The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-24
FINE ARTS.

SECOND EXHIBITION OF THE SOCIETY OF
AMERICAN ARTrsrs-TuIRD AND CONCLUDING
NOTICE.
There are two things which should strike every
thoughtful visitor to the second exhibition Of the
Society of American Artists-namely, the preponder
ance Of promise performance in the majority of
the painters lately returned from still abroad and
the scarcity of pictures from their hands. OF sug-
gestive but often thoroughly unsatisfactory studies
there are. unfortunately. plenty. The generally
acknowledged purpose Of public exhibition-the
presentation for the examination and approval or
otherwise, of his fellow men Of an artists work
seems to have been forgotten by many contributors.
An artist is gagged by the world not by the promise
of his studies, but by the performance shown in his
pictures From all the evidence that these gentle
men furnish by the public exhibition of their
work 1t would be safe to conclude that they are
men of independent fortune, who, having artistic
bent, have followed it as far as pleasure led They
seem to paint In a lazy tentative sort of
fashion, and when by chance. fate. or possibly
because they have it in them, artistically
suggestive something 1t matters little what is pro-
mutual admiration they then take their way to the
gallery. gather In little knots before the least CONF
prehensblo OF the works of their coatrsres and
nvinced that IL thew do not faith ON the deem mean,
ing supposed to lie below the surface of paint which
little or nothing. they will lose artistic caste,
passionistic dryof.
Notwithstanding the fact that their actions would
men do not paint for pleasure alone. but for fame
and money. The poetry of their lives, they have
most of them found out by this time, is rudely
josted by most unmistakable prose. In plain words
then, will assume without fear Of contradiction
their part that they paint to sell. This being
the case for their regulations and purses sake why
90 thoy not paint, II they can. complete pictures,
such as the buyer wantss They may, indeed. sell .
study occasionally. hut the demand Is for pictures
1svs
of any real consequence who exhibit, and they pre-
sent pictures for our inspection and those OF their
best. The other men, members OF the society md
contributors, must show by their work
valid claim to DO worthy of representation the
walls Of the Kurtx Gallery than thcy have dome this
year. Because several young and vigorous painters
on their return from a course VI foreign study
socated with themselves some Of the moro progress
sive OF the Acadeinicians and founded society,
whose exhibitions are intended to have high ar
tistic average and to give proper prominence to the
OF scy sho s Il NO
who happens TO have also received foreign
instruction to join their band or exhibit in
these a. yet unrrovcn men to Continue
TO cling tho skirts OF their regulations that they
will lose while the others gain For the public II,
average, aud pulls Mr. down to place in their
esteem to which they elevate Mr.. d, being led to
this by the fracrnal affection Of the two men and the
equality implied In degree by the fact that they
are both represented ut the exhibition Of society
excellence in the works which are hung.
Or tho prominent members of the society, William
NJ Chase has well sustained his reputation. His
contributions Nos ~ and 81 pictures in tho
fullest sense OF the word, carefully considered,
finished In the sense that true finish is completion
and In every way satisfactory. The irst--"In the
Baptistry OF -. Mark sis one of the most solidly
and thoroughly well painted interiors which wo
have for long while. The local color il true,
the tone pure the painting Of textures remarka
and the perspective excellent. In handling 1t is
broad aud assured and the suggestion OF detail very
clever The architecture aud still life are simply
perfection. and the figure of the old cleaning
the candlestick Is happily introduced. Note how
solidly painted tho heavy iron door to the left is how
ponderously hangs on it's hinges the large copper
oil pot tho large brass and copper lamps. the shiny
which the man sits and the tablet the wall above
him. Of No. 81 tho artists full length life size por-
trait or his brother painter, Duvcneck, we have
already spoken In high praise.
Walter Shirlaw's "Jollty." though open to
criticism on the score OF color, IL work which
docs him much credit. There IL real flesh and
blood and living force In this sturdy German
Ditidchen, with her ridnte face, she comes with
swinging gait down the hillside, and can almost
hear the geese she drives, cacklo and hiss as they
thrust their long nccks out OF the picture The
line Of composition made by tho swaying figure OF
the girl tho long switch which she holds behind her
shoulders and the line OF march Of the geese. Is an
excellent one.
The landscape with figure. which represents
George Fuller has probably called forth more diverse
opinions from artists and other visitors. than any
other picture in the exhibition. Distinctly an Inn
good picture as his important Turkey Pasture"