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Arts

ndants de Province nous ecrivent...

XV siecles ou de certaines tentures allemandes du XV siecle, ou de tentures d'Angers pour lesquelles il professe une predilection. Pour l'acte du << Retour des soldats >>, Goethe a voulu que les soldats reviennent aux premieres neiges et, sous l'influence du texte original, il peignit un decor dans une simple gamme de gris convenant particulierement au drame, car, contrairement a l'acte du jardin, il y a de l'action et la tragique mort de Valentin.

Au demeurant, l'artiste n'a voulu -- pour se soumettre aux possibilites du temps avec lesquelles il faut bien compter -- que les elements decoratifs indispensables a la scene en s'efforcant de les presenter de la facon la plus suggestive. En realite, M. Jean Guiraud a remis <<  Faust >> dans son vrai cadre medieval.

L'activite de M. Jean Guiraud est grande. Au Theatre Antique de Vienne il a presente dans des decors neufs << Faust >> et << Mireille >>, << L'Amour medecin >>, <>, << Le Barbier de Seville >>, << Humbert aux mains vides >> de Riollet ou le peintre-decorateur a merveilleusement evoque cette cour legendaire dont les chants des trouveres par dela les siecles ont apporte jusqu'a nous une sorte d'etrange reflet sonore.

Enfin, simultanement, au Grand Theatre-Opera de Lyon, l'Eden de Saint-Etienne a monte, dans des decors de M. Jean Guiraud, << Lohengrin >> de Richard Wagner. Le deuxieme acte fut particulierement remarque pour la beaute de ses lignes s'elevant dans une sobriete stylisee.

La tapisserie a toujours enthousiasme ce decorateur de theatre. Depuis quelques annees il compose et execute, selon une technique un peu oubliee, de tentures peintes. N'existe-t-il pas a Reims, datant de XV* siecle, des toiles peintes sur des sujets religieux. Peut-etre s'agit-il la des modeles destines aux tisseurs de basse-lisse, peut-etre aussi est-il arrive qu'a l'occasion de grandes celebrations, les tapisseries tissees manquant, on eut recours, pour completer des ensembles, a ces toiles peintes dont l'execution est plus rapide. M. Guiraud se refere a de telles lecons d'artistes des XV et XVI* siecles qui, avec une science parfaite de la composition et de la couleur, aurent passer de l'enluminure du livre d'heures aux grandes surfaces tissees ou peintes si rigoureusement murals et d'une si haute noblesse. Le peintre nous a assure que, comme a ces belles epoques, e sont presque toujours ceux auxquels sont destinees ses tentures qui lui fournissent le sujet, selon leurs gouts litteraires, la destination ou l'evocation de leurs pays d'origine.

Nous avons pu admirer quelques tapisseries de M. Jean Guiraud, notament celles consacrees a Francois Rabelais, a Olivier de Magny et Louise Labbe, la Belle Cordiere, a Moliere dans le role de Mascarille de << L'Etourdi >>, a saint Laurent, patron des cuisiniers, a sainte Cecile, admirable de mouvements et d'expression.

M. Jean Guiraud ne s'inspire pas seulement des grandes figures du passe. Ce serait mal connaitre les sources de son art si on lui denialt le talent de saisir notre epoque. Un de ses monotypes, par exemple, represente une equipe de football en pleine action. Rythme, elan, physionomies sont rendus intensement et revelent la faculte rare de fixer le fugitif.

L province, encore qu'elle favorise parfois l'inspiration, laisse l'artiste dans une profonde solitude. Nousne dirons pas
qu'elle a nui a la productionde M. Jean Guiraud qui a conserve sa personnalite, mais, comme le disait autrefois a ses eleves le celebre compositeur Gevaert, << ce n'est rien d'avoir du genie, c'est de trouver quelqu'un pour le dire >>, M. Jean
Guiraud, lui, possede un talent reel, mais son volontaire effacement le tient un peu a l'ecart de tous les groupes et ne lui a pas donne encore la place a laquelle il a droit.

Pierre DELATERE.

