New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-29
FINE ARTS.
AMERICAN WATER-COLOR SOCIETY
rouRrEENTH ANNUAL LXHIBIrIoN.
fsvrnNu NOTICE.

pecpe interested In pictures are peghlhihs
40 demand certain things OF the mlistS WIN " uha"Im
htv tbat ought to set the stuoloS 10 tiihhnS t"i ~
sh,ngs demanded right and proper anuas the "ch"
kor them is sure increase 1t certainly woua seem inc
ars of wisdom for those to whom growth-or change,
Az orA he preferredis still possible to profit by what
fhsy ace going Oh them. What is meant py 'hS
marked increase the number CT npressiOnist h'eIS'
and by the marked change in the attitude OF the puc
howarl the new schooll Why do works by B!um ana
tureier and Murphy and Freer and Dewey and mayer
n,,ase to-day when, five years ago three years ago.
they would have been either passed by III cohte'ip VI
1ookea at with positive dislikef mat such on""N0
shvuld have place in short time cannot NC do
rrfbed entirely to fashionable whm. ina' - an
nation which it is good to fall back upon u"t'l
arefu and unprejudced examination OF the lac's sna
have left us in the mpossibty Of satisfying ourselves
with any other. ,.
Such an explanation can. We think. be easily round
As we began by saying, people VINO are interested u.
pctures are beginning to ask for certain 'nnE7 d. INC
f ,be artists that they used TO ask TOT NJ all
ms ~ these things is that artists shall paint things III
which they themselves really interested not things
ahev think or are made to think Will please other
poope Painting to order, like writing To oroer' Is
hretty sure result In something Tor winch Dether
rods nor men will care, ought to care.
This s demand and another ia that the artist snail
ant the thing as he himself really it, and not as he
mas been taught 1t and to paint it, These are two
demands that seem very simple. and to most people
they will SEEM no doubt, very just Aud yet simple as
they are and reasonable they not comrehended by
ono person in o hundred, and, even il the
former be understood. the second Ia al
most never practised Nor Is the demand Tor
these things ever the moving cause why they are DONE
that demand never formulated or expressed until
acme one by doing them shown that they ought TO
be DONE Then, at first people for the most part
shocked by seeing something 50 contrary TO all they
have been accustomed to- while few, less conventional
by nature, or with quicker perceptions, welcome the
nd call On Ofh 70
opened way.
five look through any ordinary exhibition OF pic
fures VIC shall find that by far the greater nuneT are
painted on principles the direct opposi'es OF those we
have stated The world of artists like the world o any
professon Is made up of men who take professional
view of eir special subject they did not adopt be-
cause they had any special it, bat for OF
family of education. Of availability and strange as
may SEEM many artists wOud stare. AS many lawyer
and medical man would stare If one were to OBJECT
tha. they should lay down their work brc"uSe
they do not love 1t. We once heard
an artist say 0nd If he were moi
precisely an cr.inent artist, he occupied an eminent
positiOnl that II il not Cor him to paint
for living, he would never touch brush. How many
lawyers would up their Briefs how many doctors
would throw ply dogs If they could do without
clients and patients. But always d'lninc our
selves with the belief that the artist dn OF diner
ent breed We believe he ought 10 he Tins however Is
narrow way OF looking at tine matter. VIVA; we de-
Inand Of ought to demand of every prof.
sion and OF every trade. II is only from men Who be-
iieve in their work that we get good work
Now not further for illustration, We fnl IN
these home exhibitions of oil the proof We need that
the way to people IN art IA TO be tru" In fact
1t surprises far little truln VIII 60 aud how
much can be accom- piished by rIthelng, even by an
artist very great &c pacity. We do Mt suppose Il
will be claimed by Mr. Wisl0w HON that he IS nan
OF great capacity. He to live If we may Judge 10y
hts works, in a rather narrow range OF idcds,
hut In IN say
tmpOrtant position in our art world o",Y ny
his way OF saying that h'tlc lie ha'
always looked at things about him with his own eyes
and told what he has his own laugu Ige clearly
and truthfuy. We say nothing about his pictures in
the present exhibition. They are very Disappointing
but then they badly framed and worse hung ana We
do pretend to have them StI II Is now some
time since Mr. Homer did anything worthy OF his ediy
reputation, and are not surprised TO ma ll- year
repeating the dsappointmenS OF years ht'iy gone ~
Yet so strong is the influence OF a prMcu!r early
adopted, yet not much adopted as implanted 10y
nature and long cultivated that even the most trivial Of
the twenty four drawings sent by M Homer 10 the
presen, exhibition has ing in 1t that distinguishes
1t from The general Almost all these drawings are
landsca e. and there not OF them T4ch not
illustrate Mr. Homers loyalty 10 truth o. ObscrvHiion
and his habit of saying what he has to say III MS ""
Language. OF course, other elements must CON" ia TO
make q good picture. even with such principles I"cfo
must b.. taste, and Nj. Homer f. often wanting
IN taste There nut be the PIC oral" or
'Eacture+nakng faculty, and IN this Mr. IloW"r Is
notOriO,isIy docient when he hits upon good subject
1t seems by accident and ont OF twenty drawings tce
may not be that deserve place outside the co.,
lector's PORTFOLIO Mr. Homcrs principal drawing here.
No "a Winding the COck," an Illustration OF the
want OF taste have complained Of as vel a. OF the
want Of the picture-makng faculty The e'tl Is in dh
cuties apparently, with the clock keV, ana ths Fuckers
her face which i'll bear puckerug AM even II 1t
were a prettier face, take suorct thai
of the drawing 10 look NJ
soetug disagreeable, when nothing il 10 e gained hy
it2 AS for the want Of the pcturemaklng faeu " o
played this drawing suppose hardly needs 10 he
pointed out An unconmonly tall girl standing on Il
chair beside tall oldfasniOned eght-day clock, IL
snbiect that would tax anybody's skill to make INTO
pcture drawing like this, Is however an exec pti0n
to Mr. Homers practice. He is or seems to us TO be-
strongly interested in effects Of l2ht aud III several OF
the landscapes mere, there are evidences enough OF MS
close study and his skill In recording MS Ihl-
pressiopa The visitor will find 1t worth while
70 look at No. 81, Gloucester Mass" at No. SO.
"soGethDg Good About This" and at the drawing OF
boats over the door the East Boom leading INTO the
corrdor And no doubt these drawings were properly
framed and hung they could be seen-tiey are ALL
with few exceptions, skyed 10 the highest point 'r
aoored owing, believe to their late arrivd-they
would b. found TO repay good deal OF study As IL Is
the knowing ones have found them oui, and pougut
them nearly all.
Mr.. Blum profits at this exhibition by the absence OF
his double, Mr. F. H. Lungren. who. at the Sanagundl,
followed him like his shadow. Indeed. only toe most
cunning observer abe at that time To tell men
ives which even the signatures were as IKE AZ PUN
and lungren could BIZ made. For all nat ana 5ie
OF the thus Nr. Blum has showed hlnSen
too much OF mitaor OF other meal ana cons qu n'y
open himself To imitation and parody on le 9'rh h ~
Others We believe he has real talent ana MAJ s
when he gets his own leet ana cutS
loose from the Wbisers and f0rtuhyS ne VIII
Do work genuinely beautiful ana interesting tnah
snysnbs be has yet produced Ii 10 impossln'e y. 9A
At his various drawings OF Venice ID thu present e4D
ton without interest and certain pleasure Du any
are too nianifesy initiative OF Mr. Whlbtier 70 Dc az
cepted as true EXPRESSION OF Mr. Buns way OF loohng