Bulletin of the Rhode Island School of Design Issued Quarterly Vol. VI OCTOBER, 1918 No. 4 KUAN-YIN AND AJR.HAT Chinese, Sung Dynasty Museum Fund 1918 VI, 30 Bulletin of the Rhode Island School of Design Entered as second-class matter January at the 16, 1913, disciples of Buddha. They are post office at Providence, Rhode Island, under the Act known of August 24, 1912. among the Chinese as Lohan and by the Copyright, 1918, by Rhode Island School of Design. All rights reserved. Japanese as Rakan. The general composition of this phia- KUAN-YIN AND ARHAT fu, or kakemono, as the Japanese call it, may be compared with those of a paint- HE Museum has lately made some ing in the possession of Charles L. Freer very interesting purchases, includ- of Detroit, showing Kuan-yin and Arhats. T ing a group of representative Chi- This is illustrated in Painting in the Far nese paintings. These give evidence of East, by Lawrence Binyon, PI. II. the appeal of Oriental art to those who It is characteristic of the Oriental in his appreciate line, design, and color; and interpretation of landscape that he is not show the Chinese feeling in landscape, satisfied with the natural features alone, genre, and religious subjects. The paint- but studies them in relation to mankind ing illustrated belongs to the last-named and his problems, while in his religious division (Fo Hsiang) and represents pictures he uses the symbolism and legend Kuan-yin worshipped by an Arhat. It afforded by the subject to convey im- was painted early in the Sung Dynasty portant principles of living. The Occi- (960-1260 a. d.) in a style which has been dental frequently sees only the color, widely accepted as one of those used by line, and mass; and considers the painting Wu Tao-Tzu, the great creative genius from a pictorial or decorative point of of the T’ang Dynasty (618-905 a.d.). view. All of this is admissible but only This artist was born in Honan province partially does justice to the work of art near the end of the eighth century. Chi- in question, for the Oriental accepts all nese paintings, made as they are on silk of this as evidence of technical skill, and or paper, do not survive the centuries as goes far beyond this limited point of view. well as do European paintings on canvas As Kakasu Okakura has said, “Not to or wood, although the Chinese connois- display, but to suggest, is the secret of seurs have preserved as many as possible. infinity.” The result is that no examples of Wu Tao-Tzu’s work are known to be extant. His genius was so pronounced however “THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT” that details about his work are preserved By Francesco Collantes which perhaps give some conception of his style. His work was much copied, T is a matter of interest that many especially in the Sung period, and may I students of Spanish painting concern have influenced the painter of the example themselves chiefly with the great owned by the Museum. leaders, who, though few in number, have The subject was one of great appeal to so ably expressed the national spirit, and the Chinese. Kuan-yin was one of Bud- who, in many ways, belong with the dha’s attendants. In Indian art he ap- greatest painters of Europe. This is per- pears as Avalokitesvara, and in Japanese haps just, since their influence was so art as Kwannon. Oriental painting does marked, their technique so fine, and their not place emphasis on sex, so in the Sung art so superb. But in recent years atten- Dynasty and before, Kuan-yin appears tion is being gradually directed to the as male, while in modern belief Kuan-yin lesser known artists, the early Primitive is known as the “Goddess of Mercy”; masters, especially of the Catalan school, but its early significance was “the Lord and a number of later ones who are who looks down upon, or hears the cries grouped under the schools of Madrid and of the world.” The Arhats were the early Seville. In a land so strongly religious it Century I XVI Spanish, Collantes, Francesco by 1918 Metcalf, B. Manton Mr. of Gift EGYPT INTO FLIGHT THE VI, 32 Bulletin of the Rhode Island School of Design is inevitable that religion should not only ruined buildings. The painting is signed. supply subject-matter to the painter, but It is of interest to note the difference also determine for him, in a sense, the in point of view, for, like all the other methods he should use. One painter of creators of landscape painting of the the school of Madrid is of special interest period, Collantes recognized its possibil- because of his skill in landscape, and the ities of sympathetic setting for human Museum is deeply gratified to own a experiences. In the course of years this superb example by this master, Fran- use of landscape has been given up, and cesco Collantes. The painting was re- our modern painters express their inter- cently given by Mr. Manton B. Metcalf, pretation of its phases, for the landscape and is entitled “The Flight into Egypt.” alone. Where the human figure is intro- In these days of search for new expres- duced it is usually for scale only or sec- sion and originality when many voices ondary to the landscape. This may be decry the old, and do not consider the one reason why landscape studies of the work of the past as having any message older schools have so great an appeal, for today, it is refreshing to see such a especially in such dramatic treatment of sincere, masterly interpretation hung in landscape as in the painting under dis- an adjoining gallery to a number of cussion. modern landscapes, and to note how far The life of the artist presents certain behind some of the later canvases are in facts which are of importance. He was forceful expression, in richness of color, born in Madrid in 1599 and died in the and in subtle treatment. same city in 1656. His teacher was Vin- It is characteristic of Spanish art to be cenzo Carducho (1568-after 1638), an direct and strong. To be sure it is rela- Italian who came to Spain in 1585 and tively easy to trace foreign influences became court-painter to Philip III and which constantly tend to determine the Philip IV. Like many of his contempo- artist’s results, but the Spanish char- raries Collantes felt the influence of Ital- acter accepts all that and insists on an ian methods and traditions, but developed individual and national expression. his own style. Although his existing The subject, “The Flight into Egypt,” paintings are relatively few in number is one that was frequently represented by it is known that he was decidedly versa- artists of all schools. For purposes of tile, painting animals, landscapes, still- comparison, there is the same subject life, and historical and figure subjects. treated by Fra Angelico in Florence, and Throughout his work, now known, there another by Joachim Patenier, formerly is uniform boldness of handling and rich- in Antwerp. In both of these as in others ness of color. One naturally thinks of the which might be mentioned, the human Venetian and Bolognese masters of land- element is by far the greater, the figures scape, especially of Jacopo de Ponte, being rendered quite large, and the land- (1510-1592), from Bassano, with whom scape serving purely as a background. Collantes in his interpretation of land- In the Collantes painting the figures, scape shows unconscious similarity. The while still in the foreground, are rela- comparison with the best of these schools, tively small in scale, and the dominant with perhaps the possible exception of note is the giant tree and the broken Titian, is entirely favorable to Collantes. trunk behind the figure of the angel. The The personality of this artist whose glimpses over broken country on either work is so finely represented in our Mu- side introduce all the romantic elements seum, may become better known to us in which landscape artists of the period when the Spanish archives are searched delighted, including rushing water, masses as diligently as have been the Italian ones. of foliage in deep shadow, and semi- L. E. R. Bulletin of the Rhode Island School of Design VI, 33 A ROMAN LETTER terial and treatment; also the method of installation to be employed. Such matters UT of a legacy that was left me I are archaeological and have their value, have just bought a statue of Cor- but perhaps the greatest interest in this O inthian bronze. It is small, but letter lies in four points, the connoisseur- thoroughly clever and done to the life — ship of Pliny, the spirit in which the gift at least, in my judgment, which, in mat- was to be made, the place where it was ters of this sort, and perhaps of every to be shown, and the conditions imposed sort, is not worth much. However, I regarding its pedestal. Pliny felt their really do see the merits of this statue. It importance otherwise he would not have is a nude figure, and its faults, if it has mentioned them, and his letter presents any, are as clearly observable as its a striking picture of his position as a beauties. It represents an old man stand- collector. In the first place Pliny realizes ing up. The bones, the muscles, the veins, the wisdom of acquiring the work of art, and the very wrinkles, all look life-like.