New-York tribune., 1885-02-09
THE WATER COLOR EXHIBITION
fSecond NoficH1


top with the handfus of water coors which were gwen
an undistnguishe place at the Academy e1hip'ion'
from 1867 to 1873, progress In the arr s io.y
defined At present 1t is necessary to Keep ""'o
eys upon the landmarks to see whether we move vi NV
Last year and the year before, and the year peioo
more or ess was said the deficiencies OF our
in drawing, particularly in drawing the humhn hso
But this exhibition does show that the artists nave
been spending leisure for the last year IN
drawing from life and the antique. nose Ai"oi M
self proyement may have prevailed mere anu
where we find one picture like Mr.. Turner's Ensas'u
showing admirable points OF draughtsmanship We arc
quite sure to be confronted with another artis. iho M
saterlee who is content with the errors OF MS ways
or to meet with such example OF carelesshes'hAo
Wers ~1775e Comment has fequently been mauo
upon lack OF tact in composition ana choicc VI ~
subjects but this exhibition contains many such On
amples as I'm No A6 not inexpensive "h'ci i""N
scape maed by the stif lines OF rail fsnce trousn
the foreground and No 476, study OF gate ana s'oo
wall pre-Raphaee In its aithfuness, but merc ui'
statement utterly unpictoria II we make the oio"
demand for more thoughtful work-worK eAprcs'-'oo
ideas beyond the marketwe may be told thst ""'oi
colors should be OF vivacious and sketchy chai"0'
and that seriousness Is out Of place; but modern "
color naipng NAV be traced back through changes Oh
methods 10 the line and HAT wash drawing pracuseu ~
much by old masters who were particularly III c"n''
As matter OF fact, there are so many specimen' "
misapplied elaboration In this collection that 'no ".
capabilities aud scope OF the medium seem III
instances to have received but little at'eh'io"'
In the landscapes the readiness with which water
color psinting renders varying atmospheric enecs s
too often lost sight OF In an attempt W i','"
exactly solid substances, and In other WORK inco
ia freouenty so much heaviness OF treatment a III
Mr. weir's otherwise charming "lhe Flower .h"'
we ask mpatently why the artist chose to express MIN
sof In wafer eoors rather than oils The choice oil
subject and OF the medium best adapted to that subject
obviously OF primary Importance as true artists no m
fccted with a commercial spirit Will reaoiy agree vi
the other hand II is easier 10 repeat SUBJECTS WHICH WI"
sell regardless OF expressiveness or propse3aan". a.
must be confessed tn great many repetons
an rho walls of the Academy is also easier to rest
content with the cheerful decorative aspect OF 'his
pretty collection than TO test its real merits Soe'S
might be SAID OF increased facility IN technich mc'ho"'
resulting naturally from longer experience Win water
coors but our artists still far from the hnesse ana
technical precision shown In the aqnarees Oh sue"
rrenchmen let us saw a. Leor and Nlber not TO men
ton Jacqucmartand Fortuny. And English rs wen Us
French exhibitions, contain some lessons Ior hosc WI"
are dazzled at the sight Of four galleries hied WIN
American water colors. The encouraging feature Is 'n
all this has been developed out OF nothing III the eoao
of only eighteen years.
mint I'm which this exhibition Il inferior TO
those imm edatey preceding Is the absence OF pictures
strong enough centres OF interest III los-
Mr. Abbey's The sisters proved general raIyins
poInt la $50 Mr. Homer's Voice hom the Ciih anu
and Parsous gave everybody something 10 taik ABOUT
os, wear the pictures by Messrs. Weir, Homer. C. u
Turner Church aud Weldon had the possible merit OF
proy ok OK no inconsderable discussion We nave hre9
noticed the conspicuous works In this coieeuoh'
and IL may added that the seal of popular iaVor mas
been set upon an artist mentioned before Mt IL Never
Lore for low tones has increased among our anaeurs
and in this exhibition the taste Is abandanty recognized
Mr. Keyer painting in Holland, whence Mau'e ana
Mars have sent their sympathetic studies III gray
naturally ncnes toward a.subdued cOloring' III 'hi'
were all hs pictures would have no especial points OF
distinction from those OF dozen other artists But IN
hi,- Domestic Business" The Sick Chdl aud At the
Cradle Mr. Keyer has painted figures which are uncon
sclous which preserve their appropriate action ana
have the sentiment OF their respective characters Inc
gesture OF the mother ending over the cradle Il expires
.ye but the doubtful infant not calculated to arouse
any tender feeling The Of the mother nursing her
rk child is naturaistic and simple. ana the heroine OF
Domestic business is absorbed In the work "hch Tue
picture porrays not 10 the busin1ss o. pS Siher tbs
window In the picture OF The rcA .hila IL
arrIne note the ensemble and the cneol- Oh w.
