New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-25
FINE ART.
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARTISTS.
THIRD ANNUAL Exhibition.
fSecOnd notice

the Society living in Paris but well known by The
quality rather than by the quantity OF the pictures ne
has sent 10 cur home exhibitions Every lover OF PIC
lures who saw Mr. sargent's Fishing for Oysters at
Cancae In the first exhibition OF the Society," OF MS
" Neapoan Children" IN last years exhibition OF tue
National Academy will remember the artists name as
that Of ono work sent THRU Of pleasure 10 the
heart by its freshness and the virginia. sympatny IL
showed with the beauty OF nature 1t seemed part OF
Joyous Spring" Here Is performance OF more mature
and vigorous SORT but revealing the same qualities AS
that other Oae not speak OF the subject or a por
trait but 30 much may be allowed to that If the fatal
word "vugar" rises 10 the lips, It's not Mr. Sargent
who prov0kes It, Nothing that the artist has sent nome
heretofore will have introduced him so chcctuay TO MS
countrymen as this portrait WORK which must
challenge admiration aud from which criticism cannot
escape II il would
But let us first look at the work Of Mr.. william NJ.
Chase the president of the Society, and who has GER
ainly done his full duty to the exhibition, sending no
less than eleven pictures among them three or -FOUR o
The striking. or these eleven pictures IL Ia the
Portrait of General James Watson Webb tNO. 80 that
Will have the strongest attraction for the pHbic Inc
subject of picture seated IN large chair covered
with skin He ss something sideways, with the left
leg thrown over the right, head supported on the
right hand while with the left hand he loosely grasps
the end OF the char-arm, playing with II, ana paruy
buried in The soft fur The dress the ordinary DacA
cloth Of the substantial citizen with the usual ameora-
ton Of linen, aud quiet hint OF watch cham Even the
fur made uuinsrestn- possible lest we shond
be tempted look II instead OF at the man VINO sits
upon it. Mr. Chase a cOorisi nor does lie even
belong to the class who have been called for lack OF
better hume. tho tonisis" His pictures have neither
color nor tone. 70 choose another word from the re-
pcrtory Of studio-sang, do not know II he can be
SAID dsquict himself in the search after values"
what he has not Is indeed easier TO pronounce
than what he has what lac H. And yet, in spite OF az
these negatives he "a not, in bis execution, an original;
be belongs distinctly to school, and for all his much
taikod-of yersaahty, he Is essentially mannerist.
Clothed whatever motley. he still speaks plainly
enough in his voice from every ono OF his many
pictures on these walls. Undoubtedly Mr.. Chase has u
great deal OF facility. and skill in handling his mate
rial at home have not been used to- hereto
fore 0u this very facility misleading for u pleascs
many Of II IL were an end instead of means,
aud it continually tcmpts the artist to indulge himself
nmere feats OF skill. not or course, with view 10
extort admiration but content with tho pleasure OF the
II IA the portrait OF General Webb he Is seen
hero his BEST IL Is because IN this the artist Is most
direct and penetrating going NJ once 10 the heart OF his
subject. and dealing with what bc finds IN Il simple
manly and unostentatlous fashion. Here beweycr. as
IN TOO much OF the work OF the men, the scentinc
prevails the artistic. In this portrait there Il no
more charm than Is In stean-engme. Art must
interpret the beauty OF natureIer majesty, her sub
luulty, her power II You Yin-but these are all IN
cluded In the beauty which hey tributary aud
subordinate And tnat science has come m and
taken place the throne she too must b. reconced
VIII beauty. cannot know how to dea with her.
People there are who insist that steam engines and
egraphbatteries much subjects for poetry
daisies and pa1es, the eyes Of the poets mistresi
and all the world VIII acknowledge It soon the
poet comes who prove II in his verse. the
painter who can show 10 In his picture. Titan.
HOlDcin, Velasquez. RubenS, Van Dyck, and Raphael
painted plain and women. and made their pictures,
not merely good portraits, not merely living characters
but pictures delightful to look NJ IN hemseyes-pic
IN which tho charm that makes the world how
them year after year for centuries naturally and
irresstingly the flows IN the at tho call OF
the SUITS charm so perVadlng that we cannot tell
wnere 10 res-whether 10 be IN the color tho draw
ins, OF life. the Truth OF perception al
know Is that the charm Is II IL the STYLE
for what be unlike than tho styls OF Veins
Quez ant the style OF Raphnol Yet Beauty them
both as her children Tho new men ara trying 10 I'D
other charm 70 conjuIe with than OF Beauty
and no watch tho experiment without interest
but Mr. Chase's portrait OF General Webb Will not con
tho lovers OF poetry the theory. We acknowl-
edge with respect aud pleasure the craftsman's skill,
the Students learning the scholars mastery stating
his but tho artist must niuse something into
the cup that Is not found here.
30 soon as Mr.. Chaso deserts his proper ncld
and essays color, wo Ind such deplorable re-
suits ~ are seen in his Portrait OF Lady"
No GO. Here the famous Blue Boy" OF Gains
borough is parodled In d "Icd Lady" aud no doubt
the artist shows his usual cleverness But Gainsbo-
rough, whether he demonstrated what bis pcturs
was painted TO prove-namely. that bluo Was n warm
cOlor-certainy demonstrated that he was q poet with
his brush. and. cold. made his "Blue Boy" "a
light to the eye Mr.. Chase's "Red Lady" Is delight
neither 20 the eyes 10 the mind. II DO not know
much about Art" said Louis XVI to Madame Is Brun
=. u 10
SAID Messonior. lately OF Turner's pictures but pre-
cious little painting" Mr.. Chase knows a great deal
about Art, but he does not mako love 1t, he only
makes US feel our ignorance OF IT'S tcchnics
And In common with tho rest OF the work
OF the school, these pictures please themselves with
tho consciousness that there plenty OF painting here
but poetry" praise with which the Meissonicrs
and Geromes are content, and strong I'm which, they
look down the Turner's and the Mllets. the Corots
and the DiaE.
But another fault ind with the RED Lady" ia the
aectston that pervades every square inch Of this most
pretentiOus canvas We pass the harmless innniiy
Of the coatOfarms IN the corner though In TRUTH the
picture would not DO quite complete without this
point Of admiration. But. what could have been
In the artists mind when he posed his
model in such attitude, strained, 40 I'M
natural. suggestive, not Of the lady not OF the
woman the world but Of variety actress trying 10
play a high-cOmedy parti But here touch upon the
vice OF the schoola vice not confined 10 It's dsc.
pes at home but patent abroad-the love OF sensa
ton OF display the dstrust OF serenity and repose How
alien 20 clever spirited, alert young talents tho
straightforward simplicity Of picture like IItan's
Bella or Holbein's "Amerbach." IL was not necss-
sary for Gansborough 10 put cost0karrns in the cor
ner of his portrait Of the Duchess Of Devonshre TO prove
her title Perfect loveliness OF feeling. consum-
mate in its skill and mastery in its simplicity were
united 10 the picture Of the most beautiful woman OF her
time
"The falrest garden in her looks
And III her mind the w!scst books"
But who to-day with such reliance on frank
and serenity These qualities do not suit noisy
selfasserting time.
other pictures here by Mr.. Chase do not call for
particular remark We wonder why OF them