New-York tribune., 1875-02-22

drawing 10 the E,ss Room, "New-Eu9iand Turkey
Shoot" No. ass. Thn Is Of ths best works in the
exhibition. and 10 the more surprising bscause Is,
are informed the artists nrst essay water oers and
no other work Of his which had the pleasure Of
seeing has seomcd Co ths II Is good every
wsy-good In color, good ia drawing. true to human
character and true TO tue locality 1t does not at all
semble Mr.. WIusov Homer's Prisoners at tho 'FRONT.'
but 1t reminds us Of that fac potureone OF the best
WORKS. In spite 0f Its abseuce OF color that has yet
been produced Ia America, and worthy uote besides.
almost the only artistic fruit Of war that will
tainy live. Mr. Jusa scotts Turkey Shoot" though
far from being heroic subject qualities that will
some day, We doubt DO of in treating heroic sub
jeets Every figure In this homey Idy IL worth study
Ing and viii be found pleasant studying. too, and
glimpse Of the village that makes the horizon is
as II II were q page out OF Thorsau. As Mr.. wnsow
Homer meets US st every turn In this exhibition. we
may as we'll speak Of him here as anywhere. These
twenty odd sketches OF his the slightest things Mr.
Homer has as yet sent TO exhibition aud while they
give comfortable notion OF his Industry, aud Of both
his acueness OF observation and his onckness In noting
down what be seesthey disappointing In not show
lag US any hing that does uscs the known talent of
the man. Indeed We DO not like TO think how long Is
sinoe Mr.. Homer showed a anisbed picture-tho rec
ord OF art few years back shows only sketches,
woodcuts and scraps like tn tina, for the part
hardly deserve the OF sketches We need say
how clever they arebow American, how Loyalty true 10
the awkwareness and Innocence OF country childhood
TO ALL In short that makes country children seem like
calves and sheep q little DIrwiuized. Looking over
those sketches Is getting the milk Of country human
Kindness condensed These are Village Hampdens,
our mute. ingiorious MlGons and Crom wells who
have yet Oled their country Looked superHcsy
there seems reason why little drawing by EiOuard
Frero, French peasant boy looking at his baby sister
asleep In che cradle should have fetched 500 at late
SALE when any one of these drawings by Homer can be
had for less than $780, so FAR artistic qualities the
best Of them bit good F.erss work. and
they are true TO American nature as
Frere's drawing is to French nature. There
are two reasons for this Differences IN market
vaue between the works OF the two artists One that
Frere has made himself widely known all Europe over
and iD America. too. by goOdy number OF beautiful
and flushed pictures whioh have been competed for
that they have become inaccessible from their high price
the natural result OF great many rich people ali
wanting them at onoo. EdOulrd Frere, sorry
say, has, for some other ceased TO paint
pictures in the perfect way he once di. and as the
beautiful early pictures longer to be had not only
has their value gone up but tho sketches and scraps that
either belong TO the old time 1t greatly
In demand or It is not necessary that painter
should have declined in power. IN producveness
should be dead, TO make his sketches sell for high
prices for other proofs here. the sale
where Freres pretty little drawing went for $500 very
slight almost insignifcant, sketch by Me!ssouner
brought $685. and Meissonnrrs well alive, and strong
he The reason lies In the larger audience
these address a result OF the industry with
which they work. and tie OF flashed pictures
they put upon the market. all painted well they
can paint Mr.. Honor. the other hand, a well
trained, able artist with skill IN portray
iLg human character In his world land artist has
his own world which he illustrates and with delight
ful power OF showing people really doing the things they
pretend to be doing oOk at the boys carrying the pail
OF water between 'em. the OOy reaching to rob
bank-swallow's nest, at tie " Darn tho suckers.
why don't they bite at any OF these
sketchest bat shows the human body in action) with
all these advantages his side. sav, Mr.. Homer has
never painted more than important picture the
Prisoners at the Front" and ONLY by a cloud
OF sketches like those Ia the exhibition. WHAT
that all this force, this cevern"ss this
ability 10 see, almost never conc n rdtHsltse or
beyond the limits OF sketch, and sketchoi the
atghtest KIND. However, even sK2tchcs 81 ~ lItec
might far to satisfy. aud might carry man well on
the road TO fame but we suspect Mr. Homer IN not all
blame. His subjects must bear their share. The II
he we'd circle his family
from the American conntrv-OOy is no doubt grea
lOoked from the political and social stats &c side but
che hopeless There's nothing pathetic
10 him; be Is well fed when he Is worst fed.
and hands merely dirty not pcturesque, and ms
hair is as prOsaiO when tits u1combei as when u Is
slicked fer Sunday. HS Il ol sock TO diluie INTO
Congressman and snch n1uotonies Dut the
M uses were hucRebeTYng or Yachting when mis- !
shrill brtn-cry iuured that new voter was on
Frere deals with tterla IN hS french ptaSaut
bovs nd girls that his food for the heart,
something tde sOa aad to STIR pity 20 move u
sympathy with hardship and pryat"n ana bY ehowlhg
us the patience and the content tnt uWeI III tnes
hum be hus teaches lessons all ned 10 learn In
short F q paints the ideal with c"orS ~ s-d rom
the real while Homer sAO va us reality Whch TPnhi7
sober prose, matter how earnestly art may Sie-"e