The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-02
THE VA TER COLOR ExHIBIIIoM

iVors lhbN ~ hiNbtlN W ~ StuHo vi kEtNl
agement. and botray degree OF cheerfulness
that is indicative OF certain pleasant conf
dence Of progress. They are convinced that
there Is now better feeling" in art--n deeper
and moro intelligent interest in II on the part Of
the public and amore widespread DIES ire among
people generally to lOarn and understand tho
things that pertain to IT, A variety OF causes
have been at work to produce this impression.
and not the least gratifying and direct OF them
ALL SO far as the fact is to be considered in its
relation to the subject under consideration. is
tho marked Improvement that the artists them
solves have shown. or this. happily. there is
little question. New influences hnve appeared
among them n more nctive and distinctly un-
derstood spirit OF emulation has arisen between
! individuals and the groups into which they rc-
solve thomeolVcs, aud with 1t there Inns been
gained n clearer insight into and knowledge OF
| individual purposes. md n less confused idea
OF the true direction OF different capacities.
! From oil OF this II is not to oe Inferred that
American art is not still progressing with very
uncertain footsteps, or that the work that our
public most prefers is not that which is distinct
/ Cumulative OF what foreign and popular. That
It is 30 is unfortunately true; but It is also truo
that there nre apparent many and unmistakablo
evidences Of actual progress. which may be seen
in the production OF works which. however thoy
may resemble those of this or that foreign mas
| ter nevertheless show wholly original methods
/ oi thought and Inspiration. and n droetness.
/ singlcncss. and individuality Of purpose that
/ enable the artist to say aud to know that they
| are his own.
This is as easily observable in the water color
work OF our artists as II has been IN tho other
work that has appeared at the various exhibit
/ lions OF the winter. and MS II undoubtedly will be-
IN tho display Of the Society OF American Artists
L..
Academy.
Any one familiar with the work OF European
artists will nnd little difficulty in ascribing GER
tain DISTINGUISHING qualities Of the best pic
lures in our water color exhibition to the in
nuencc Of certain foreign schools or particular
foreign artists. 1t Is easy to say that this one is
| OF Munich inspiration that one an obvious in
| lection ot Fortuny. aud that an imitation OF the
style Of the latest popular extremist " French
genre or landscape. while in great many In
stances such qualification OF tho pictures In
question will undoubtedly imply all the apprc-
citation Of them that they deserve Il will also bc
found that many others cannot be similarly dis
missed Among the landscapes. AZ least. there
are examples which. II they disturb the good
people who have thought It duty to lament the
want Of an American school, and proclaim II n
necessity and bewail the seeming hopelessness
/ o. our ever having such a thing will certainly
| reassure those who have been content to look
for truth. sincerity. beauty. and artistic refine
meut In the work Of American artists, without
particularly caring who had impaired the tech
meal secrets hy which tho Interpretation OF
those qualities WAS attained.
Tho twelfth annual exhibition Of tho Ameri-
can Water Color Society IS the best that II has
had and contains larger number OF good pic
lures than any previous collection afforded
Il I'LL.
tcntlous works that have heretofore been more
or less conspicuous features. but their places
arc supplied 10y pictures that represent so many
different styles. fnanncrisms. and schools 4"
that the element OF variety can no longer b. said
TO be wanting. series which might be sup
posed 10 besin with some artist who does little
medocrlties OF still life in style OF dainty
nothineness and 10 end with Mr.. J. Frank Cur
rier OF Munich would be found TO be full inter-
mediatey OF equally characteristic and different
examples.
Had one not seen Mr.. Curriers' contributions
10 tho exhibition last year Of the Society o.,
American Artists. It would De difficult TO believe
| that his contributions 20 the water color exhibit
ton were not designed as very deep and very
subtle Joke. As carcatures Of the work Of the
impressionists. they would be invaluable; and
many people at ;hc first glance infer that they are
| nothing else; but SIr. Currer mas rendered any
such hypothesis inadmissible. and he demands
that they be considered seriously. With
scarcely an exception they consist Of arbitrary
and caprlti0us b!ots Of color rudely splashed
about tho paper with no direct or ineligible
reference 10 any outline Of design or arrange
ment Of form According to the proponderance
Of particular color he calls the result by u
name that may DO taken 10 possess some met
dental significance. and. as Mr.. Kuskin would
undoubtedly say. proceeds 10 fling it, or
course at n considerable distance. the premed-
llatrd idea is apparent. as the color resolves
itself into a proper relation. and a confused and
iniistinct motive declares Itself In "a very amor
uAous and disJoiuted condition. Just as il might
accidentally on a palette that had been only
partially cleaned. When one 81 these proluc-
tons ia some sort conveys the idea Of a picture.
Mr.. Curriers' admiration Of his own creative
genius should resemble that Of the traditional
artist who tried 50 YEARLY 10 paint the foam on
a dogs lips. and iuay in q rage flung his
brush at the canvass and succeeded. Mr.. Cur
ricrs pictures are the newest and most amusing
examples OF rampant Whistlersm' that We
have had. and the emotions OF the hanging
committee must have been rather peculiar rs
they dis posed OF them. They have treated them
very fairly. however. and upon the whole their
presence IL desirable In variety OF ways.
They provoke wholesome and animated dis
cussion. tEey are useful for purposes Of com
par.sou, and il is possible that they may act al
a warning to some artists for whom the I'm
prcssIonist school has that fatal attraction that
an apparently easy aud rauid method ot doing
athing always possnsses Tor the lazy.
Mr.. John LaarSe exhibits this year four
water coors all Of when are very interesting
and cartoon Of one OF his Trinity Church
paintings which is Il noble and digulied piece
Of work. OF tho water colors ono is a land
scape which be has entitled Moonlight over
Snow" aud which ii distinctly uutruthiul IN
color. has nevertheless very fascinating quail
ties " form and mystery in iis light aud
shade In works OF this kind the imaginative
bent Of MIR. Lgiargcs gonius US nearly as pos
sible atoncs Tor the uurcAsouaoc Waywardness
aud Alteration that Otherwise charac,lri2e his
treatment. His other water co.ors are studies
Of q more strictly decorative character. one is
Of "A Japanese vase containing roses. and while
the latter arc treated with some feeling ana
sentiment tho former Is hard aud unsuiisiac-
tory. Tho contemplation of Mr. I. OAiNior's
Paradise Rocks. Newport, Il. l." no.
rll ,,.t.t u,rul4p Iuf.rrn IN n spuse