Cubists and Post-Impressionism

by Arthur Jerome Eddy

A friend whispers to me that you are from Orthez; we are, therefore, fellow-townsmen, for that is almost as if you came from Montrejeau; so then, “Dious bibant!” (Dieu vivant!) it will not be long before you will make known to the Belgian, Frantz Jourdain, who has very modestly set for himself the mission of reforming French art, and who, in order to thoroughly demonstrate his ability to do so, has deposited—I will not say offal—but the store of “La Samaritaine” almost opposite the Louvre, which fact is a sure proof of the superiority of his monstrosity of a structure over the beautiful architecture of the Renaissance. Please, therefore, make known to this architect that in the future he may locate his reforms and his reformers where he pleases, but not again in a public building, and for so doing, all those who have taste and love for beautiful things will applaud you.

Please accept, Mr. Minister, the assurance of my highest regards.

Lempué.

The Committee of the Autumn Salon, in reply, made the following statement:

The committee of the Autumn Salon considers that the only reply which it can make to the especially severe attacks that have been made on it this year is to make announcement of the principle that directs it:

“To admit all efforts of conscientious art, whatever they may be, however personal, and however strange they may seem to the ancient formulae.”

The Autumn Salon is not and does not wish to be the conservator of a school with a fixed formula; it wishes, rather, to remain the ground of generous combat and of the emulation necessary in a country like ours, in order to bring out and fructify both artists and works of art.

The Government, whose rôle is not to direct, but to encourage the artistic effort of the nation, can consider only in the most kindly way a Salon which has been the first to give reception to many artists now celebrated, which has given a place hitherto unknown to decorative art, and which, before all other expositions, has placed music and literature on a par with painting and sculpture.