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

100. In essentially artistic qualities probably Mr..
Homer bears tho palm but Mr. Guys picture will no
doubt give wider pleasure. This excellent sensible,
mOthery old lady sitting 80 comfortably in the cor
ner of the Old-fashiOncd mahogany sofa, covered
with har cloth, how natural she Is and how good 10
look at! Not 80 fine LADY, by any means not cut
tuTed as the phrase goes. and we are AFRAID se u0es
not move in the first circles But she likes TINS
snug corner, surrounded by pictures and drawings
and II we had painted picture, or written sioIy,
we shoule like very well to have her OPINION about
it, and should be glad if she happened 10 IKE H.
She is a dear old woman, and we dOht nhnu ner
knowing we think so. Everything III thls picture
is well painted; the drawing is good ana the color Is
good; IL seems TO us that Mr.. Guy never painted
better. . ,,- oo
an extremely pretty picture, such hardly one OF
our artists beside him could paint: The more mt
mately people know this flower in the woods, the
more thew will enjoy Mr. FaTrer's painting of it. Mr..
Henry FarreT's Flowers No 114 Corridor, are by
no means equal TO his last years work. They are
hard and formal, and the Chinese cup they are
placed in though the pattern is cleveTly copied is
flat because il is i'll drawn. The Narcissus is nicely
painted. and the texture of the petals IL well given
Mr.. HenneSsy's Spring Time" No 300 Is some.
what of puzzle and trouble is that 1t looks as II
the artist meant to make it 1t isn't thing one
likes to say perhaps 1t is not thing one has Tight
to say but almost suspect Mr. Hennessy of late OF
aectatiOn, But there is another explanation OF ms
recent pictures which, If can once fairly bring
ourselves to believe greatly prefer to the one we
have limited at IL sometimes seems as II MI Hen
messy conceived of subject, and conceived III III q
way. that he finds very pleasant and satisfactory 70
brood over, but very difficult to put INTO shape lie
has poetica mind, and he does not work without
thought without intention; but he has not great
deal of manual skill, and he does not work with
much precision. lie has scarcely any power to paint
the human face. OF our five or six figure painters,
L. Johnson Homer, Guy VeddeT, j. IT,.
Brown and UenneSsy-HenneSSy Is the one
least able to master facial expression. Indeed 1t
TO be observed that he Oftenest avoids attacking
the face throws il into shade turns it threequarters
away, gives little of it as he can. Here, how,
ever in Spring Time he has honestly tried the full
fop he has bpp all p IN depth
expression very little expression of any KIND, INTO IT.
And must say that the whole face and the whole
figure of the lady cOaTsely painted The dress Is
ill-seting the shawl is mean; the whole impression
made by this person is neither of elegance nor refine
ment nor even, of Deatness One OF these or all OF
these we have right TO look for because certainly,
we take it that the lady is not meant to be poecal
much less ideal or aegorical. There is hardly any
thing in the picture thoroughly satisfactory. The
appletrees in blossom too white the grass ~ TOO
pale, the birch tree is more evenly covered WIN
smooth white bark than believe to be at all usual
or natural and adds TO the effect of paleneSS IN
the landscape to which the adys dress is IN such ylo
lent contrast.
Nh William Morgan's two little pictures, " On Fur
lough," No. SOC, and "L'EspeTance,p No. %3, have
merit that ought in time TO give still better account
of itself The soldiers attitude Is natural, and so IS
the mothers her pleased but wearled look If wei
given. In S3 there Is considerable grace IN the girl
figure and the soap bubble is really prettily painted
Mr. MoTgans manner of painting we suspect not TO
be his own his pictures look as If he had learned TO
paint abroad say at Dusseldorf but he has talent,
eyes.
Mr.. f. W. Perry's waiting for Tea No. 81 is
not so good as his Farmers Daughter i'll the West
Room. There is too much canvass for the subject.
AT least half the picture is thrown away. OF course
if the old lady is toasng bread. and the little glr Is
waiting for IT, and the tea Is drawing there must be
a table TO put them on, set with the usual furniture.
We don't need TO have the table put into the picture
And while we are about 1t, might we ask the artists,
and all to stop trying 10 paint freight II can
not be done well, at least II never Is done well and
those who try 1t are never content with moderate
badness Here Mr.. Perry and Mr. johnson, No.
&c., both trying to see which can do it the worst and
they ont neck and neck. Yet as neithcrs fire
light resemble Natures, so neithers resembles the
Mir T. w. Woods Politics in the Workshop is a
very careful elaborate, and correct description or
inventory of workshop, every tool and all the ma
ChneTY being drawn with rs much accuracy as the
artist was capable Of The color is very bad II Is
both unnatural and dSaTeeable, and shows no I'M
prOvement on Mr.: Woods previous work; The old
man. should think. painted from life, but lac died
before Mr. Wood could secure him. This seems a
difficulty the artist labOrs under he cannot yet give
his figures animation. But he evidently paints his
very best and is not Sparing of study so we dare
say lie will come right in the end. At present, he
seems rather put to it for subjects
Mr.. l.. T. WilmaTth's "One more Candidate for
Adoption, No. 3, is the last picture. that have
to speak of in this The story 10 perfectly told
at glance and 1t is very interesting story, too.
This wealthy couple have no children. and the hus
band having obtained his wfe's consent TO the plan
of adopting a child has had this little fellow brought
TO the house by his sister who waits anxousy eager
in the entry She is MOsess little sister who watches
while her brother is drawn out Of the bull
PUSHES and presented to the Princess. That
| lady sits wasting her time strOking the
head of her cat enthroned in her lap while two dogs,
either hand stand ready to share her
| when pnss shall be satisfied The lady's face is a
good study. She is selfish not very kindly, and half
wishes her husband had not been in such "A hurry.
We fear She will make but stepmOther to this pref
| W. shy engaging little mOppet who stands coated
! warm and comfortable. and evidently prepared to
love anybody who will love him. The lady's husband
is a large, rather handsome. benevolent man. who
will be good father TO the little one, and Who
hope, will be so fond of him when he gets him that
he will spend all his spare money on him instead of
buying any more pictures such as he has thus far
been covering his walls with. Tie two paIOrs of
these people look like an Academy Exhibition. But
the picture is eXcellently painted nearly all
The cat is done full justice TO. She seems 10 say TO
her mistress Stop scratching my head If you darew
We believe Mr. Wilmarth is a foreigner. but if he in
tends 10 live here and paint here shall have no
hesitation in putting him at once into small list
of good panteTs of the figure.