

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ADVENTURESINTHEARTScanvascalled"Rugby"Ithink,Irememberashavingmoregracethandepth,butonemaysaynevertheless,realdistinction.Intheexchangingofideassointimatelyashas

happenedsplendidlybetweenPicassoandBraque,whichisinthenatureofprofessionaldignityamongartists,thereisboundtobemoreorlessconfusioneventothehighlyperceptiveartistandthismustthereforeconfusethecasualobserverandlayman.Soit is, orwasatthattimewiththepaintingofRobertDelaunayandMme.DelaunayTerck;whatyoulearnedinthisinstancewasthatthemorevigorousofthepictureswerehers. Sheshowedthesamestrengthandstyleinherworkasinherinterestingpersonalitywhichwasconvincingwithoutbeingtoostrainedorforced; shewasmostprobablyanaverageRussianwomanwhichasoneknowsmeansagreatdealasto intelligence andpersonalpower.

MARIELAURENCINWithMarieLaurencintherewasagreatersense

ofpersonalandindividualcreation. OnecanneverquitethinkofanyoneinconnectionwithherpicturesotherthanthehappyreminiscenceofWatteau.Withherworkcomescharminthehighest,finestsense;thereisnothingtrivialaboutherpictures,yettheyaboundinallthegracesofthe18thCentury. Herdrawingsandpaintingswithspreadfansandnowandthenagreyhoundoragazelleopposedagainstthemindesign,holdgraceandeleganceoffeeling

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SOMEWOMENARTISTSthatWatteauwouldcertainlyhavesanctioned. Shebringsupthesamesenseofexquisitegestureandsimplicityofmovementwithafeelingfortheromanticaspectofvirginallifewhichexistsnowhereelseinmodernpainting. Sheeliminatesallseveritiesofintellect,andsuper-imposeswistfulcharmofideauponapatternofthemostdelicatebeauty. Sheisessentiallyanoriginalwhichmeansthatsheinventsherownexperienceinart.MarieLaurencinconcernsherselfchieflywiththe

ideaofgirlishyouth,younggirlsgazingtowardeachotherwithfansspreadorfolded,andfinebraidsofhairtiedgentlywithpaleceriseorpaleblueribbon,andapearl-likehushofquietudehoversoverthem.Shearreststheattentionbyherfinereticenceandholdsone'sinterestbytheveracityofestheticexperiencesheevincesinherleastorgreatestpaintingordrawing. Shepaintswithminiaturesensibilityandknowsbestofallwhattoleaveout. Sheiseminentlydevoidofexcessivenesseitherinposeorintreatment,withtheresultthatyoureyeis refreshinglycooledwiththedelicateprocess.ThatMarieLaurencinkeeps in the graceof

Frenchchildrenisinnowaysurprisingifyouknowtheincomparablelovelinessofthem. Apartfromhermodernisticexcellenceasartist, sheconveysapoetrysoessentiallyFrenchinqualitythatyouwishalwaysformoreandmoreofit. It is thelightbreathoftheLuxembourggardensandthegardensoftheTuilleriescomingoveryouoncemoreand

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ADVENTURESINTHEARTSthesamegraceinchild-lifeasexistedinthecostlygamesatVersaillesamongthegrown-upsdepictedsosuperblybyWatteauandhismostworthyfollowers,LancretandPater,inwhomtouchismorebreaththanmovement. ItisasensitiveandgracefullyaristocraticcreationMarieLaurencinproducesforus,onethatmakestheeyeavidofmoreexperienceandthemindofmoreofitssubtlety. Itisanessentiallybeautiful and satisfying contribution to modernpainting,thisnacreouscubismofMarieLaurencin.

GEORGIAO'KEEFFE*WithGeorgiaO'Keeffeonetakesafarjumpinto

volcaniccrateral ethers, andsees theworldofawomanturnedinsideoutandgapingwithdeepopeneyesandfixedmouthattherathertrivialworldoflivingpeople. "IwishpeoplewerealltreesandIthink I could enjoy them then," says GeorgiaO'Keeffe. Georgia O'Keeffe has had her feetscorchedinthelavaleffusivenessofterribleexperience; shehaswalkedonfireandlistenedtothehissingofvaporsroundherperson. ThepicturesofO'Keeffe,thenamebywhichsheismostlyknown,areprobablyaslivingandshamelessprivatedocumentsasexist, inpaintingcertainly,andprobablyinanyotherart. ByshamelessnessImeanunqualifiednakednessofstatement. Herpicturesareessentialabstractionsasallhersensationshavebeentemperedtoabstractionbythetoovicariousexperi-*American. Ed.

