Progress in European Countries

Italy.

The southern countries were but little affected by the modern activities of Paris. In Italy, the almost isolated outbreak of Futurism, under the poet F. T. Marinetti, was speedily trans ferred to the more fruitful soil of Paris and appears to have had little influence in the country of its origin. The standard of modern Italian art is not a very high one, but there is a good average of production, mostly academic in character.

The main characteristic of the latter part of the 19th century was a sort of picturesque Courbet-ism with an occasional flavour of Fantin-Latour and even of Proud'hon. Monticelli was also a potent influence. This was succeeded by the influence, particularly in the northern districts, of the fine painter Segantini, who died in 1899. In the work of certain painters, Luigi Galli, for example, the influence of the Old Masters, particularly Michelangelo, is strongly felt.

On the work of very many of the portrait painters the per nicious influence of Carolus-Duran has left its mark.

A description of modern Italian art consists, almost inevitably, of a list of names, as there appear to be no definitely marked schools of painting or movements.

Antonio Mancini (1852-193o), born in Rome, the portrait and figure painter, is strongly individualistic in his methods. In his later work, in which the paint is extraordinarily thick in parts, he was accustomed to use various means to produce an effect, even employing pieces of glass, bits of tin, buttons, paper, etc.— a device which he used before the Futurists employed it. His earlier work, in a broad academic manner, is fine in character and drawing. Gaetano Previati (1852-192o) was superficially in fluenced by Segantini, but lacks the subtle colour analysis of that master; the same influence is perceptible in the work of Mario Puccini (1869-192o) ; Eugenio Prati (1842-1907), who is thought highly of, was influenced in his later work by Monticelli; and Emilio Gola (1852-1923) was a sort of Sorolla (the Spanish painter), with a warm academic quality and some reference to Monticelli. Arthur Rietti combined the quality, very much re moved, of Menzel and Degas. The Venetians, Frederico Zando meneghi (1841-1917), akin to Besnard plus a certain austerity, and Guglielmo Ciardi (1843-1917) showed an admiration for the early Corot, while Pietro Fragiacomo (1856-1922) painted night effects on the Lagoons with a rare subtlety.

Angelo Morbelli (1853-1919) practised a kind of up-to-date 'decorative symbolism. Other notable painters were Bartolommeo Bezzi (1851-1923), Cesare Tallone (1853-1919), Mario de Maria (1852-1924), Michele Cammargno (1835-192o), Antonio Leto (1844-1913) and E. Delbono Czechoslovakia.—About 190o there was an outcry on the part

of certain of the Czech artists against the "free tendencies" of French art, which were considered to be a menace to the national productions, such as they were. But French art prevailed and in 1902 a pavilion was built for an exhibition of Rodin's work. This was followed by an exhibition of paintings by Manet, Degas, Renoir, Sisley, Carriere, etc., and in 1908 at Prague, of Daumier, Pissarro, Monrisot, Bonnard, Vuillard and of Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. The influence, therefore, was mainly French, but early in the century some of the younger painters discarded Impressionism in favour of Cezannism. They formed a small society of "Eight," which led to a quarrel with the Manes Society and a subsequent reunion. This society was named after Joseph Manes (1848-1891), who had substituted the direct study of nature for the idealism of Cornelius and Overbeck.

Antonin SlavF6ek became known as the Master of Czech Im pressionism; with him were A. HudiCek, BlasiiCek, Otokar Nejedly and PrUcha.

Jan Preisler was one of the founders of the Manes Society and Max Svabinsky was an active member. Karel Myslbek was in fluenced by the Spanish painter Zuloaga. F. Simon, Spillar, Boet linger were all definitely French in feeling. Nechleba, Obrovsky, Mayer were notable names ; Emile Filla led the younger painters towards Cubism and Expressionism.

Switzerland.

Swiss painting has not been prominent in any review of art, either for its quality or its quantity; nor has it been ever very distinctive in its blended qualities of Munich and North Italian; but there has been a certain improvement in modern art, particularly in sculpture.

The painter Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918) was the most notable national figure. His work in landscape, figure, portrait and genre has had remarkable virility and some originality. Others, E. Morgenthaler, R. H. Pellegrini, A. Blanchet (influenced by Gauguin and Derain), C. Amiet (Impressionistic influence), may be mentioned.

Spain.

Spain remains conservative and very little influenced by the art of its neighbour.

Zuloaga, a daringly direct observer, is well-known through ex hibitions in Paris and his paintings in the Luxembourg; Sorolla is a virile painter of contemporary life, who might be compared with Sargent; Zubiaurre combines a primitive instinct with the directness of Zuloaga ; Solomayer, the realist, has adopted a style somewhat reminiscent of Lucien Simon.

Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires has become a centre of remark able artistic activity; the annual Salons there reveal the existence of a large number of painters of a high level of artistic ability.