27 SEPTEMBER 1924, Page 22

Unless biographies of artists are treated in an original manner,

they seldom make interesting reading matter, for it is not often that a painter's life is any more colourful than that of the average clerk, grocer or navvy. When the biography deals, for the most part, with the dates on -which certain pictures were painted or submitted to the " Academy" or the " Salon," it becomes very boring indeed. Mr. Gibson's biography is no exception. He makes no attempt -whatever to arrive at any valuation of -Fantin-Latcrar's worth as a painter—and painting, after all, was one of the chief factors in Fantin-Latour's life. Considering the cheapness of the book there are an astonishing plenitude of illustrations. It must be admitted, however, that they are all of a very poor quality.