New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-08
NOTES FROM LONDON.
ARTISTIC. DRAMATIC. PERSONAL.

knows how to get nlinseH taikcu dOo"''
who care never so little about etchings ana udN-
points crowd the doorways of the ZINE Ai' GU
ciety in Bond-st. to see the new arrangement ID
yellow and WHITE" or, if thev cannot sea tha' 10
see the Prince and Princess of Wales who nave seen
il Possibly the crowd / happened 70 see mas po'
been unite so CT az since nv first visit to that ls
tntion was maid or rather was not PAID, wheh lheH
ROYAL Hiphnesses were inside, and the bohu-S''
pavement was IN consequence OiocKeu Nv Vnions "
people of b ,th sexes who had been in'i'eu " 'i0
private view. aud allowed 10 waio out-
side till princely curiosity had been satisfied
Mr. Whistler took this treatment OF his guests
as a capital joke. Perhaps there are no'
MANY things which he takes otherwise tnan do
Joke including, If not MS own eVouins''
other neople,s criticisms on them. HIS oata-
logue is very elaborate and ingenious
Joke To each of the 6fty-one titles he has ap-
nendad one or more criticisms made at some pre-
vious time with reference 10 some other WORKS OF
MIR Whistler: or with reference to Mr. Whlstier as
an undivided whole The ult is, 1t must DE con-
! fsssed, something more than a joke. III not 10"
! cases has Mr. Whistler made his etchin2s Ieio''
| upon the critics of his etchlngs. 10 ne Dooi-
! way," a brilliant example OF MIR. Wblstlcr po"oi
| of dealing with light and shade he appends re-
| mark by MIR. p G. Hamerton DENYING to NM inc
| very power be undeniaby exhibits. III tho oii','
acter of humanity" wrote announcer cii"0,
Whistler has not time to be interested and TINS tne
artist cruelty puts beneath an etching OF beggaiS
full of feeling and sympathy with the subject ihee
are many more such, and Mr.. Whistler does not row
for the first time show himself possessed OF dell
| cate viii and shrewd gift for reaching the weak
| JOINT in his enemy harness.
Slight many of these etchnps are, and silghtness
does indeed seem TO the serious English mind so
unpardonablc as to be set down by more than one
critic (possiby among those TRANSFERRED by the nee
| de-hke darts Of their vicliml as an impertnencc'
| Too often il does denote detect OF patlence ana
industry; which Mr.. Whislcrs friends must be per-
mited to regret. There none the less etchngs
in the collection of real power where he has not
been content to suggest, but has thoroughly ana al
mirably expressed his meaning, aui has rendered
with complete fidelity very subtle and intricate de-
tails He has power of seeing what others do not
see. and power of reproducing what he sees, when
he chooses
The manner IN which these works are exhibited
Is as characteristic of the artist rs any of the WORKS
gallery lighted from above, the walls hung WIN
white felt the woodwork of the room and iurnl-
ture bright yellow, the stuts of the cushions yell
low yellow mating on the floor, yellow Hover
pots with yellow flowers iii them and to cap the
climax an usher doorkeoper IN livery OF white
and yellow stockings-these are the surroundings
art The etehings are framed with broad white
mounts, and a narrow striped edging of wood II
Won are lucky enough to meet Mr. Whistler IN the
midst of this scene and still more, to hear HIM cx-
pound his own art and cOmmento on his broWn-paper
covered criticism his critics, you VIII bring
away with you a sngularly vivid impression oil one
Of the most singular shows ever seen IN London.
| II would be wrong not To add that yellow butter
flies are provided for distinguished visitors, more
especially for ladies. and that the Princess of Wales
graciously Il have Mr. Whistlers word for ip pinned
one of them on her Jacket
! A complicated dispute in dramatic copyright Is
! imminent Mr.. Bancroft, as YOU know, has pur-
| CHASED the acting right of NJ. SardOu's Fedora"
| for England and will presently bring out at the
| Haylnarket the English version by u. Herman
| Merivale Meantime, new play cltIil = " Ea-
shared" by Mr. Water Firth, is annon cd .'t r. 10
: ducton by Mr.. Gilmore at n matinee, a1a Nr. FrihN
play is avowedlv based 10 some ext a. oh $ .ii.a
tional novel BY NJ Adolphe Belot. ali pub. ',n"d
wears ago in Paris under the title " J." Drar o." "a
| Rue de In PAX" But 1t happen, Tat w"cn H..
| Sar,lou produced Fedora" NJ. A!"rhr i-l"
promptly charged him with borow.n-. or ms - 'c'
famous novel, the leading Lea - ms
new niece That there similarly
| betweeu the two admitted. No"
| comes Mr. Bancroft and threatens Nr. EimOre aud
Mr.. Firth with legal proceedings If they produce a
inlay hased on the novel from which NJ. Sardou
borrowed the play he sold TO Mr.. Bancroft. This
amounts to saving that dauaiist who once
uses without acknow Judgement material not ms
own makes it his own property, and may prevent
anybody else from using the same material. albeit
he recognizes the rights of the author. ! am assnm
ing that NJ. Belofs claim 10 the idea of NJ Sar-
dous piece is just II 1t be not, and If hr. Firth
has based himself on NJ. Brlot there can bc no
I,4, ~. as.I Il
English Fedora" NJ Bancroft saws h. shall go
70 law if there is an "coorabla imitation o.
"F6doran That VIII raise the 1uitbe. question
whether a copy from original Is an ImiiatIon OF
another copy. Mr.. Frith's play. moreover, j. said
70 have been completed before VI. SaidOus Was IN
existence.
Mr.. Bancroft has powerful friends in the pres,
who are disposed TO cry out in advance that he has
a good case. There is no doubt" SAYS one OF
them, that Mr. Gilmore, who is responsible for tie
rulnors that the piece is forthcoming. and that il
resembles Fedora is trading on the interest that
Sardou's success has created. Mr.. Bancroft has
therefore Just cause fer complaint" III these prop
osjtions seem to lie disputabe. Sir. Walter FIRTH ID
the son OF the distinguished ROYAL Academician
whose name he bears lie is by profession bar
rister with strong bent toward literature, IN which
he hopes 10 make his mark. But it seems he has
rouscd at the very outset some OF those profess
ieaouses winch showed themselves IN 20 bitter a
form when Mrs. Langtry presnm d TO try to earn
her living on the stage. Managers are making com
mon cause with their fellow manager, actors have
| thrown up their parts-so says Atlas" whom
ouol ed ab0ve-adding that "it would be mOnstrousy
unfair that the chances of Mr.. Meriyae's version
should be handicapped by the failure of a play that
may have merit beyond that tbs like Fedora"
Others may think 1t not less unfair calmly TO as
1IVt.r l.k Mr. EHa Iaall
wrong and to imply that Mr.. Futh's first and M
tried effort is without merit and doomed to failure
Miss Genevieye Ward who has the courage of her