New-York tribune., 1880-02-28
FINE ARTS.
WATER COLOR SOCIETY.
THIRTEENTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION
THIRD NOTICE !


.,1s,or more snre in the MANAGEMENT of resources
moro tasteful In treatment than the Reaoy lot
the Ball" by G. simoni, No 3lI west h'om' i"e
face of the lady. though worked up Win the uecc'
a miniature is largely handled IN the drawing oi 'n's
head with that OF the arms and hands, we see ihe eV
depce OF long training and honest sSudy In the paint
,ng Of the dress TOO though the manner is very differ
ent we find skill displayed that could not be carried
further-a delightful dexterity which seems the more
admirable because II Is in such strong contrast with the
t,md and somew hat mechanical work Of the majority
OF our own artists
The drawings Of Mr.. Edwin Bale, too. are distin-
c,lished by many exceences. by certain pecularues
ZOO we will not cali them mannersms, which naiR
them English plainly as those Of MI slmopis uf""
ing mark It Italian. Mr. Bale pleaseS hrsi py MS suo
jec.s which are chosen from simple everyday nature
easily understood and appealing 10 renneh ana
noD,io na,nle snen persons VIII make friends
AT once with this sweet-faced English child re-
turning from hunt for cowsips, No ISL ana VIII
hnd themselves enjoying the delighted suspense OF these
children watch If the canary Will really come
ont OF its cage ON invitation of the opened door, NO
2s6 Mr. Bale sends also "Italiau Iruit-seeT" NO.
COZ teoridor which, with its strong drawing and rich
soIldy in tie oTing. strengthens the impression
made by this artists other drawings OF an ability and
taste beyond the ordinary mark
In the North Room q drawing by Mr. A. Tczzos " Ny
Kitty 121 furnishes another example OF TINS union
80 o.ten seen in foreign works OF agreeable subject
good composition, and learned technic. We get the I'M
pression that system of rules has been established by
long experience and practice which whie leaving the
artist put his individuality into his work
nevertheless holds him obedent TO certain inhexbie
conditions blOy rises and falls with the tide, or rolls
with the waves, but is yet true TO its anchorage
The foreign workman has not much learned
these rules by direct teaching though with the multi
tude of schools want FOR that. as he has
inherited them uneonscously Works Of art long since
accepted as standards his eye every Hde and
ho in fha ehuO NJ or in
studio of his master justified in all ITS fundamental
principles, however much the application OF those prin
cples may vary superlcaliy-by all he sees in the
museums in the cabinets Of connOisseurs. and
by Gn he reads in the comments Of the critics
no less than by the consent of his
fellow artists We home have not as vet either en-
Ioyed the benefits of this common inheritance nor sui
fered Its disadvantages; have had no standards
we have appealed public quite as ignorant as out
selves and criticism has either left us 10 ourselves or
has amiably smiled approval all our performances
without any dishearlenng discrimination. Perhaps
better illustration Of the difference u the matters
have mentioned between foreign artists and
ourselves cannot easily be found tnan by
comparing the drawing by Mr. A. Tezzos. No
I2l wth one that hangs directly next il, The Pop
Corn Man." by Mr.. T. W. Wood. No. 1913. Mr.. Tezzoss
drawing shows young dark skinned Italian girl OF the
lower orders. with black eyes and careless mop Of
black hair who bOds kitten under her and LET'S 10
feed best out OF saucer Shr holds ID one hand
The subject is nothing aud nothing IS made Of II except
what good sound dra wing. rich and solid well
disposed details. good taste that knows how 10 keep
everything IN its place. do make think it
our while TO stop ana study the artists combina-
tion. The girl not handsome, bur sue is healthy,
sturdy wellenough little savage she IS not spiritual
but no more Is she animal mind and body are well N
balance each the Others turn The kitten Is
a good little beast and very much bent getting ia
milk, great as tie difficulties il labors under;
short everything here is well painted and ior nothing
there is just enough Of It, II is pleasant rfe. one
that hung on the wall, we shoud any good
reason to tire of, work OF the class to which
belong Sir Joshua's strawberry Girl" "Mus-
cpula" Little Samuel" the Honorable Miss
Thngamy" and the rest. Now let us look at
Mr Woods drawing II is, 10 begin with much larger
work than that Mr. Tezzo and yet. shall see, the
subject is not whit more important AZ has cost the
conscientious painstang artist asnuch labor perhaps
even more than the Italian has given TO his. and yet
seen across ROOM that of Mr.. Tezz0s holds OVID,
while Mr. Woods is quickly lost This necessity for
pictures keeping of the most important Of their
original uses of to decorate the apartments
they painted for, 10 find df Cuy in Getting
a Judgement in the brains o: many OF artists.
Really sEllful draughtsman as Mr. Wood is.
with considerable cleverness getting the look he
wants in the human face, be to have concep
ton OF what is meant by making picture. Then again,
while the Italians work looks rich ana solid with It's
vigorous color, its iorcibe ht and shade ad s
ing OF its parts in harmonious opposition NJ Woods
"Pop-Corn Man " is all alike; be monOtonOus and
wanting in SAVIOR the arid vegetable he selling
Nor does his action interest IT, indeed interest
anybody to know whether he Is going 70 put more OF
that taseless limedust (Which the shops is called
powdered sugar. on his popcorn or noti We ask our
selves with impatience why this stands here
In the best place, in the best pertinacousy insist
ing with that look meant 10 be insnuatng,
answering the question. Sugar. shall II be- or no
sugarq' He not beautiful he effective, he is
more interesting here would be in The street lie
appeals nothing high, and the lOwness OF popcorn
has nothing ZOla-ish nor fascinating about It, II has
the savory yugarity OF the peanut 70 recon-
mend it. We wonder whether Nlllet himself
could have made popcorn man" " interesting.
Yes we suppose he could have done sO hut
would have been accomplished by making all this
crowd OF details less Obrusiye, by dragging the man
himself behind this OF sDectacles and
dredgers and popcorn paper bags and pieces OF string
and giving humanity plus things instead of lot Of
things plus d little humanity. All OF which wouldn't be
worth saying il Mr. Wood had than respect
able am0u1 of real skill and honest ambition to
his skill 10 profit
Mr. Muhrmanns "New- England Girl" No. 5, so called,
perhaps because a native Of New England, or even
long resident Of that region, never known 10 look
So has less for being than Mr. Woods Pop
Corn Man" Mr. Woods picture is not poetry, but u IA
realism, after sort. Mr.. Muhrmsnn's New-E1glaDd
Girl is neither poetry realism. Nor Is it carcature
All through the exhibition this artist shows himself lost
for subject; he appears to have really nothing to
cay. For want OF better description we might call
it whiting" Mr. Muhrmann seems TO be
playing with water materials like idle boy
with his ack-knfe aud bit OF stick. But, how plain
itisndeed, how well nc has proved heretoforethat
Mr. Muhrfnann could do much better work than whit
ting, IL he would
MIR James sy mington has some good intentions and
he goes 10 work with prasewOrhy dreetness aud sim
pllcIty but his drawings hardly be described as
interesting. His methods those of the English
watereooasts Of the PrOut time; he uses only pure
waiercoor he deals in masses and never ngges' but
x,hat cannot crftcise these odds ends