Collections and Critiques

A sparkling portrait of Victor Huge is in the place of honor at the exhibition "Romantic Illustration in France," which will remain at the Fogg Museum throughout the month. Beside the lithograph of Achille Deveria -- lent by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston -- is a pencil sketch by Hugo of a hill town and an impression of his unique etching "Lightning." Beneath, a copy of Delacroix's "Faust" is opened at the lithograph showing Marguerite in Church. The keynote of the exhibition is set by this central group; the remaining displays amplify the union of author and artist.

Two volumes of "Picturesque Travel in France" opened to pages by Bonington and Fragonard's son Alexandre Evariste are supplemented by other lithographs from the same publication showing the historical and geographical curiosity of the century ushered in by Napoleon's conquests. Bonington, the English youth who spent the last half of the twenty-seven full years of his life in France, raised lithography to a new height, well illustrated by the "Rue du Gros Horloge, Rouen." Gericault's studies of horses form striking foils to the more dramatic lithographs of Delacroix, also represented by two water-colors.

Lithographs by Charlet and his pupil Raffet, echoed by wood-engravings of these masters, show the Napoleonic Legend. The comparison is instructive; the visitor directing his glance from a page of Nodier's "Portes de Fer" to a lithograph of the Napoleonic army is readily convinced of the small interest the Romantic artist took in the means of art. Much more important was the final effect.

The Romantic fervor also found its way into book illustration, which, forming a part of the page, are called vignettes. The process, developed in England, spread to Paris, where in the '30's a formidable number of illustrated books were produced. The interest was shared between new editions of famous literature and contemporary writings. Thus "Gil Blas," "Don Quixote," "Paul and Virginia," are exhibited with Goethe's "Werther," Nodier's fairy tale "Tresor des Feves," Reybaud's political satire "Jerome Paturot," all with blocks cut after designs by Johannot, and Gigoux and others.

Interesting People

As the century were on, an interest in types of people took the place of the more imaginative work. A whole series of little books called "Physiologies" were issued in 1841 and '42. For these pamphlets the biting accuracy of Daumier's pencil was admirably suited. A whole case is filled with these vignettes, where Daumier is seen as the logical heritor of the Romantic illustrators. Exhibited with copies of the "Physiologies" are three pages of proofs submitted to Daumier by the engravers and initiated by him in pencil. These precious fragments have been lent by Mr. Russel Allen, to whose generosity many of the most interesting exhibits are due. The kinship of these wood-engravings to Daumier's better-known lithographs is apparent from the row of prints placed above the case. The magnificent "Rue Transonian" is flanked by the "Souvenir de Saint-Pelagic," the prison where Daumier was confined for his political caricatures. This impression, one of seven known proofs, is also tent by Mr. Allen. Finally, an interesting comparison of Daumier and Gavarni is afforded by the juxtaposition of similar compositions. In this way the visitor is shown in dramatic fashion the similarities and the characteristics of the two leading journalistic artists; the general point of view of the period and the specific vision of the artist.

The exhibition should appeal to those interested in the art, the literature and the social customs of the Romantic decades. It shows the period as a whole, so that a new impression is gained of a much misunderstood and neglected movement. The Romantic artists were the first to attempt an adjustment of art to a rapidly mechanizing world: their experiment should not be without interest to us, who are still striving for an adjustment.