New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-06-18
FINE ARTS.

THE EAST ROOM

y
best pjctures in the Exhibition And it may be that
their excellence is enhanced by the want of excel
lcnce in some of their neighbOrs Mr.. w. T. w.
Dana's "Musing" attempts to perform that most
difficult feat the painting face so turned as to show
only che line of the forehead cheek and chin, with
the tip of the nose. 1t is, Often most beautiful
and expressive line but, the visitor may see by
looking at Mr. Hennessey's Kathrina," west room,
No $50 it may be made quite the of beauti-
full. not 20 say ugly. Nor does Mr.. Dana succeed
much better in his Musings" though here the line
does not look like row Of swellngs produced by
blessings as in the case with Mr.. Hennesseys pic
ture. We regret that some malicious boy having
stuck pin into the end of Musings nose the effect
of the picture is too much marred for us to Judge OF
it well But it looks rather slight performance.
Miss Edith w. Cook has two pictures in this ROOM
either of which is too ambitious for her attalnments
thus far. She cannot paint single beech-uee-a
most difficult and most interesting Obect-much less
a group of Them which she has essayed TO DO III NO
246 Nor does her report of the Berkshire hlllS NO
80 make US at all eager to visit them yet tins picture
is better than the other from the ladys seeing
more clearly what she had to PANT why VIII she
not be less ambitious for year or two, ana be con-
tent with careful studies of trees, and rocks, of re-
Elections. and clouds. These indeed, if she intends
TO be an artist she ought never to cease makng butt
until she has gained certain amount of experience
and knowledge she ought not to try to fill so large
canvas as she has here. The whole cannot be mas
tered until the parts are mastered all the academicans
to the contrary notwithstanding.
Mr.. A. w. Thompson has put a good deal OF bru-
talty and squalOr into this Seven Dals of his and
tho buildings are by no means badly painted. But Is
this tho sort of work artists born to dot Man
having made the Seven DialS need man perpetuate
itf
Eastman Johnsons "Field Hospital" and The
Early Bird would redeem gallery of bad pictures
They are full of nature-at least Of human nature
The girl who is writing the letter for the sick soldier
in No go satisfies all demands, whether we ask for
portrayal of character for dexterty of execution
these were the women that first made the North
strong and then kept it so. There is plenty of sent
ment in this picture, strong and true; but not an
atom. of sentimentality. AS for the art of It, the
girls figure is the best thing-it shows thorough
knowledge: but the fOreshOrtening of the soldiers
body in the bed is not so well done. We cannot
vOuch for him below the breast Mr. Johnson land
scape-when he ventures on it, which is but seldom
is apt to be little scenic. These trees were not
studied from nature: they have a conventional look.
as if they were conceived and painted wholly in the
studio No pol, 1.-The Early Scholar" is little pic
ture worthy of ETere, of whom it reminds u.s. but II
is by no means painted in imitation of that master.
This ia a genuine American bOy-a bright but not
too bright little chapwhO has reached school before
all his mates singing Winter morning, put ms
dinner-Dail under the bench thrown his mittenS on
the floor crammed the stove with wood, and is
taking solid comfort. 1t Is wonderful 10 note the
precision with which this artist SEXES upon external
peCuliarities, and makes them, as they are IN ne
Indicative of character. After all, this IS John
sons strong point for he does not excel In PANT
ing the human face. -
25l, is fOTcibly painted, and is good likeness
we should think The other portraits in this
room are inferior to Mr.. lie Clears work as
DipceS painting. with the exception
of Mr.. HuntngtOns No. 2S6, which is al
together the Presidents best picture in the eXhibi-
ton. We are sorry that the head OF the Academy
is ever driven by stress of weather TO paint potbO
ers but he might at least, stipuate with the buyers
of them that they should never be shown IN public
IL he had taken this precautOn IN defense OF his own
reputation, should have been spared the north
cation of seeing the Portraits of Children No 30 IN
this East Room. Nevertheless, MIR. Huntington IS a
most unequal painter cannot easily believe that
the same hand painted Nos go and 2sG.
vate one for it is never justified by anything he
chooses to show the public. His General and Mrs
Fremont of last year were astonishing enough, but
his Sir Henry Bulwer No. 33 of TO-DAY, puts the sea-
upon admiration. We have all heard very pad
things about Sir Henry Bulwer, and his face, GER
tany does not give the worst of them the lie but,
then, IL may be urged in mitigation. that Mr.. rag
mani in more senses than one, puts the worst color
Miss Juiiana OakIeys Portrait" No 26O is cred
liable attempt in afeld we do not remember this lady
to have worked in before. She is painstakng, con
scientiOus painter, and II she have not genus she
plainly strives 10 make the most of her talent. The
color in this Portrait" is not pleasing; it is too
II would be well if the text of Mr.. Thomas Hickss
Hamlet" No. 30l. " Now am alone" applied TO the
picture as well to the subject; but, unhappily,
fist Miss Edith Cooks /" Beechesb in No 246 are
much better than the Academiclans " Pines IN No.
beside Miss 0akleyS No. 2G0 The motto of Mr.
Hicks's Hamlet" No. S0l, should be, And We, my
sinews, bear me stihiy up 1t is evident, however
from the extreme lmbemess of the Princes legs in
this picture. that his have intention OF
doing anything Of the kind.
WHO that looks at Mutual Respect" No. 256 by
William S. Mount, would imagine that this art
st has painted some of the cleyerest pctures-the
subjects drawn from American farm-life-that have
ever been produced on this side the water II Mr.
Mount thinks that the world has forgotten him. why
insist on its becoming acquainted with him over
again on the strength of such an introduction as
So old painter as Mr.. Robert w. Weir ought TO
know that subject which absolutely needs mne
Chess Players" of his, No 2G7, is nothing without
the CXplanatlOn-and nothing with 1t!
Mr.. Samuel Coman has taken much too large
canvas TO tell Us what he had 10 say about Castle
Garden. Ii reminds rs OF those very little boys who
take the largest sheet of paper they can find TO write
their first composition, On Spring. Some one, II
writing iTst-rate notice" of this picture, after
saying what great piece of work IT Is. observes.
that Mr.. COman has chosen time when there were
very few vessels in the harbOr for the sake Of
greater breadth. lie probably chose time when
there very few clouds in the sky and very few
men on the land, and very few facts any
where in order TO get greater breadth III other
parts of the canvass. But why not have omitted
everything. and so secure greater breadth still
His Tow boats on the Hudson" of year or two ago
proved his utter inability 10 paint river craft
slOops the boats in this picture
no better The truth is that Mr.. COlman systemati-
cally shirks anything like labor. A'single three
months study with somebody skilled IN the use Of
oils would suffice for all the knowledge in manipulat
ing coors which Is here displayed and where is the
evidence of study in any other department. 1t not
so much that everythingis drawn badly that the
picture Is empty duh, devoid OF life Of incident of
points of interest There is nothing ia il to put