@ 49,, rcn Tered with facility. The Peasants Cutuns
tceJ will suggest Mllets figures to every nov nov
nb ,iT"nyth of the modelling which gives some what
the effect u clay sketch blocked ont III ha,s' a. " & ~
Wu.i's Woodchopper and -Quarrtcrs" There Is thc
uuruo.e of converting meaning by the nglrc fathet t
ny the face as Mlcts The Sower, lhdeel III ne'g
oit hi. peasant studies, and the cooring ls very el
Hut Mr. kcyer has gwen Us figures WIN ~ ieh
sud this should far toward eSun11 ea'he's
by Mr. j. O. Melchors Il more or less ~ WI
Keyers vein. but the qualities ot simPhcl,y H @ m =, an
| ian, are moi so apparent although MS worked uP WIN
| no small degree OF tact. hr. de lhuisiIups ~
~ 1 y,ts with fr,wuing face the midnight signal of
VINO il forcibe ana expressive figure, and the
nictnre is well painted with tue exception of one o "o
doubtful points rcttt II, tiI subject Sewing with hrclds OF
cold" Mr.. Maynards carefully rendered bnt uhlers't
ing Neglected Correspondence" Mr. WOODS honest u
ar1le.s Day before Thanksgiving" and MT Icon L,
uoran's Young Marauder are among hc hsuto ~ & s,r @
OF the north gallery. Mr. Frost has staivn 10 so W H.
rose the angular hard headed farmer rcproducci w
Clearing the Garden" Better 'nch:a plain eVsry We
mess as Mr. Frier's lsmentabe.atuiy NO 33o Mr peek
with In oheerfuly careless fashion mas n|'o w"
light upon his familiar model. nose the most oo'lc
ols pont his picture. Mr. kappes, whose WORK olel
whIcb never lack character Clearly the sharp shear
Of his vinegsry gossip in 80 i5s are mated by entnt
heroine but her Ierked up pose is not suggestive o.
"a Quiet Lie" Mr. Lppencott this year wolAs III
of his eject To the paper and washing III MS ngures &c
| curatey enouga but without much pretence o elapofs
tion Mr. Garrett In his Spanish scenes WORKS ia th'
same way and the results bright, airy studies slg
gcsng tie pictures OF the Franco Spanish palntersc
Per rier Domingo and their brethren. Compare
| these sketches with Mr. Churchs Hard Heart whci
is loaded with Opaque color until 1t has all the eheot o
Messrs Cnamlney. satterlec. Gregory and syminstot
foow their yaoms Pat. .ons w,sp sIc anc
| MIR b. n. Mitchell has drawn AN attractive face anl
| figure against a painfully urd sky Realism aud soal
box came 10 the front In Mr. Victor smedleys Carpe
Weaver" which suggests Mr.. Ulrich'. influence ant
nsdIev's pctnre Is We'll painted stove and soap boz
| ana other portions rendered with touching hdeliy
ana the artists ability has produced painting as nspr
iting as a table logarithms Ne are not sure that tht
deveopment OF the Abbey school j. not preferable To The
prevalence OF such pictures as this. Mcssrs smedey
and Percy Moran side by side, and observers car
| make their choice For example Oi action which j.
| inaetion commend ns TO Mr. Edwards's Putting On.
The slouchy fisherman Is really leaning against ms D3a
for support There expression Of the eio needle
to shove heavy craft down the sand Into water deel
enough To float her. Mr. Mulirman. whose name un
| Ously links itself with impressOnisn and Mr Cur
rer appear In this exhibition with painting Shlcl ha
look OF extreme age HIS attempt TO gln iesnS %
TRANSPARENCY Of light and ariness by his dots of wh
fails conviction that the picture Is wthou
| atmospherc or distance. The curious brook VII ici
divides scenic meadow II no stranger than the ngute
of vIe children who clearly scurtying home, DaIl