New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-30
FINE ARTS.
THREE NEW PICTURES.

Messrs. NJ. Knoedler g. Co. have on cx-
htilon IN Their gallery at Twentysecond ST. aud Fifth
ave, three pictures b. modern artists Of note,
Messrs. BCpaat FurluEy and Max.
Gabriel bux Dusseldorf is au artist best known to
our pu3lic ny his Head Of Jesus" with eyes that
seemed t. open shat. Whether the original pic
tnre ever in this ooanry do not
member but photographs Of It were exhibited
in shop wndOws-whcre indeed they have
lately redppeared-and excnci a good deal OF
curiosity among people whose OF wonder moved
10y tricks aud feats OF skhv painted eyes that
follow move. by painted knothoes that we can
see through, by painted Labels we could swear werc
printed and pasted the canvas. and by painted
luCiferUatches that look II they woIld 60 I'll
easily than the real ones Pictures like
:Bese paiated merely to deceive the eye, and having
higher aim than to make the unsklfu laugh, create
prejudice in the nds Of the judicOus, again the
fist vino thus TRIES with his profession; and though Mr..
Max has not of ended oferer than to kGowl-
edge In tins direction, he mas only himself 10 thank
the public finds II difficult to O0k upGn hi as serious
painter We certainly cannot think him entitled to
high place among modern artists, the sensational
school with which he has allied himself He las ii
sufoien. training in the technics OF his profession he
draws well with the brush and he has strong luminous
way of cO0ring which makes his pictures effective
pieces OF stageplay or color properly speaking, there
is hing Mr. Maxs pictures bu he aOnes Tor this In
by a sufficiently harmonious arrangement
However 1t may b. with tle pubics on the other SIDE
Of tho Oo,an, there can bo DOUBT that our
people ask for something more IN n picture
than the exhibition OF mere technical SIKH.
The artist must have something to say,
some story to tel, worth telling some impression
Of nature convey. poem written IN lines coll
ora, instead of words And Mr. Max has done little In
sny OF these fields TO interest the American pablo
him Or I'm his So far he deals storytelling.
he ia almost wholly sensational. Saint Julia hanging
alive upon the while young Roman.
ravshed with her beauy-Ofa wholly mundane type
kneels her feet girl in the amlhtratrc Shopping To
pick flung 10 her by her lover, while the lions
waiting to devour her "ramp and about her with
their hurrld. laughing jaws -; anO her girl modern
this time, n female Van AmhurGh, who has been
thrown down by The lions in tina cage she has
entered; Juliet her bed Of fcgned death. with the
last hair pm ehe removed from her trscs lying On the
cnvurid: mother who has just murdered her ucon-
veuent child Sister ~ CdantY tahrs charge Of
w.hOrn infant. the dcabcd OF the mother dEllv
seen through u doorway CHASTITY with pail and taper;
aud st. Cecily drawing last chord from her
before gong out to meet the delivering angel OF the
sword.
This is the OF sbicc, attracts Mr. Max, and
the choice wOuld be legitimate enough if artist
showed capacity tn treat such moving themes But. 10
thinking Mr.. Max has power to deal with sub
ees tLat call for strong feeling II picture OF his
that have looks hi thcme from the
other reason for being. Eary Cnri>tan martyrs are
always popular ami The intcrcour bel vii beasts
ana human beings ~ generally blOOdcur. ling char
acter which, must be confessed does no maze 1t less
attractive TO the generality. TIE Fat Boy showed an
ACME observation when he sou mt to Interest
In Miss Wardle mnd III the commuH caU,n h. was
about TO make Dy Starring Oh with the rk
that h. wanted to max, her blood run
Gold. After that he Of the old
adys undivided attention. Mr.Msx, IKE many anothcr
artist, pursue- the mrthOI, ard rs telling tales o
blod substantial rin II popularity - ior- is
he yau keep up excitement. ", do no.. however,
object ~ his pictures shch grounds. Tut "n ia" l""
serious want .! ser TO nsk" Ms -vr - H. pfoT-n
mrut Mr.. Max 6is ont n large check on tine iHlgn-
alton, but always dis1pp0ihrh. - pre.cniln.
for pawn TO find that he has funds dIo>tcd in
that ank. We nave no get objection 10 trr; "'. hni
uss; hat they muSt hG tragic And np'lurs thG Mr.
Max has yet painted strikes the rcdi - * note.
Here, ~ an Illustrations ia the saint Cecilia. We Hrc
accustomed 10 associate win the lame q tG.s pa,rlcan
Roman iatna"i IMAGE, OF the te;cr al grace grated on
forms OF Noble beauty:
"ot in It ccsr.,valli c.,y on iAcsra
Near rli'!gl organ. ops. hti h'T
a. angel looX'd at he"
Tcnny 5 .iIhct E-r: bn what contract e. tne
ROTOR form the minus cyc III ira'i NJ III" laH-
rrstc's Tho heavy G. rman f1u 'ln -; W. " x
Ine artist rot nllow - $50 her fa"c rHt
It is ev,de,ily the game .tGrdy mnGri we have
s"en 50 often hanging cIor-c ny hons, lying III
beds and ,OJxag cnrefiullv ont Of -na ;IbInc; c'E-
vases a. ucbadv in particu ILcrc II nothing TO
move tie feelings. TO touch TIE nrt, To aw"h p"' IT,
or religious IccOl cct,.s 1t II long ci"I' We "an make
out what she is doing wi h her dummy IN !e land ana
,he orgen plays most incoa,rIu' ntml pat III the
drama; It i pcrlaps sIralici than the ore he'd
',y kaphiuIs SAINT CrccHa. but that is
only one instrument among MANY. where her" j. is"-
lated made prominent. NJ. X's lack OF plG"a
RESOURCE is shown by broken stink upon M G:OuId
with the name "Ccrc.r" writ on it-Ds"th. IT would
sceu IA In the Old hcIaldic ceremonies has broke his
tr.nchcOn over her graVc-hut. II this be the meaning
It's long In finding out and OF much importance when
found.
But in truth time wasted In the serious discussion
pictures. except as teStiYln@ 10 the technical
skill Of tho artist. They have no meaning nor purpofe
In Themselves, and in such case os the "Et CcciM'
we can easily believe that the name aud the organ were
rhuuehts This granted. admit SIKH with
be- brush above the general cirvcrncss IN drawing the
figure such within tb" power Of many men OF
less re,uc. and tone winch ry Rcepng within the
range OF low tones avoids troublesome problems ana
puts criticism 10 sleep.
BOunat's Kbrra falnting III Rome i rather row
of small fgurc su cts. arranged in very sfni way,
in one frame We the open porch Of church al one
side, tresc0 painted on the wal. aNd shut on win
high iron grating At tue extreme lett. the Spanish
artist Ribera sitting the narrow plat form al the
top OF the church steps. earnestly painting young
Italian girl in peasant costume, who stands
facing us IN a rather hOlt-uITight attitude against
the aide wall OF tho porch. Behind III" artist
sits another little mad. eagerly watching the artist, and
stretched at full length before him IL man. model
DOUBTLESS IN peasants dress This man lies on BIS bacE
with his head toward Rlbera, and We see him thus IN
profile. company OF monks are coming on or the
church door, he extreme light OF fhe picture Is
OCCUPIED by small group OF pea SAINTS. models again
waiting Ia be- hired man and some women ana chll-
dren sit Isilessiy looking our at the SPECTATOR
H. will thns he tcrn that the picture Whatever
may said ~ the painting Is awkwary coupuSed ana
mig BJnnatS go he cut up III At teas fcc
se naratr ucturcs each of which would have the same