New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-11
FINE ARTS.
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARTISTS.
THIRD ANNUAL EXHIBITION.
Third Arfip1Q

L
| IA said in mis- Good Samaritan" No 81, but, he
IS too ambitious; he attempts tasks beyond his
/ powers. We certainly do not admit that Mr.
Weir has failed In what he has here at
| tempted; his picture has more merits than de-
fecs but even II were not successful to the degree
IL is would DO the harm IN having made the at
Tempt Emerson, in those early lectures Of hts used
often to quote from a certain Persian Poet" whom
shrewdy suspected TO be other than En-
| ersou himself, and among the sayings quoted
was this ono; 1.-THE brightest jewel on the neck
OF youth ls the love OF adventure" And all the world
knows sldney's words" Whose shoots at the midday
sum- though he be he shall hit the mark, yet
he Is, he shall shoot higher than who aims but
at bush" 1t seems odd enough to hear In America
young man reproved for having attempted too much,
and we may be permitted to wonder where America
would be today II al her young men had stopped TO
consider whether they quite they could &C
compsh what they bent doing before they put
their hands to the work.
One Of the chief points in which, 1t seems 10 us,
younger American artists wanting TO themselves as
we'll as to the public, is, ambition; the love of adVen
ture, of striking fresh paths and Chaucer rans
latedl says, making tracks for the world" II one
OF them does by chance, DO something different from
the rest he finds plenty OF nitatOrs paglarsts copy
lists, If no happen TO be successful But exhibitions
show, plainly enough that originality is not the fashion,
50 far, then, from reproacbng Mr.. Weir with
being too ambitious we thank him for attack
|
having done well he has. The canvas Ia q large
one and the two figures it cOntans-not counting the
LeVtc who is walking of in the dsance-are the size OF
life The naked body Of tho man who fell among thieves
Is lying diaeonaly the foreground with his head
toward the spectator attitude that cOmpels strong
fe horening, like that OF the dead Caesar in Geromes
well-kuown picture.
The Samaritan faces kneelng ut the wounded mans
left SIDE and chatting his hands, his strong benevolent
face, and the skilf painting OF his yellow turban are
safe points OF admiration with people who do not feel
quito in approving the drawing Of the PROSTATE
body ts strong fOrcshOrening. Another point we all
agree in prasing is rho drawing OF the hands Of the
Samaritan and tho young man Qying to the way In
which they naturally interwined. dn ex-
ceedngy difficult bit Of work, yet 1t Is done ohhand
and with spirit, Anybody see, with thinking, that
It Is much harder tO draw naked BODY In such Rtt
tude this than draw clothed body, and therefore
the task Mr. Weir has set himself Is much harder one
than that which GGrome proposed to himself when he
painted the death Of CGsar. For I'm painting, as MI
Weir has DONE naked body lying in full sunlight ana
not body Of lean and shrunken old man. but that OF
a wenOurished young man IN fun health the ioreslort
enng has to be shown by delicate radaons OF cOOrand
modelling, and by drawing which permits no escape
from scrutiny, pleasing tho eye with strong shadows
from sunken projecting parts. And in painting the
draped body especially IN like that OF the Cesar
tic eye Is easily carried from 0d to fold OF the am
pie toga ana great subtety Of drawng needed TO
win the applause OF the spectator Tho color Oh the
flesh In Mr. Weirs picture is true to nature Tor
this Is a sangune, not q bilious temperament
and I'm sptc OF Munich prepared 70 maintain That
Nature does not make all Ler flesh OF bitumen VIC VIII
praise tho fOrCshOrteniug, too; We know few men
among Ms who could do better II must at the same
lime be allowed that Mr. Weir has, with young mas
delight In overcoming difficulties made his task
d ncult than WAS absolutely necessary He coud not
| leave his nan clothes, snco the Bible takes them
avav bnt he might have LETT him n few shadows
4 different arrangement OF the light wond have
enabled him 10 do this; at present the
trunk wanting In the look OF sody. the bony struc
turc Is too successfully hidden under this rosy fat
what light there * in the picture Is hardly natural either
for there ~ no Sunlight in the sky. which Is OF an mpos
sble blue and has beside. the suspicious look OF haV
ing been painted 80 dark only TO throw the
main figure into stronger relief. Mr WeiTs
| head Of Il little girl. "Portrait-Good Friends"
30 - j. delightfully."- painted, sweet, fresh piece OF
color; yet. comparing tins with the GOOD SAMARITAN
and with the strong neryously painted Portrait" No.
a. We stall ind no trace OF mannersm, painting by
recinr or according to school Mr.. weir seems 10 us
TO have tuae this year. great advance upon his last
years. WORK.
Nj Albert p Rydrrs liillo pictures have been the oh
feet Il good deal OF rdcue hut never was thai usoul
woapou more unreasonaby employed Mr.. Ryder's
WO.k Gnrs indeed differ from that of every other artist
among us; nor Is there any anywhere whom he nc
all resembles. admit also that his drawing Il as
little academic rs is possible We must look for his
qualities outside the usual order Of exercises IN which
artists are trained He belongs TO order OF men whom
it's extremely rare to find In n civilized artificial
society like he has renlly none but the most
temporary relations It, lie belongs 10 the Walt Whit
mnns tho ThOrcaus, the sylvester Jndds, the Bakes,
and, ia its own way the work no has produced mus
far Is ns sweet natunl, and rs inn0eeny wise as
theirs. Why cannot learn 20 enjoy things Tor wAat
they arc when they evidently the sincere fruit Of
anil ~ nj
GerOme ana Messonicr and the rest OF the mechanic
Freuchmen with their absence OF everything but learn
ing have come the end Of Art and that eVerythng IS
to bo fetched up their Standard They are doing TOT
Art pretty much what Addison and Pope and Dr. John
son did for English writing Ia the last century. reduc-
IN, n With their rules OF rhetoric and their laws OF
composition to q dreary level Of dull Uniform
ity 1t takes all sorts OF people 10
make UP world, ana the Wisest man
Ia the one who get pleasure and profit out OF tho
most things We have been much spoiled In this country
by the French school correct and scientific painters,
and we almost ready TO welcome occenrloity anil
lawessness for q while as u relief from their dull des-
pOtsn NJ Ry der. however, is neither eccentric nor
awcss. He paints exactly what he sees In nature ana
hat he enjoys no to express his own fancies
and ne does his work as well as no knows now
This Moonlight" OF his No. 81, Is certainly beau-
tful picture even IL neither TroyOn or Won Marcke
painted the cow There Is not landscape In the gal
ery thGt has genuinely artistic qualities IL may
be comparing small things with great but Is the person
who laughs at Mr. Ryders COW, forgetting the land
scapc prepared TO give up Corot because he occasionally
paints COWS that would never pass the ordeal
Of the stoclrasers Judgment Granted, that
tho perfect picture must have everything
I'm 1t pericct-peFfeot poetry and perfect eKecu-
lion. But where ia such picture 10 DO found
Tho Santa Barbara OF Raphaels greatest picture the
s.sno Madonna, bitter pill to swallow, and in one
OF Ttans works. where grandeur and beauty are most
intimately unlted-The Assumption OF the Vrgn-one OF
tho apostles hruss out tho huge cali OF his leg In an alb