, 1875-09-19

William q. Beard and His Artistic
Contributions.
Paintings by Perry, Lambdin, Richards,
and Others.
a Glance at tile Water Colors---Eotes
Of Chicago Artists.
Is It Clytic or PoppRa 2

Is It Clytic or Poppna +?
| THE ART-CALLERY.
WILLIAM Il. BEARD
| GN. Al has come to ba known ~ tho Bear
Painter" through the circumstance OF some OF
his most widely-e1hibited pictures being repre-
sentations Of these d1oil animals in q varietyof
humanized situations,- ,-of which No. 413 (corri-
dor) 1.-The Temperance Question" is an exam
ple,-but no artist perhaps paints in greater
variety Of subjects. or with palmer subordina-
| tion of his brush to an aetive. acute, and often
playful mind. A remark which has been mado
of the French Geroms, that he is "not 30 much
painter as bright man who paints, is directly
applicable to Beard. though he. like the Fronch
master, ID by no means deficient in technical
skill.
| In the group Of nine pictures in the corner OF
| the southesst gallery there is no bear-picture,
hat variety Of illustrations Of the thoughts or
the conceits Of the artist plainly Indicative Of
the way in which be holds his artistic faculties
| at the service Of his intellectual. Perhaps no
| picture in the whole exhibition remains in the
| minds OF more people than the centre-pece OF
this group, Worn Out" mo. 33G),-an old man
sitting on tho stop Of dilnpldated cabin hold
ing in his hand his we'll worn shoe, and regard
ing with half rueful, half good-humored look,
poor old white horse who has wandered that
way, whose days are as plainly numbered as
those Of his human friend. All the details con-
tribute to the main idea. The cabin has long
since seen its best days, the old mans stocking
s 10 better than his shoe, aud his ancient toes
not only peep out but stare out broadly the
very barrels and casks are falling to pieces.
The picture ia saved from being altogether pain
full by the old mans face. fine piece Of paint
ing which exhibits a lively sense of the grim
hunor OF the situation not uncommonly met in
tue more cheerful class Of old people, rs though
he were saying to the horse. "Well, old boy it is
about up with me rs it is with you'll" The pathos
and the hunor OF the subject are finely COM
bined, and the one or the other will predomi-
the spectator are the stronger In :" The Swolleo
| Stream (No. 343), the Landscape is important
and carefully painted. aud worth comparing
with the other autumnal and wood scenes in the
liberality Of a man Of resources. has not hesl-
tated to distract attention from the landscape
by the interesting pose Of the buck upon tho
little oyerhsnging headlaud who does not know
whether it is best to jump or not. The Prism
{33s) is conceit Of painting the colors OF the
rainbow in tue characters OF persona in boat
an artists fancy iuexplcable to the average
spectator. The group OF crows sitting upon or
flying about 40 Undecided spar On the sea-shore,
called 1.-The Wreckers" (No. 3a0). is-for some
reason, difficult to define, some good occult
artistic quality-ons OF the very best pictures in
the group.
Wiiiam Beard has had charge Of the arrange
neut Of the Exposition gac4les and in the last
four weeks hia person and yoice have become
familiar to those especially concerned in the OK
hibition, who would gladty speak more warmly Of
him than regard for his personal feelings will
allow It ia public information however. that
-: q nf cr fEarenhn11tH or1pnRi1y frnm
Painesvlle, O., that he WIS an ardene naturalist
from boyhood. and began the practice OF hno-
art as wandering portrait-panter. His faculty
for selziuE the salient, and especially the drol'
points of his subjects was not favorable to popu-
farity in portraiture, his especial capacity, ac-
cording to bis own account, being for taking
the conceit ont Of people, and after bis settle
ment in Buffalo, in 1885, he gradually turned to
ing dr.ughtaman, ablo to draw anything from
memory, aud in now probably one Of the ableat
designers 10 the country. During the period Of
his residence in Buffalo p he spent
md Rome in company with some of tho best of
tho older artists. At this time there were those
who thought that William Bearo, with his Won
derful facility OF drawing, hia technical skill IN
painting, and above all his intellectual qnsll-
ties, bade fair to be the greatest painter that
this country has produced. While it canhot bo
said that he or any other man has attained this
pre- eminent distinction the qualities upon which
the hope Was founded are discernio!o, and to
the effect Of domestic bereavement and reverses
upon sensitive mind it's moderate fulfllment
may be ascribed. In 1860 11r. Beard removed
from Buffalo to New York, where he has ever
since been. He is 5on-ln-lAW OF LIE Clear,
whose group Of portraits hangs N tho northeast
gallery.
Two other pictures OF Boards appear in the |
exhibition, one ''Torn Thumbs Fight with the +!
Spider" in the northwest gallery No. 49, the
otRss near da biz group mos N' .sne S snIea pe
ture. 4 seedy individual evidently q pro-
feesionai loafer,-a fellow that app1eci- |
ates good warm corner by ba1-room hre.-haH
met with come reverse, and is outside instead OF
inside tho tavero through tho windows OF which |
We can Just cstcb glimpse Of q more fortunate |
man in tie warm light The night il bad, very;
the water pouring from the caves, the fowls
dropping under the plank seat, the dog curled
pump and trough indicate the poor cheer to be
had outdoors. Our friend tbrusta bis bands
deep in bis pockets, lunches up hia shoulders,
and appears to be utterly ut loss whero It ID
best to 20 next, home being out OF the question,
while the taEern-sign over bis head: Accom-
mndation for man aud boast, II is cut of 30 as to
Ieaye emily the last word visible, indicative, no
doubt, OF his opinion Of his former host. It is
drol picture characteristic Of one Of tho bright
est- minded Of American painters
Several pictures in this neighborhood ere
worth looking at for instance Wordsworth
Thompson's sScout~ (No. 313). tho Eagles
Eyrie mo. 333) of s. &. ". onjamin, the gan
tlemnn Who writes on French Art in the Septem-
Der atlantic, aud Ernest Longfcilows "VieW
Near Manchester" a truthful, strong picture, Of
French desceut, il ne mistake not mo. 1889.
Chief among ''Pre-Raphaellte painters OF
landscape in this country Is
IN. ~ OF Philadelphia, who presents two coast
yioys znd two wood ecenes, remarkable for tho
Gte1al detail and careful painting Of individual
objects peculiar to this school The single
luu&f CNn%k $411N