Meissonier
by Henri Barbusse
The entire artist, whose works we will examine side by side with his life, is summarized in this anecdote. It reveals one of the most typical aspects of his temperament, and therefore his talent: a constant and meticulous attempt to interpret nature exactly as it is, supported even at the expense of sacrifices that would seem excessive to the average person. this aroused respect: "If I have to draw a horse from my memory, I must feel guilty of the image of nature!" and precisely because he designed his ideal after this style, this determined painter, composed of so many military types and scenes, never tried to depict conflicts or wars. It wasn't because he didn't want to or nurture his dream. But he had never seen war; and war is something that cannot be rebuilt, like a walking column or a detail of camp life. Accordingly, he did not draw anyone, because he decided with a certain joy _that did not really know what war was! Let's keep this attitude of the mind in front of us, even emphasize it in our memory. For this, it will be sufficient to characterize, ambiguously, the artist with whom we are dealing with; and his entire long, rich, and fruitful career can be summed up as a successful and varied application of one great principle: a pious and inflexible respect for reality.