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SOMEWOMENARTISTSencewithactuallife. Shehadseenhell,onemightsay,andistheSphynxiansnifferatthevalueofasecret. Shelooksasifshehadriddenthemillionsofmiles ofhereveryknownimaginaryhorizon,andhasleftallherhorseslyingdeadintheirtracks.Allinquestofgreaterknowledgeandthegreatersenseoftruth. Whatthese questsfortruthareworthnoonecanpreciselysay, butthetendencywouldbetosayatleastbyonewhohasgonefartofindthemoutthattheyarenotworthyoftheearthorskytheyarewrittenon. Truthhassoiledmanyanavenue,ithasleftmanyadrawingroomwindowopen. It hasleft the confessionboxfilled withbones. However,GeorgiaO'Keeffepictures areessaysinexperiencethatneitherRopsnorMoreaunorBaudelairecouldhavesmiledaway.SheisfarnearertoSt.Theresa'sversionoflife

as experiencethanshecouldeverbeto thatofCatherinetheGreatorLucreziaBorgia. GeorgiaO'Keeffewearsnopoisonedemeralds. Shewearstoomuchwhite;sheis impaledwithawhiteconsciousness. It is notwithoutsignificancethatshewishestopaintredinwhiteandstillhaveitlooklikered. Shethinksitcanbedoneandyetthereismoreredinherpicturesthananyothercoloratpresent; thoughtheydo,itmustbesaid,runtorosefromashywhitewithoppositionsofbluetokeepthem companionable and calm. Thework ofGeorgiaO'Keeffestartlesbyitsactualexperienceinlife. Thisdoesnotimplystreetlifeorskylifeor

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ADVENTURESINTHEARTSdrawingroomlife,butlifeinallitshugeabstractionofpainandmiseryanditshugepropensityforsilencingthe spirit ofadventure. Thesepicturesmightalsobecalledexpositionsofpsychismincolorandmovement.Withoutsomeonetosteadyher,IthinkO'Keeffe

wouldnotwishthecompanyofmoretangiblethingsthantrees. Sheknowswhyshedespisesexistence,andit comesfromfacingtheacutedilemmawithmoreacutenessthanitcouldcomprehend. Sheisvastlyover-size as to experience in the spiritualgeometricoftheworld. Allthisgivesherpaintingascleananappearanceasitispossibletoimagineinpainting. Shesoilsnothingwithcheapindulgenceofwishingcommonplacethings. Shehaswishedtoolargeandfindstheworldaltogethertoosmallincomparison.WhatthefutureholdsforGeorgiaO'Keeffeas

artistdependsuponherself. Sheismodernbyinstinctandthereforecannotavoidmodernityofexpression. Itis notwilled,it is inevitable. Whenshelooksatapersonorathingshesensestheeffluviathatradiatefromthemandit is bythisthatshegaugesherlovesandhatesorhertoleranceofthem.Itisenoughthatherpicturesarrivewithastrangeincongruousbeautywhich,thoughmetaphysicallyanimport,doesnotdisconcertbythisinsistence. Sheknowsthepsychismofpatternsandevolvesthemwithstrictregardforthepicturalaspectsinthemwhichsavethemfrombanalityasideas. Shehas

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SOMEWOMENARTISTSnopreachmenttoofferanduttersnorubbishonthesubjectoflifeandtheproblem. Sheisoneoftheexceptionalgirlsoftheworldbothinartandinlife. Asartistsheisaspureandfreefromaffectationasinlifesheis relievedfromthenecessityofit.

IfthereareothersignificantwomeninmodernartIamnotasyetfamiliarizedwiththem. TheseforegoingwomentaketheirplacedefinitelyasartistswithinthecircleofwomenpainterslikeLeBrun,MaryCassatt,BertheMorisot,andareinadvanceofthembybeingclosertothetrueappreciationofestheticsininventingthemforthemselves.

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