New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-14
FINE ARTS.
EXHIBITION OF BELGIAN PICTURES

II II not easy understand the motive which Ia the
Belgian Government to send us these PICTURES 1A
years ago at the Centennial Exhibition, saw Belgian
art well represented for although there are nearly
hundred in the present catalogue than were
in that OF the Centennial, yet the names
were distinguished, better examples were
selected and there was q wider range in the Sub
ects. Since that time current has disturbed the
placidly flowing stream OF Belgian art no great name
has direct into channels The patriotic
era at whose birth Baron Legs and his followers pre-
sided has long since died out to-day the artists Of
Belgium are az hardpushed for subjects their neigh
bors of France OF Germany. We confess that after
long morning spent in these welded galleries, we we're
able to find but little that made the visit worth while
1t possible to discover anything that ravored OF
genius and such talent there is Is OF mddng
sort. Our Academy Exhibition. dun as 1t Is
this year. Is interesting compared with this, and
for the Exhibition the Society Of American Artists
the two portraits there by Mr. Wyatt Eaton are alone
weigh word-beter worth going ninety miles to
than all these three hundred featurelfss academic
Belgian pictures put together
The sculpture sent is trivial in s motives, and
so nartisic in its execution. TO he hardly worthy
notice. Mr.. C. A. FraikiD who promised something
sends "Mother and Child" the mother lacy OF our
own time. most ungTacefny posed with the lett ankle
resting on the right knee thus rudey exposing the
right leg, beside making very ugly lines, while
the naked baby in her lap, just dropped on asleep
ualy lost 10 the composition behind this horizontal leg
Mr. Fraikins other contribution Little Grandfather
is child putting spectacles poodle This seems
loig descent from the that some years ago first
made acquainted with this artist =" Cupid borne
along a Dolphin" In the Easter Daisy OF MI j.
Francois Bolnckx, young girl seems 10 be trying TO
look at butterfly that has lighted on her head and GER
tainy the would be worth seeing II she accom-
pisn it, since it is Finished with a pair Of realistic
antenna made OF hogs bristes. Mr.. Louis Samain's
lmprudent is a naked child who has seized parrot
as big az himself, and hugs IL closely 10
his body while the same artists q" laundering Love
is Cupid with an absurdy long body and very short
legs made OF rolls OF fatan effort to translate Rubens
into marbe-his face distorted with numbering, ram
ming his fist into his eye because he has shot his moth
ers doves. AlphoDse Peeters has bust called In
suited "a modern lady of pleasure with all her gear
flying to the four winds Of heavcn-streaung feather
inflated hat scarf, neckerchief blown aside and hair,
dsheveed-a very torrent. tempest and as we may say
whrwind Of millinery and yet her face il set to merely
conventional expression OF scorn. Then we have the
nursery rhymes Of the Italian sculpture in the Cenen-
NAL recalled by F. J. JOriss Innocence and
Per1dy" where the innocent cat in pursuit
Of its legitimate prey tries to get at
the little girls canary; by l.. p Van Biesbroecks
In antine Preference" story of a child who negec.s
its coral and bells to pay with butterpat aud roll OF
butter. Armand Gathers Young spartan"-a bronze
gurestands up quite naked in studio attitude with
the fox the story he concealed in his mantle here IN
plain sight and gnawng lie surely at the youths flank
speaks his little piece and says "see, what brave
boy am 20 And here, too, are p. Van Lindens Good
Shepherd" where usual feeble Christ is carrying
suitably small amb and T. J. Halknss "study" child
drawing pattern from one OF Froebels books
copy and pattern both realistically traced
in lead pencil on the marble 1t is Notifying
to find that a Royal Commission could discover sculp
ture ia Belgium more than thlsand all here Is
OF this quallty-tO send 80 far.
The sculpture being futile, are not surprised TO
light upon Il case Of bronze medals by Nj c. II. Wurjen
which spirit invention sacrificed to a mechan
cal niceness Of execution.
Coming the pictures. find the end o. the long
gallery nearly filled with Mr. Hermann Masked Bali"
such a subject must always be a difficult one for a
painter because, every masker dressing 10 suit imsf
there be harmony Of ELECT in the reality ana
the artist has % make harmony for himself out OF
all this di-cord. Then. the crowd is 80 great that
grouping is almost impossible And the only
conceivable motive for the crowd il amusement OF
not very refined character. there be little elevation
III the human types This latter objection, however,
would b. Of little consequence If the artist knew how
get from the subject a good study Of human nature
But Mr. Herman does not allow any OF these consdera-
tons % trouble him. lie makes effort compose his
crowd into interesting groups and the c0oring simply
a torment 10 the healthy eye.
The weakness OF The Belran artists 70 be for
subjects -" for storytelling pictures and such abound
bad that tolerant and good-naured visitors
moved to remon-rance. And how is f. possible to look
with anything but derision at such pictures Mr. T.
sacres o. Death Of Pman" or Mr.. A. Roberts
Death OF Charles v" NJ Mellerys The Mother OF
the Gracchl," or Mr.. Stallaerts st. Alnaque and
"Medea." or Mr. A. struy's Dish0nored." OF NJ \.
Thomass " The Two Mays with the Dead Body OF
Christ These all very large canvases, and they
are Of the type the empty ambitious pictures
of an older me through the arches in the opposite
gleries-the big Vests and AlsOns. Bouguereau's alb
surd Orcses and Jannsen's Peter Denying Christ"
and the Wittkamps aud GasOldis, and Farunis
Oh which much good money has been wasted Look
NJ from Of these galleries to the other, how little
seem To have learned
Among the landscape painters, perhaps Mr J. Ros-
sees remembered by h= pictures at the Centennial the
most pleasing. His large landscape No. 49, al a
proper distance, has much air and light II wanting in
contrasts We find the same qualities in his a smaller
picture Another artist whose work at the Cen
tennIa NJ Alphonse As7elberg. has several quiet land
scapes OF which the best Ia hs " Autumn In Campne"
No. ). This artists Sunrise in Campine." No 4. be
longs to a class Of subjects which would seem to he
favorites with the Belgian landscapiss. the moon and
sun setting rising In damp mists marshy places
themes very unpictoral in effect and almost chilling
one 10 the bone to look long The gloomy char
acter OF the pes here Mr. Rossees cheer
ful pcures seem better perhaps than they really
Other landscapes which can at least find tOerabe
are Mr. Tscharners Close Of the day at Campine,"a
rather thin treatment Of a composition which DaubgnY
made so much OF than once; NJ. lie Mayeur's
Marines" Of which No 125, go The Seheld" il spoken
well Of in our notebook; Mr.. a. BOuviers The Coming
storm" full water with sOop in the foreground and
NJ + Van Damme-syya's LOwlands near the Scheldt,,
n wide meadow prospect with cattle standing or lying
or stroling down drnk There also srkngly
naiDed architectural subjects by Francois Bossuet
This artist deals with strong effects Of light and
shadow but exaggerated, and he selects for
depict,ng Laces ike TO have brought before
orv,s or ancipatons eve Such work this, however
takes its distinct place mere Typographical record
and neither mas claims. suppose. artistic rank