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[[boxed]] ...DE TROYES [[/boxed]]

Le nouveau musee historique

LES lecteurs d'ARTS on deja ete entretenus de ce Musee Historique de Troyes et de la Champagne, dont la creation etait projetee depuis longtemps. Son inauguration est maintenant chose faite et M. Vergnet-Ruiz, inspecteur general des Musees de France, a bien voulu l'honorer de sa presence.

Le nouveau Musee a ete installe a l'Hotel de Vauluisant, et le visiteur, des l'entree, est mis dans l'ambiance en contemplant sa jolie facade Renaissance. Par un escalier a vis, menage dans une tourelle, il accede au << bel etage >>, ou, tout de suite,se presente a lui, disposee en cimaisem une longue suitede dessins representant les vieilles maisons troyennes avec leurs altiers pignons pointus, leurs etages a audacieux encorbellements, leurs exquises tourelles, leurs fenetres a petits vitraux et a volets decores de medaillons et d'arabesques. Tout cela etait plus ou moins irregulier, de travers et de guingois, mais l'art n'y perdait jamais ses droits, et au milieu de tout ce pittoresque fouillis on devine les plus exquises sculptures decoratives du XVI*, siecle. Mieux encore: on peut voir ces sculptures elles-memes, car d'importants fragments, arraches a ces memes antiques demeures lors de leur demolition, sont disposes aupres des documents qui les representent, permettant ainsi que se fasse dans l'ceil du visiteur une veritable reconstitution d'une ville ancienne, sans que l'on ait eu pour cela recours a la copie et au << refait >>.

Tout cet ensemble est complete, dans les autres salles, par des dessins evoquant les eglises, les chapelles, les abbayes, autregois si nombreuses dan notre ville, ainsi que less fortifications du moyen age et les portes du XV* siecle, dont quelque-unes avalent belle allure, mais n'ont malheureusement pas trouve grace devant la pioche du demolisseur. Dans les
vitrines se voient des fainces rustiques de Brienne, de Mathaux, de Foucheres, des sceaux de families, ou d'institutions champenoises, des elements de costumes, des batons de
confreries, etc...

Mais il ne faut pas oublier que notre Musee est consacre non seulement a Troyes, mais encore a toute la Champagne, des cartes geographiques et des plans anciens, ainsi qu'une remarquable collection de gravures du XVII* siecle mettent sous nos yeux ce que fut autrefois notre province, une des plus vastes de France.

Cette presentation a ete rendue possiblepar less efforts combines de la Direction des Musees de France, qui a bien voulu mettre en depot en notre ville la belle serie des dessins et des gravures de Conseil General et du Conseil Municipal qui ont vote les credits necessaires a l'amenagement des salles.

