The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-16
THE WATER COLOR Exhibition



lid before 1t is raiher surprising that an J
\ncricnu nttist should come home 10 hisstudiO ]
If the nppronrh OF wiulcr with q rortioho iuHoi {
Liulo Bopceps." Hs Jg. Homer HAS done =
DO found II region. apDntcidD, Whoro lhc'
yero shephcrdosscs not only M r'hl Us bhe'p
pnd crooks could mako ueu, Tut UoetcS5ed oil
M the daintiness OF tilo truo and original por-
rclain. distinctive in.their own way as the shop
herdcsses Of Vatican we're in theirs, and iuloi
mo e,rt of character that would have led
Hans Christian AnInEsen. had ho known thom
TO briur them into 9l0se communion with his
own particular fIEies.
70 Mr. Homer belongs tho Distinction OF hav-
ing discovered tho Aucf>rin shcphcrdcss ana II
introduced her TO the i.u1lic in studies that are
more essentially aud distinctiVcly pastoral thnra
anything that any American artist has yet az
TEMPTED. OF the twenty nine drawings that hs'
hns sent to the Water Color Society's cxhiOitioe
several AFRO vi young shephcrdesses. u lew age
landscapes. with more or less Obvious sugges-
tons of pastoral quality. and the rest dolighdul
lule s.udics Of country children. Nearly ~ are
Of tho most charming and unaffected Sjmplic-
ity; they show no studied consciousness on SC
rious cndcavor. but. on the contrary, hsy nave |
mn air of hnppy naturainess and rApreme'i- |
tated sincerity. which will quite Asciaa,e any |
Sae who gives them any thoughti0l Lucn'lon.
The Impressions Of these chil1 sen which MIR. |
Homer has secured convey the idea OF whole
some hearty and nrtiess yeaagslors. They
have all tho shyness and clapsiness OF their
kind. but they have not the air Of having been
nllured TO stilo or fence oornor in tho capacity
of Interested sitters 1t is in possible not TO feel
TINT they are cl ldfen alive to tho influences oil
the sunshine. the trees. the fields. ana the
| flowers, and tho freedom Of their out-oi-door
| existence ltuc beinRs wholly artless and
happy. yet full OF all that sense oil dawninS TO
! sponsibilty and amonablcness 10 reason That
| mako the seriousness Of childhood 80 wholly
| inscrutnblc. There Is nothing that so evades an
artist az this expression. the transition from
which to self consciousness or tho kind oil sen
| timentality that Is so ridiculous in pictures OF
children is fatally easy. Mr.. Bollows's picture
Little Thistlcdown (No. 115l. affords con
vncng instance OF the latter
| Mr. Homer evidently believes in tho use OF
transparent color. judging from tho precision
and certainty with which he uses II. His occa-
sional recourse to body color in these drawings
would appear to have been prompted by ne
cessily for the rapid substitution OF effects re-
curing unusual Il petition. In studies otsuch
nature trans parent tints are inlD ey preferable.
by the use OF which only can variety. purity oil
tone and depth OF quality DO attained The APP
pnrent equivalent of those qualities is obtained
in body color only by skilfu opposition OF color
TO color Flat washing OF 1t on extended
surfaces IL impracticablo and OF no more
value than a tint In pastel. Nevertheless. It Ia
valuable in sketching. where 1t IL impossipl' II
using color boldly and swiftly. TO " To-. 20 tn,
, higher lights with accuracy OF fo'In or color
Mr.. Homer has sent In h.S pictures with tltleI
{ that are suggestive Of The sketch book such
. for instance, as Girl In Wind" tho. It'll
"Girl and Boy" mo 1921. "dirl with Hall
Rake" (No. 4l5l. Oak Trees with Girl" tNo. II
Fresh Air" tho. o.. and Girl. Sheep. AM
Basket" (No 4O7l. All thcse are very chnrac
teristc little pictures. full OF strong individual
A ity Of treatment. and pervadcd 10y n scntimen
and feeling OF ru,i.city and pastoral simplict
o. that are entiI oily fascinating.
" Mr. Louis G. Tinany's work this year Is nc
L. as striking ms that he exhibited last year mol
n in point OF quality and interest. is II any bette
NJ His Fruit Market ct Geneva" tho l0ll 10
. more or loss prv.cntous picture. but II Is har
- AMI devoid OF feeling. with no tenderness {
in delicacy In the color and an absence OF an
re thing like atmos pheric quality IL Is loaded u
L. with meaning iess Opaque color. aud has not Il
~ common merit OF Mr.. Tiffany's work. that
B." thoroughncss and conscientousness OF cfIor
III MIR. samuel Comans contributions, also. ar
with ono exception. bchindhnnd. The latter
his Dutch Boats on the Mans Holland" O.
y, 3O21 which II pleasing in color and effective
a, composition. His Market Day in Brittany
l.. tNo. 73l is II very indifferent picture. badly p
an together In every way without any feeling
at cohcrency Of purpose. and tloycnly in exec
Of ton. The cattle are badly drawn. and the fl.
II ures are meaningless and wooden. The su
At Iect OF " Kenneth Abbey" tNo. 1897 should la
W. appealed more forcibly TO Mr.. Colman's usual
ne nice sense Of architectural discrimination. al
~, his taste in the disposition Of large misses
M buildings in his pictures, 1t does not appear
have done 30, unfortunately and he has treat
al, II ms an unsightly and unsupported pile. pr
my iectcd bodily into the landscape.
ION Mr. f. Hopkinson 81. ith's sketches in opad
IT color show that medium ~ It's most uSeiul I"
by cfr ',tive aspect. Mr.. Smith uses yellow SIT"
zen board which he leaves " occasionA.V Tor GO
tain effects and treats his subjects. which or l
nal most part are simple but very faithful rnd co
"S scientious studies Of trees. with great irecdo
-, and boldnces. While ,ho method necessar
raj involves IA loss OF those qualities IN water col
ant painting tina. represent its chief value. a
md which are dependent upon tho transparency
in. washes on tho rough surface OF Whnim
the paper. results of uLquesiio neble value are u
Of doubleday attained with IL. lntheseries OF dra
w. inas OF the Home Life OF me 1roVs,' thcTe a
No some admirable Effects OF foliage mud exqu:s
the forms and studies OF trunks aud branches.
the Mr.. William Magrnths contributions @
,its somewhat OF u surprise. His serious and al
ar bilious figure studies are total failures. and
ave landscapes, for the most part. slight and SIN
o'A things. are among the successes OF the cXhi
',' ton. The former pictures are The Cal
ck Home" (No 53l and The 1lilkmaid" (No. 10
ink and while they arc examples Of an order
,ue technical skill In water color that possibly
re- other OF our artists can quite equal, they
are wholly devoid Of any spiritual quality. and Ia
oA nothing to recommend them but such super
'w cnl merits as are implied by formal corrcctn'
roh of drawing and very careful modelling mu
ne dis rct.on OF color. and primness and prccisi
TO. OF method. In his landscapes. on tho OIL
est hand. Mr. Mngrath shows some excellent wo
characterized by the freest and boldcsi handli
and showing the attainment OF effects Of gr
delicncy and beauty. They are all littlo sketch
made in the vicinity OF Enslhampton. and tn
is an infinitely deeper artistic value and IN
genuine feeling and sentiment IN the leas
them than can DO found in either OF his la
pictures.
81 - N