Life, 1892-05-26 · page 9 of 18
Life — May 26, 1892 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This *Life* magazine page (p. 331) contains historical anniversary illustrations and a critical review of an artists' exhibition. **Top section:** Three "Anniversaries of the Week" engravings commemorate historical events: Henry VIII's 1533 divorce from Catherine of Aragon, Napoleon's 1846 escape from Ham disguised as a workman, and the 1848 banishment of Louis Philippe and family. **Main article ("A Show"):** Reviews the Society of American Artists exhibition, criticizing the Impressionists' work as "purple, greenery, aggressiveness" and lacking honest technique. However, the reviewer praises specific artists (Simmons, Sargent, Chase, Beckwith, Collins, Fowler, Thayer) whose realistic paintings offer "pleasant relief from the fantastic crudities" of the avant-garde. The review reflects late-19th-century artistic conservatism resisting modernist movements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Wuy, HENRY, JUST THINK OF THIS! A MAN WHO ONCE WAS AN EDITORIAL WRITER ON THE NEW YORK Sum 18 NOW WORKING ON THE STREETS OF ATCHISON.” “IT MIGHT BE, THOSE WESTERN STREET CONTRACTORS ARE NOT AT ALL PARTICULAR WHOM THEY EMPLOY.” | DIVORCED branes | May 23, 1533- HENRY VIII SECURES A DIVORCE FROM CATHERINE, May 25, 1846, LOUIS NAPOLEON ESCAPES FROM HAM DISGUISED AS A A SHOW. HOSE pleasure seekers who missed the circus should make a point of visiting the Exhibition of the Society of American Artists. It is much funnier, The impressionists have it all their own way at this show, and it’s the same old purple, greenery, aggressiveness as heretofore. Where it not so dispiriting to lovers of honest art, the fact of these eccentric brethren taking themselves seriously would render their exhibition one of the most hilarious successes of the variety season. A good impressionist is bad enough, but here many of the best positions on the line are occupied by the harshest horrors, rank in color, and startling from the brutality of their execution. There are many excellent paintings, however. Messrs. Simmons, Sargent, Chase, Beckwith, Collins, Fowler, Thayer, and a dozen others have contributed pictures of exceptional merit, honest works of art that stand out in pleasant relief from the fantastic crudities that environ them. BANISHMENT OF LOUIS PHILIPPE AND FAMILY. **\ RE the Misses Dumaboe in?” he asked. “She are,” returned Bridget, “ but the young ladies is out.” comicbooks.com