New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-30
FINE ARTS.
suE sAtMAGUNDi SKETCH CLUB.
sECoND ANNUAL EXHIBITION.
TSScoad NOf,ce


49, rood.cngraviugs which have appeared during the
~, wear IN the magazines, notably in Sertbners-a
,von of the catalogue, numbers 81 10 No. oeing de
d 10 tho drawings sent IN BY the publishers OF that
,nagaype There also proofs OF wood-cuts which |
,,nsr are TO be published In Harpers MdCaze or have
,,assr appeared there and IL is undoubtedly these
,o,,a, drawings which character to the exhibit
con There Is q purpose in them drectness reason
Gov he,pe which evident In the remaining work.
celent rs much OF undoubtedly Is, from technical
point OF view -
pls-,s Conditions" by Thomas EakiDs. OF Philade
nina Mr. Eakins Is Of the few thoroughly good |
araughtsmen have, but his skin IA always so subor
apate in interest to what is expressed by IT, hat II
needs careful looking at bis work 10 fully appreciate the
technical excellence of it. There are artists, ike
Ger6me for instance, in whose works what we think OF
orst last ana ali the tme the learning Of the drawing
The skI with which the physical facts are put before u.s.
A for what the artist saying we care very little about
A. lust as little he does hneef at the most we thank
him Tor lesson in ethnology or barbarian Mariners
learned az hand, lesson in archaeology, labor-
ousy learned second hand and communicated to US
with good deal of parade. But in the case OF IN artist
like Nj Eakns always think, first OF ALL OF what IL
is he Is saying and Y says 1t IN SIMPLE unpreteno-
ing, one might almost think so UNCONSCIOUS
away that the means by which he conveys his impres-
sian do not for some time make themselves understood
In any country but blessed land of where the
artist is the suprrhuOus OF beings native power
of expression backed by such learned skin as that oil
Mr. Eakins would find employment so constant. and
so many to recognize it, that would soon develop INTO
rsrate mporI Aud such gifts wall 80 develop here'
in years 10 come but Mr. Eakns is only another name
10 be added TO those American artists who have been
born OF due time The present drawing oeing ouy
an illustration TO magazine story (and very ceVerS
told story Il was with knowledge Of human ma
ture much hunor and true pGthosl Can interest
but slightly those not read the tae. But we
can almost divine the conflict going on In this woman's
mind IA true woman, reader, in spite or her
poorwhite slatterulrness, her bare feet, ana
tlouehing gown between her natural respect for her
husband as husband and her natural contempt for
him as an incorrigibe humbug and hypOcrte-one can
almost divine the struggle without having read IL IN the
rleyer igina said before In these COL
umns that no excel Mr. Eakins In portrayine
woman sitting alone In fading twilight or by dreaming
freight aud thinning OF nothing. Here we have him'
Inst as sk.ifuy showing woman keeping mp deal
Of thinking about something
Another artist Mr. A. Kappes shows considerable
skill 10 htsmanshp, and in one OF his drawings
here proves his power TO tell story by his art alone
His Country School Room" No. 81 and his Throw II
II YOU Dare No. ia are rather and uninerest-
ing. though there IA homely truthfuDess In dealing
such material the artist found ut hand, that is
Interesting aud valuable. The quality appears IN
1.-THE Rescue" No ~, where the feeling intense and
the story told with thcro1ghness and sim
picity most rare and commendable. An artist
bent on producing sensation would have made
The face OF the child in danger OF drowning
expressive whereas Mr. Kappes has stopped nj
anxiety and that almost UNCONSCIOUS. nor does the
child heed presence OF its father but IL intent on
having itself its The instructive sehshness
Of the other child out OF the water as he
best can not without shres for help however is well
thought of the fathers face is mixture OF despair and
determination. but that determination Is the
stronger aud that the child will not be let drown after
all. stir another drawing by Mr. Keppes, the Police
Court" No 90 singular dramatic power Of telling
m unmistakabe story without word OF written ex-
PLANTATION This poor brow-besten victim OF a drunken
wife has been arrested her complaint for beating
her and dared desparing rather than let the sorry
truth refuses rebuff the charge and will let
himself be sent mp crime he isn't guxy of-od love
pleading herocay IN his unheroic person. for this
brutal loathsome wretch, who once, IN far-sway
youth, an honest woman and good wife
Mr. NJ J. Burns shows the original drawings for the
od-engavIngs published In ScroTaers to illustrate
a yaluab @ article on our LfeBoat Service" These
drawings are be praised for their spirit but they are
not as interesting they seemed when looked d IN con-
necton with the text that explained them II lmpos-
sple that as they stand, they should tell any story
sun they are in keeping with what we know OF Mr.
Burns's work. its honest dealing with its material, It's
frank dislike OF attitudes and mock heroes His merit
would have clearer in q subject that should nave
dealt with In their loing hours OF case or In
the queter of their dangerous work There s no
one of his exhibited here that shows Mr. Burns
at his best but the steering for Home No. % may be
considered fair example OF his SIKH In the heo We
have indicated.
We have already praised Mr.. J. Francis Muir
phys landscapes and repeated visits TO the exhbi
ton haye confirmed in liking. II Is OF course
plain whence Mr. Murphy gets his model but If he can.
not be said his iDstructOns-for who can add
perfume to Corot's violet Tit at least be allowed
that he slngs very sweety after that most poetic OF
landscape painters Ia q collection where the poete
element s IL must be confessed too plainly wanting
Afr nbVts
distinction to the gallery.
Mr. George f. Shelton has large way with him. but
we are OF the opinion that the field OF blsckandwhile Is
limited and that II are 10 dispace engravings from
walls thing desirable enough. perhaps, IL must Do
not with more blaek-and-wh ite but with more color
Engrayings etchings be made to have certain
richness effect they the right kind and are rightly
framed and So too, charcoal drawings drawings
IN crayon heightened with red but Indank or black and
white depressing seen In large Masses ana not
only are never decorative, but soon become tresome
Therefore, that In spite OF all their skill,
such large works in black andwht as Mr.. j. G.
Browns The Lost Fisherman" No. 221 "a tide
not understand); Mr. Fred 7. Vance's Qu va lar NO.
az; Mr.. George Inness. jr.'s Retugnins from the
Brook" No 40 and Mr.. George f. SheitoD's " Gusty
Evening" No 1872 sufficiently respect the natural
limits OF this somewhat restricted field III II be good
that IL II IL be harmonious cannot have too much
color on our walls. Our tendency has been far loo
toward aud coorless fawns, with eDgray
ngs, mostly of pale, eless sort. and photographs
with far too much white delcately tinted mount"
about them. We should be sorry for big
pictures Of the white variety Just
are wading OF the Dead Sea of Quaker neatness
have been IN 30 long
But this consideration need not blind us 10 the fact
that there are hundreds OF people who will continue
like engravngs their walls In spite OF our demurng,
and that for those who do these large drawings will
deservedly have great attraction. Mr. Vanec'S owls,
In his "Qai VA Ia" capially drawn, and very much
alive and what we Ike without any trace OF carica-