New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-01

quality of human sympathy which, is nevertheless
perfectly within the power of this accomplished
painter to give if he chooses Like so many other
pictures here, this depends on something out'iuo
the frame for its Interpretation.
Mr.. Millais's "Idyllr will not add to his fame
albeit it has added G., 900 to his bankers account
The picture I hear, was painted on commission 10
till panel when finished it was found too oIg'
The idea of treating 1t matehless Gainsborough
i'm Buckingham Palace has been treated, by mntlla-
ton to 60 over door, did not seem to occur 10 MI
Milais or his client. new purchaser turned mp
vhotookit of their hands at the figure above named
and Mr. Millais IS TO paint new picture LOT the
panel: also at the figure above named. So much for
being at tie head Of ones profession The ldyll'
is a sylvan scene peoped bv an English drummer
boy in full uniform playing tho pipe TO three scotch
lassies-a pretty enough subject OF when
Mr. Millais has hardly made tho most
His drummer boys uniform is OF req anu
blue and yellow that can only Dc
called screeching. The three girls are eaeh nice
girls. who do not seem 10 know how to get on WIN
each other or with their musical friend ana 'hei
relation to the beautifully painted landscape III
which they are all set is mysterious look AT the p
ture as closely as you will. There il no part OF II
which does not denote energy, intense sihcerI'y'
real mastery: and as a whole 1t fails. heard
friend. who will sometimes use English words IN a
French sense declare that the painting Is as brutal
as il is brilliant He meant no more than 10 CRU
else Mr. Millais's simplicity IN rendering such
facts of colors as came before him. With the same
good faith he at first completed the portrait OF
drum borrowed for this picture from the Guards
on which was Inscribed /" Tel-e-Kebir.7 persua-
sive friend. by dint of insisting that Tel-elkeOr
had not been fought quito so early a. l7fo, induced
him to paint it out.
Marriage de Convenance," by Mr.. W. >. VI
char,lson. r. A.. came near being the most popular
picture of the year 1t has two striking merits. The
canvas has been kept down to the Importance OF
the subject. and the picture tells Its own Story
with some help from its title but with none from
literature whether familiar or obscure. young
wife sits opposite an elderly husband, between
them a table covered with fruit and flowers ana
wine very realistically treated, in . room meant II
one may judge by paneIiing aud pillars to be oil
stately proportions. The butler is filing his mas
ter's glass The wife is radiant in yellow SATIN ana
might pass for beautiful were the express
SION on her face less sullky, or the face
itself less sensual. the husband Is
wreck. and Mr. Orcharison might have given a
still more dramatic, though more hackneved, YER
sion of his story had he chosen 10 place his couple
in a situation where hint Of the lover IN esse
or in posse might have been made visible. WIN all
this the force Of the picture ~ neither IN lts
tragedy nor in its easy contrasts. bat IN the stI-
life on the table and in ia force 50 far mlsSappled
as 10 make the dessert and the ceverness OF still
life technique the most prominent tning III the
scene II painting flesh or stuHs, and stlll more
backgrounds Mr. Orchardsons touch is streaky,
and 1t ia certainly good practice for him to be con-
fined for a time to the circumference Of a grape or
the contents OF a wiue-cup too small to allow room
for the usual eccentric excursions of his brush.
MI LIKE Fildes is an artist 10 whom success came
almost too suddenly lie trst won favor by PIE
lures displaying more depth of feeling for misery
than ripe knowledge of ms art. Then he sought
other SURFACES by works of gayety, like the " WI
lage Feter OF healthy animation Ike BETTY.
And now he has gone to Venice III search or
fresh motif Both his contributions Of tins year
deal with Venetian Life which is the title of
his chief work as A Venetian Flower Girl is OF
the lesser Yet fear 1t mist be said that Mr..
Fil6es has not learned the lesson which Venice
might have taught him. This group OF venetian
girls on marble steps washed by the turbd green
OF the canal is full Of energy but OF an energy that
standsmuch in need of controlling hand and taste.
There is beauty there is animation, there Is char-
acter there is color aud u IS IN color that TINS
canvas sins most. The sober Gorgeou~ness OF hue
of which the great Venetlans had the secret Is not
IN he seen In place of 1t is omehlng which comes
very ueangar1shness, a prciominance of positive
tones Of upoualiEed red and blue, and Green, from
which the eve shrinlis Il pain. The thing wanting
10 Mr. Fildes IA teniperGteue OF mind and eye.
Let him bride this exuberance Of soul let him for
oet his too easy triumphs, let him not dlSdain a
more patient study or his painters alphabet and
.nelling-book let him chasten hs liking Tor rotous
znIepdor and he has talent enough 10 rise, perhaps
ne hiph rs the highest Of his English rivals but
with all his gifts and Gne qualities he Is not vet IN
theriult road. 1t would 30 him no harm If be would
2. ,.F. -. man IA Il
bore who sacrificed his real fame III art to speedy
nonularity and to Impatence OF ser.ous study. The
n,ctures which still draw crowds IN BOnd-st. are
hu+ melancholy proofs % wasted capacity. MI.
Fides NAV not need the warning. aud his admirers
will think II impairment. But am one of his adj
n, rers also and all ask of him Is 70 be Just to
himself.
There are portraitsn great number here, as at the
Grosvenor Gallery. and no lack Of good ones though
no single work to put beside Mr.. Niias last years
nor,rait Of his brother artist Mr.. j. C. Hook r. A.
Naarist To il comes the Henry Irving also by
Ni,lais painted as a gift To the Garrick Club,
of which they both members. IL IL
the Irving of private life, IN morning Jacket and
-, nro6le or nearly so. jacket and figure are done
With freehand as on purpose to bring ont IN more
,rf.ct relief the purity and subtle refinement with
which the head and face have been treated.
| doubt whether MillaIs has ever caught more
happily the true characteristic Of sitter OF ever
subdued his manner into a gracefniness more truth
! fuI and brilliant Mr.. FRANK Hollis portrait ot the
Prince Of Wales IN his robes az Beneher
Of the Middle Temple Is a highly praised
portrait. It's slightly idaalized rendering Of the
Princes face does not make II the less popular nor
! less admirable AS a work Of art Mr. Olless has
| 6rs dIplorna picture in his portrait Of Mr.. j. f.
Uodg.on r. 4. Mr. Watts sends nothing. Mr. SAINT
- a. rretty as ever. Mr.. Hcrk0mers portraits have
4 NJ he ms Ia fnF a. q.
| The C;rosyenor. | dwell for moment on this
branch OF art but cannot say that 1t redeens me
/ uovtrtv Of the exhibition IN other respects. Mr.:
ro,-e in the most hurried account, and 80 ought