THE COVER

摘要

ONE DAY IT IS WINTER, THE NEXT SUDDENLY, INEXPL1-cably spring. One day the ground is blanketed with snow, the next carpeted with jonquils and tulips. One day the sky is a forgettable gray, the next a dazzling blue studded with clouds of blossoms. That is the impression the Dutch-born painter Kees van Dongen (1877-1968) recorded when he painted Spring (cover) in Paris sometime around 1907-1908. At the time van Dongen was a member of the Fauves, the fledgling group of young artists (the oldest was 31) whose style of aggressive color combinations and bold composition earned them their "wild beast" name. In Spring, van Dongen reflects some of the style's characteristics, but in a muted, somewhat tamer manner than the other Fauves; his vision is as delicate and unique as a snowflake.