The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-05-01
LOCAL ART.
The Spring Exhibition of the Soci-
ETY. Of Art.
A CarefaI Analysts of the Pictures Pre-
senied.


the second OF local art, was opened for pri-
vate view to members and the press last even
ing. 1t being the first exhibition held In the
new club house. much curiosity was felt as to
the sufiiciency of the rooms, aud the result was
entirely satisfactory,s fine light being obtained
both by day and night on all the wall surface,
While the color OF the walls forms good back
ground, and by the shape the whole wall sur
face is available for hanging purposes. The
rooms are of such a shape that an exhibition of
ordinary size comfortably fills them, so that
the dreary effect of large rooms partially filed
isavoided. The present collection numbers
10 pictures, the oil paintings Wondering so,
the water colors II, and the black and white
Do; there are also four bas-reiefs.
The exhibition is not so large as the one
held last fall, but the standard is higher. aud
the collection better in all respects, showing
gratifying progress among our artists. The
greater portion of the former contributors, sent
work to the present exhibition, and in almost
every case rev work, the result of the winter
season.
The hanging committee have done we'll, and
are to be congratulated on their work, which is
always OF difficult and thankless nature. The
mingling of bronzed frames with those of gilt,
which could not be avoided, especially on the
northerly ends of the rooms, detracts some-
what from the richness of the general effect
which would be finer had all the frames been
OF gilt. In several cases the dull color has in
jured the appearance of the individual pic
lures.
Tho ~ .f ~ -
By amateurs. there being bat few professional
artists resident among us, aud although the
standard of criticism proper for adoption
would be that to be applied to non-professional
work, yet many of the pictures compare favor
ably with those of the professionals
The most prominent feature in the collection
Is the large number of examples of still life,
fruit and flowers, which, under different titles,
amount to forty, while only four figure pieces
are shown. 1t is to be hoped that in the fu-
ture greater number of studies from the life
and from nature will be produced, for in those
fields artistic capacity and feeling find a great
or scope and Improvement. The best work in
the exhibition is in the landscapes, which, al
though comparatively few in number, show
great promise.
On entering the rooms the eye is at once at
tracted by the large landscape on the easterly
SIDE, NO. Al, by G. f. Kimball, one our best
known and cleverest artists. 1t represents the
border OF Capisic Marsh, where the high bank
slopes down to the stream, and it is a highly
realistic picture with its broad stretch of grassy
slope in the foreground. backed by trees in the
middle distance, and the quiet stream on the
left. The cloudy sky is we'll painted, and the
distances skilfully handled. The cool green Of
the grass and the clever blending of THE dark
er greens OF the trees, with the broad hand
ling OF the whole, make charming picture.
The tendency of this artist is to GOODNESS in
color, but his knowledge and expression of
values and tone are of very high order, while
the tenderness of some of his green's is true to
nature in its most delicate aspects. Mr. KIM
ball has three other pictures near, Nos. as, 81
and go, the first Rocky Beach, being in
reality very fine study of rocks wb;en are
carefully, yet broadly and boldly painted.
backed by bank, topped Sith dense growth
OF bushes, In which The artist has shown his
skill and knowledge OF nature by the apparent
confusiSa~of the shubbery while preserving
tie salient points and features of the mass.
and showing strongly the same knowledge of
values spoken of above. No. so, near Simon
toms Cove, represents field of grass with
rocky walls and house in the distance. tits
painted in more free and less labored man
ner than the former one. This picture would
perhaps gain by bringing the point of view
nearer. No 81, on Hog Island, is warmer in
tone than the preceding ones, representing as
1t does, bit OF pasture, burned dry by the
heat of summer and is perhaps the best pic-
| ture of the four.
Over-elaboration of detail and form is not to
be desired in landscape painting, for although
nature possesses all detail, it is not shown to
the ordinary eye, and II portrayed, detracts
from the breadth and strength of the picture
The realistic school of to-day agrees with the
school OF the impressionists only in pcrtrayng
| nature as found at one period OF time, and
comprehended at brief glance, while it diff
fers from 1t, by giving more elaborate and care.
full rendering of the subject, without going to
the extremes of the pre- Raphaelites.
In the centre of the nortberly wall hangs a
marine,No. q, by our old friend Harry Brown,
whose pictures are go we'll known amongst us
as to make comment unnecessary, though I'M
der the conditions of light in this picture, one
hardly can account for certain shades. One
thinks of Half Way Rock Light, las the pic
ture is looked at, though we do not know if
that is the lighthouse represented. There are
three other pictures by Mr.. Brown in the ex-
hibition. No Sc, The Old Wharf at Naples,
pleasing subject, showing in the foreground
one OF our now fast passing away vehicles of
transportation The artist always selects his
landscape subjects with great judgment, and
they are invariably pleasing. No SO is a little
sketch at Old Orchard of dark trees and a
marshy foreground. No. "a, called study,
| represents country stream, overriding with
trees on the right and sunny green bank on
the left. We think it one of the artists best The
| color and handling of he'foliage in the upper
part of the trees is especially good, though the
| individuslizing of the tree trunks on the right
to such an extent and the separation of the
strong lights distract from the work and there
is marked lack of attention to values of color.
If possible one strong light and one dark
shadow or object should be shown in picture,
and it is always mistake to scatter the lights
| about, as II dstracts the eye, and gives feel
ings OF indecison to the work as we'll as affect
| ing the values. Even If the scene be faith
fully represented as nature gave 1t, it should
be remembered that art and nature are sepa-
rate things, and the highest aim in landscape
art is not to exactly copy nature although 1t is
one of the most common errors to so suppose.
No. %, Near the Shore Road, by j. T. Wood,
bit of rocky pasture backed by treesi one of
the best landscapes in the room. 1t is well
conferred, simple and broad in handling. The
artist shows a fine eye for color and due appre-
citation Of values. No. 40 by the same, Near
Cape Cottage is strong powerful sketch from
nature, fine and rich in color and particularly
fine in the values of the foliage. No. "A also
by Mr.. Wood, is worthy of notice, though the
parallellism of the trees detracts from the
good effect.
No 80, sketch of birch trees in the late
Fall, attracts attention at once. The artist
takes refuge under the name of Memo, though
it is uncertain whether he means that no one
ns,~NoI ID Al.aA-