New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-31
FINE ARTS.
THE WATER COLOR SOCIETY.

spent in these welaed rooms is sufficient to show TO
the accustomed visitor that there has been general adj
vance along the whole line Almost without exception
everybody done better thdn he did last year, some
have made surprising advances and the exhibition as
whole, Is characterized by a certain earnestness
of purpose which shows itself no less In the choice OF
subjects than IN the treatment Of them Futile flower
pieces, schoolgirl studies OF nothing in particular
the early cries OF halawakened BIRDS" and the bea
ing Of lately weaned lambs yet unsteady on their
pins ger make the staple OF the exhbiton there
is hardly drawing which has been admitted 10 good
place or the walls thats not worth looking at and tie
greater number viii bear looking a good many times
We think II worth while to again express the wish. as
one OF the public that the Committee on Admissions
would not accep. any drawing TO which cannot give
place where IL can be seen. TO accept drawing, and
then put high above the line where visitor will
naturally observe Il, and where he cannot study 1t
any purpose, to find II II be bad good when
once he has discovered IL, is not sensible proceeding,
and the society OF artists that first decides TO break
through the Old practice, and plant itself common
sense. VIII ad TO ts profit every way. Not that the
present exhibition contains many instances OF what
We arc ObjCctng 10. On the contrary, u con-
tairs very few, and their feVness encourages
hope that presently there Will be none az all Let
1t be honor worth striving for to get place upon
these walls And the place having been accorded,
let him who has gained IL be treated with generous
consideration Don't invite a TO dinner, and set
him to eat of shelf in the pantry
Inc drawings exhibited TINS year, with the
works in black and-white, and the etchings, III
the corridor and the east, west aud north rooms.
together with the small cabinet in the north
west The large souIb room is closed, but
II the present progress continues and why snoJhiI
not, be long before the fout room viii los
needed 10 accom- nodate the drawings contributed A.
ready, the Ctcbngs by American artists ano amateurs
nearly I'LL the walls OF the small room; ana
yet how few years 1t is since VIC
began to have eichers among The progress In this
department is surprising; the activity among our
etchers great and increasing; pew recruits are COM
ing ~ all the time there is distinct demaud for the
work Of men, and dealers al c.dy compete FOR
the first choice II the works of Henry Farrcr. swain
Clifford, aud James Smillie; but, after all, the
growth in the ned OF water-cOlors H. almost
as surprising. Great would he wonder il by some
nngn arr these wings could be made fade from
CHEESE walls for hours, and their place supplied
by the drawings OF ten years agol Certainty We should
soon beg the magician TO his rod and give us
back to-day.
II there be n place of honor in the present
exhibition, 1t may be said to be held In
the east room bY the large drawing by Mr..
Henry FarTer, who has. besides, number OF
smaller drawings in which he st'll remains faithful 60
the themes he nds abundantly Ia beautiful bay
Mr.. f. HOpkius0n smith, an artist who. hitherto has
had but slight interest for us. comes
out this year as II he had been bora again.
his cOntriDutiOns-he was always industrious enough
but with the variety and picturesqueness OF his sub
iects and the dash. the animation and the truth 10
sentiment there is IN all OF them. Mr.. hunr-
mann, too who last year struck us more
queer than interesting is this year far Interesting
than he is queer though queor he st undoubtedly II.
He sends great variety OF subjects too aud often takes
us by surprise showing figures landscapes church
ohitccture cOrnfelds and cabbagesardens, and some
thing think aboG in all his squares OF bloei paper.
Mr. Blum without as yet consenting 10 leave
his hold OF Fortuny's hnnd, aud still sign
ing his work with FORTUNES pen, proves BY
his "Jspaness Fish-stall," he chooses, he
can now walk Of alone and show us how be writes by
nature Every thing he has here clever but much 81
1t merely clever; the drawing VIC have mentioned mas
much originality and beauty mingled with lite clever
Here, too is Mr.. J. F. Murphy again. with drawing
ike bit OF Chopin sister the gray drawings The
salInagundi Exhibition. but ~ the dawn were blush
ing their grayness into liie This Is senstyo
wors, but dangerous for the artist; it trembles on
the verge Mr. g. T. ShcltOl Il not 80 seusi-
tive but hardly prepared by his work In the
Samagunti Exhibition for such delicate color and mo-
bile drawing as mud here I'll No. pol. for Instance
Mr. c. NJ. Dewey has a drawing IN the west room which
we find very lovely, indeed we did not eee, In our
cessariy curaOry first examination OF the gallery. any
drawing which so strongly attracted U.s.
1t is only bit OF meadow, running
up to near The TOD OF tho paper hno
nordered with fringe Of against the slip OF
sky path, half hid by the ceop grasses, runs down
the middle Of the mead. and few sheep are nibbhnR
their way along its daisied track
Although Mr. Currier sends nothing TO the present
show the influence OF his last years drawings-which
excited as our readers will remember. so much discus
SION aud 50 animated. with ridicue, abuse and
enthusiastic admiration oddly miuged-is re-
snonsible for whole division OF the
drawings of the years exhibition. This influence
| sometimes shown In eItrayagaDtly bloted work and
III much sent in that had to be rejected. but
OIL the whole influence has been good and healthy
might have expected from work which, however 1t
may have shocked us by s strangeness. was yet evil
IDENTIFY seriously and sincerely meant. II had good
| Eject I'm knocking our men about, shaking them up
| and spurr,ng them out OF their rIIts. Mr..
| Alden Weir has several wee bits OF paper
! which are blotted and blurred with a steady hand
aud sure eye and Mr. T. Moran, with his amusing and
provoking versatility. has picked 40 Mr. Curriers' glove
and shows him, he has shown dozen other people,
thai he can ealy be everything by turnsand nothing
long Mir. Moran has ceverness enough In his little flu
ger as say, 10 set up dozen artists and not ear
pcsness enough purpose enough 10 keep one artist
well alive Mr.. r. NJ. Shurtcf has a landscape OF some
merit the east and near II Is sklliul sezing
OF the effect of Autumn c0lors by MI T. H. mcCoro "A
| Cornwall Hsde."
These are the chief followers OF Mr. Curriers' lead OF
last year but he has by induced all the
school to follow his leading Mr.. w. t. Richards Is
here rs careful and precise as ever, with small study
of trap-rock by the side MIR. f. De silva Keeps
cool and steady with his eye fixed on the realities OF
every day turning sheet OF white paper into clear
| mirror In which commonplace may see herself most
skllfully reflected. Mr.. L. W. Wood plods on with
his peculiar methods, and recouns TO US with his
! old patience every fold and Wrinkle IN his pop
corn sellers coat and trousers and wrinkle In the
Old mans face Mr. Brlcher too. Is here as OF yore set
ting down the facts OF bis landscape in lis notebook,
LEARNED and conned by rote producing does Mr.