Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-01-11

sohd, and the features VIII be crooked on
the head. Not but what features and heads
are sometime uusymetrical, but it 10 one
thing to make them so because they are 50
and another thing to make them so because
you cannot get them straight. In the latter
case they are apt to 60 crooked the wrong
way.
His sllegorical pictures are, i should
Judge, of great interest to the cultivated
public.
For such people ike to express their
views on pictures but do not always feel
safe. These pictures are of that vague, I'M
real nature, as to matter and meaning
which gives the imagination full swing
with as much chance Of following the ar
list one way as another.
Some Of the New York art writers are
trying to bully their readers into swallow
ing Mr.. Watts collections whole. Saying
that al adverse criticism pine from lack
of sufficient cultivation to appreciate the
artists meaning.
Watts is likely a man thoroughly artistic
in mind, probably honest, that is. free from
afectation. without very good training and
without fear of critics. This work must
find many admirers among the Oscar
Wilde set. 1t does not seem the work to
expect from q well fed Englishman.
One picture is an illustration OF Dante s
vision Of Psrlo and Francesca in the Sec
end circle OF He'll. After reading the lines
of the poem, l conclude the picture is
A Misiit,
The two figures are represented as dead
bodies floating through space: Not only
dead, but shrunken. This does o convey
the idea of their being capable OF suffering
such pain as the lines call for. .
Another is a picture Of time, Death and
Judgment" All these pictures are large.
Time, as q vigorous youth according to the
~catalogue), advances hand in hand with
Death. Judgment is poised overhead.
This picture is one which many people
would c~ritieise adversely if it were not that
they were afraid of being thought unappre-
ciaiive of some great underlying mystery.
This otter carries a bad picture through II
it only be painted by q famous man.
Ths human form is often used to embody
invisible powers, but l fail to see what force
or mystery is gained by bad drawing. l
would not be so forcibly impressed by the
appearance of human form, in a vision, If
it appeared to be badly jointed and cut out
OF paper as il it were in the round, real form
of nature. Even if the figure were a trans
lucent ghost, it should still be round and
well constructed rather than like fiat tissue
paper. And if unreality is aimed at, it IS
not gained by making flesh look stringy
and chalky. This would be just as real, but
of another kind of matter.
Elihu Vedder and Dore get a solemnity
and mystery about their drawing. But as
far ashley are able they are conscientious in
their work.
Watts has one very large picture called
tie MONDAY Rest" Two horses, life size,
are attached to a cart, against which leans
the driver.
This picture must rely on its truth to ma
ture for praise, as there is nothing in the
subject. And as it is simply a badly drawn
ard badly colored piece Of work it is
Worthy of No Praise.
Much can be claimed for Watts painting,
but it is q mistake to claim more than he
can accomplish. A mistake made by Rus
kin in his sweeping claims for Turner.
There are many others of Waits pictures
here of the nature ofthe aforementioned two
And while they may not be greatly admired
they are strange in idea, thoughtful and un'
common.
Altogether it is one Of those collections
which will make itself felt in art and will
influence many painters and find many TO-
lowers.
There is in the Metropolitan IN interest
ing collection of the work of the old masters
whichis ofgreat value to the young painters OF
this land who connot 60 abroad to see the work
ofthese men. This collection does not con-
tain the best examples, but still is better
than nothing in helping one to make up his
mind in regard to the old masters.
The tendency Of one class of people, IN
terested in art matters, is to follow certain
great writers, and blindly see great qualities
in all the work, good bad and Indifferent, of
these painters.
There is another class, made up mostly
of young modern painters, who consider
themselves realistic, who ridicule the tech
nioue of the old masters.
And the admirers Of the old masters have
II HCISIoA NOL4S w oNNOPb 90 AONNp NANN
in technical manipulation the modern school
is far ahead of the old. And, in couse'
quence, base their admiration on the grand
eur of idea and subject, Of feeling and SEN
timeut in the old work.
Yet some of the old masters, Velasquez as
an example, have as much realistic truth to
nature in their work as any modern. The
figures by V~elasquez are well constructed,
round, solid and feshy, and are highly
finished. While Phideas, the Greek sculp-
tor, has done work which stands unequaled
since his day.
And, on the other hand,
The Old Masters
do not show any finer feeling or stronger
grasp, intellectually, on their subject than
moderns.
There is a head here by Rembrandt,
which, as a portrait, is a fine piece of work.
1t is of an old Burgomaster, full of chsrac-
ter, and must have looked like him. The
p~aintingis easy and digni6ed and grows up
on you as a strong and pleasant piece Of
painting.
To contrast this there is, in the same
place, a portrait of a prominent New York
err, by the great French painter, Bonnat. 1t
is very impressive at first sight, and is very
real. But it sens as if the painter had
been SO interested in representing the sur
face of his sitter, as to leave but little
thought to bestow on his real character.
Yet the portrait is so fine it seems unnec-
~essarily fault-fnding to pick flaws in it.
But after a long look. at both we choose
the Rembrandt for staying qualities.
Rubens is represented by two pictures,
one-a large one-of Lot and his daughters,
is, in technical qualities, Of a fair average.
In sentiment not al all elsvating, but tells
It's story well.
Sir Joshua Reynolds is represented by q
female head. This cannot be called reals
tic work, but it has q delicate charm about
it which many a modern portrait lacks, and
which many modern painters do not try for
because they are trying to be realistic aud
are so beset by the technical difficulties of
their work.