New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-03-23

vim b.,og sculptor ia only Represented here by the
pictures he persuaded other people to SEND, or rsn
fashion, by sculptures OF his which have not ye
arrived but arc knocking about somewhere on the Az
aptic Ocean, or like Mr. Duveneck whose pictures arc
the catalogue and In the Custom House. put NOT :"
the Exhibition Or they have sent old work. ike MT
La FARCE or Mr. Walter Shiraw or mere sketches ike
Mr. Julian Weir, that the weight OF the exnpiton wiz"
the general public falls really ON Mr. Chase' ana MI
Hunt and from these slides on to painters
not really connected In any way with the movement
Mr. Inness, Mr. Colman. Mr. swain Clifford. Mr. Wyan''
Mr. Homer Martin, Mr. Maitland Armstrong and Mr.
Thomas Moran.
Its not easy the bearing of criticism that quar-
res with Mr. william Hunt for aixing, OF allowing the
society aix to his Portrait of Lady" paper IN
forming that 1t Ia unfinished on the ground mat
this notification implies that all the rest of the pictures
are finished Surely this Is To mistake the meaning OF
ternst Is not Mr. Chases apprentice" just n truly
finished" as his Ready for a Ride ~ is not MI
Julian Wers Portrait No S4 Just truly finished "
as Mr. Lathrop's Portrait No. AZ Is not the Hio-
Bobbe of Franz Halls in tho Metropolitan Museum Just
as truly finished the Portrait Of Gentleman by
Philippe de Champagne, in the Bryan Gallery
II by finish" is meant polish then OF course these
unpublished pictures not finished: but. II finished
DONE" then they are finished In no one Oh 'he
cases mentioned is II necessary for the painter 10 add
another stroke: he might indeed do his wsk iastihs
injury by touching It, But Mr.. Hunts PORTRAIT" Is
DONE 4, may look like quite different thing from what
IL does now. There may be some deicacy put
into the features, some light into the eyes
where there is now little or none. The hands
may look a little less like 1iprers undergoing
evolution, and we may be Of what they
are doing, and not be left to wonder whether they
have Just been saved from drowning and are now
being allowed to drain. As first intention this picture
promises good one but thoe Is no need OF con-
founding its unmstakabe incompleteness with the I'M
mstakabe completeness OF such pictures as the ZAP
prentice" Mr. weirs Portraits" Mr.. Shirlaw's Good
Morning" or even Mr.. Curriers' much maligned Bo-
bemian Beggar" One word may bc added Mr. Hunt is an
artist but he il not and is too late apprehend
for him ever to become master. II al his work that
ia not imitatiye-and how little, how almost nothing,
that he has done independent OF his teachersdd not
proye this this very picture might do it, for the work OF
master is in complete at every stage OF ITS pro-
gress nor would artist. for his own pleasure nor On
educated ayman for his AT point WISH u other
than is Yet here is an important work where every
thing looks unhxed. even the pose cannot De
thought beyond peradvcnure, since the action OF the
hands must inevitably he changed, and that must lead
TO still further changes This INDIGESTION tells fatally In
the uncertainty which marks the execution Of every por
ton of the picture spite the apparent bodness and
dash which take the eyes FIRST but which cannot hold
them after the first visits. The visitor comes to per
ceiye at last that big canvases do not always make big
p,turcs and against all occuar demonstration il per
suaded that neither Mr. Hunts L" Portrait" nor Mr..
Lows mile Albani' takes up much space az MI
Weirs sketch for Portrait" or Mr.. Ryders Land
scape" or Mr. SarSent's magical Fishing for oysters
at Cancae" In memOry's picture gallery these little
picces loom up large. c. g.
Neic- York. March %, 1873.