Tous ceux qui aiment voir revire le passe leur seront reconnaissants de leur generosite et nous souhaitons que les touristes, aussi bien que les amateurs et les erudits viennent tres nombreux visiter ce musee local, si bien complete par celui de la Bonneterie, amenage, lui aussi, a l'Hotel
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Transcription Notes:
Basic English Translation [[??]] of Province write us [[Left Column]] Fifteen centuries or some German hangings of the 15th century, or hangings of Angers for which he professes a predilection. For the act of "Return of the Soldiers", Goethe wanted the soldiers to return to the first snow and, under the influence of the original text, he painted a decor in a simple range of gray particularly suited to the drama, because, unlike the act of the garden, there is action and the tragic death of Valentine. For the rest, the artist wanted to submit to the possibilities of time with which it is necessary to count well - that the decorative elements indispensable to the scene by striving to present them in the most suggestive way. In fact, Mr. Jean Guiraud has given "Faust" in its true medieval setting. The activity of Mr. Jean Guiraud is great. At the Antique Theater of Vienna he has presented in new scenes "Faust" and "Mireille", "Love Doctor", "Manon", "The Barber of Seville", "Humbert with empty hands" de Riollet or the painter-decorator has wonderfully evoked this legendary court whose songs found over the centuries have brought us a sort of strange reflection sound. Finally, simultaneously, at the Grand Theater Opera of Lyon, the Eden of Saint-Etienne climbed, in the settings of Mr. Jean Guiraud, "Lohengrin" Richard Wagner. The second act was especially noted for the beauty of its lines rising in a stylized sobriety. The tapestry always has enthusiasm for this theater decorator. For some years he has been composing and executing, in a technique that has been a little forgotten, painted hangings. This does not exist in Reims, dating from the fifteenth century, paintings painted on religious subjects. Perhaps it is the model for low-smooth weavers, perhaps it also happens that on the occasion of great celebrations, the missing woven tapestries are used to complete sets of those painted canvases whose execution is faster. M. Guiraud refers to such lessons of artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who, with a perfect knowledge of composition and color, would have passed from the illumination of the book of hours to large woven or painted surfaces of rigorous murals and of such a high nobility. The painter has assured us that, as in these beautiful times, it is almost always those to whom are destined to his hangings which furnish him the subject, according to their literary tastes, the destination or the evocation of their country of origin. We were able to admire some of Jean Guiraud's tapestries, notably those dedicated to Francois Rabelais, to Olivier de Magny and Louise Labbe, the Belle Cordiere, to Moliere in the role of Mascarille from L'Etourdi, to Saint Laurent, patron of the cooks, to Saint Cecile, admirable of movements and expression. Jean Guiraud is not only inspired by the great figures of the past. It would be difficult to know the sources of his art if we deny the talent to seize our time. One of his monotypes, for example, represents a football team in action. Rhythm, elan, physiognomies are rendered intensely and reveal the rare faculty of fixing the fugitive. The province, although it sometimes favors the inspiration, leaves the artist in a deep solitude. We shall not say that it has affected the production of Jean Guiraud, who has retained his personality, but, as his famous composer Gevaert once said, "it is nothing to have genius, it is to find someone to say it", Mr. Jean Guiraud, he possesses a real talent, but his erasing volunteer keeps him a little apart from all groups and has not yet given him the place to which he is entitled to. Pierre DELATERE [[Second Column]] [[boxed]] ...FROM TROYES [[/boxed]] The new historical museum The readers of ARTS have already been told of this Historical Museum of Troyes and Champagne, whose creation had been planned for a long time. His inauguration is now done and Mr. Vergnet-Ruiz, Inspector General of the Museums of France, has kindly honored him with his presence. The new museum has been installed at the Hotel de Vauluisant, and the visitor, from the entrance, is set in the mood by contemplating its pretty Renaissance facade. Through a spiral staircase, in a turret, he reached the "bel etage", where he was immediately presented with a long series of drawings representing the old houses of the Troyes with their sharp pointed gables, their floors have audacious corbel-lings, their exquisite turrets, their windows with small stained glass windows and decorated shutters with medallions and arabesques. All this was more or less irregular, crooked, and lopsided, but art never lost its rights, and in the midst of all this picturesque confusion one can guess the most exquisite decorative sculptures of the sixteenth century. Better still, we can see these sculptures themselves, because important fragments, torn from these same ancient mansions during their demolition, are arranged with the documents that represent them, thus allowing to be done in the eye of the visitor as a real reconstruction of an ancient city, without the use of copying and "redoing". All this ensemble is complete, in the other rooms, by drawings evoking the churches, the chapels, the abbeys, other cities so numerous in our city, as well as the fortifications of the Middle Ages and the fifteenth century doors, some of which swallow beautiful pace, but unfortunately did not find grace in front of the pick of the demolisher. In the windows are rustics of Brienne, Mathaux, Foucheres, seals of families, or institutions of Champagne, costumes, sticks of confreries, etc... But we must not forget that our Museum is dedicated not only to Troyes, but also to all Champagne, maps and plans, and a remarkable collection of engravings of the seventeenth century bring before our eyes what was once our province, one of the largest in France. This presentation was made possible by the combined efforts of the Direction of the Museums of France, who kindly put on deposit in our city the beautiful series of drawings and engravings of General Council and the Municipal Council which voted the money necessary for the room layout. All those who like to see the distant past will be grateful for their generosity and we wish that the tourists, as well as the amateurs and the scholars come for many visit to this local museum, so well completed by that of the Hosiery, feeding, too, in the hotel...