New-York tribune., 1886-06-06
ART NEWS AND COMMENTS
CLOSE OF THE ART SEASON.
NOTES on PAINTINGS AND scULPrUREs-sALzs AT
THE EXHIBITIONS.


art season is at end The usual migration OF artists
abroad to the mountains seashore has begun aud
many OF the picture dealers either in Paris or pre-
parlhg for the journey. There has never been more
crowded season than the and on the whole the re-
suits Indicate increasing appreciation OF American
art although single exhibition has shown any marked
gain in the amount OF sales. To many artists may ap-
pear that substantial recognition Of American art has
been lacking but 1t necessary 10 consider all the con-
dtons OF the The OF general business has
been uDtavOrabe. and there have been many auction
Gales of foreign pictures The decline I'm exhibition salcs
which began Ia 1882 only checked in 1885, but some
lost ground has recovered during past year.
This slight improvement not TO be inferred from sales
at exhibitions in the Academy FOR these exhibitions
longer represent the results OF the season. The Sdon
Prize Watercolor and Prize Fund exhibitions at the
American Art Galleries have all been accompanied with
sales and increased attention has been given to American
art at the clubs. II results OF other exhibitions be
added to those Of exhibitions az the Academy the result
Is not dscouaginc in view OF the unavoable business
conditions OF the year
There have never been so many American pictures
vn here in season. and few have gained perma
recognition on their merits. The autumn Academy
litiOn commonplace and tie exhibition
OF S4l0n pictures Uncomfortable, while ths Prize
Watercolor" exhibition proved To be Hat fall
The autumn therefore uninsplritIng, but the
exhibition of the WaercoOr society turned ont bettef
and SIr. Abbey's picture, Mr. Chases technically inter
estng manipuatons OF dstemper and few other works
Will be pleasantly remembered Auction sales began
early and eliminated In the sale OF tie Morgan coec
ton, which, THE TRIBUNE said at the time, demon
sIated need OF more intelligence and less money in
picture buying The paintings fer the Academy eS-
hibtIon selected and hung with such wretehei
Judgment the comparatively few good works were
lost In "A OF medOcrty The Prize Fund
exhibition the best American collection OF the year aud
the mpressionit" exhibition have both been interest
ing aud instructive events deserving OF more seneIAI
recognition one feature Oi the surng, the awarding oi
prizes at tie former exhibition and AT the Academy can
not be regarded as entitled 10 much approval In few
prizes rightly bat tue instances of
the Inappropriate bestowa OF these awards raise
question az to the usefulness OF the system. T. it were
possible promise the purchase OF certain number OF
pictures Without reference to prize, there would be
strong stimulus Tor artists without the discouragenenI
when from seeing works o. minor worth nVcsel
with fictitious importance. The plan o. assuring Ger
tain be invested ii pictures at tAe artists
prices has been nlorsed by painters whose option Is
entitled to consideration and IS worth trying.
Among the sculpture OF the year Mr. Warmers statue
OF Garrison and Mr. st. Gaudenss bas relief OF the Late
Or. Bellows to be given first mention In the eX-
hbitiOns open the first example OF sculpture MI
St Gaudens's relief portrait group al the Me ropoh
tan Museum. Mr.. Warner shows bust, an lmpa-siVe
intellectual head doubtless excellent portrait but one
or SUBJECT afordng the artist such opportunity AS
that presented and improved in his admirable portrait
bust Of Mr.. Weir, indeed in bis Academy bust Ar.
Elwe who shows certain artistic ieclhg III MS No
and VINO has learned consiGeraDe layll III Huc.lins
IN French aieLicrs. exhibits Dust called J0' notice
able simply for force IN tho execution nn7iAuon rs
the bust Is merely study OF moIeI. MI , "a
exhibits bust without character and without moieI.
ling snootned-dOwn figure head. Al the American Att
Galleries Mr. klttsOn shows the uE"Ic Vi /" Oo5 4"
pOso listening 10 the music OF sra -uc 'g Va Va
the hackneyed subjects u4n" 80 Tv i, ,G nt vtthont
clevrrness OF Individual kind but It mast nave Oes
medal This Dony contorted Dos Is not beautiful aad
the pose and arrangement or lines are not grAce1'
m n trouble this sort OF thing means nothing
IL is a wOrnOut device To please the popular Fancy.
The sales at the rrize Fund exhibition amount to
over $4,000 excellent showing considerhS tne
large to be readily sold. This exhibition will remain
open until the middle Of July summer exninton l,o
Will be novelty In the latter part OF July Ie pictures
Will be transferred TO the -. Louis Museum OF the AIts
Louisville nas Withdrawn from the rrize Fuan & TN.
script aud It's place will be taken oy -. L9us & INC
latter city therefore will the bes OF the for
prize pictures, that ny MI. Edward E simmons ~
Louis fortunate enolgh 70 OOtln .ie oo'. VI '0 ~
four last year, Mr.. Alexander Harrlsons OreP"Sc"'e'
The exhibition OF paintings By "impressionsts"
and other French artists ut Academy does not draw
are. number OF visitors Up the present. time over
thirty pictures have been sOd anu more ro4cs alc
pendng' a result which will probably encourage the
importation of pictures for exhibition only " The
sales include nine paintings by Claude Monet eight by
by r'snro %roe two py Bdadn and one BY enor
The memorial OF the late Or. Bellows which has been
placed In All souls Church testihes 70 the wisdom OF tue
memorials too often monuments OF ~ lsaifec'eu m
effort but In this the commission was hOru'cu 70
an artist and the result Is an expressive meuoFa anu
JeautifuI work OF art. THIS Is probably the only
full length mural statue whcn mas Deeh nlouc.l'.
Although tue relief hsher than tue ms ht ipdi
cate aud IL is easy that The sculptor mas ost
ANY ..tS ssiR'as In ts SoaHd M St. GaSdsus has
admirable subject, and the subject has been e1I
treated The sculpt had 20 consider man Ot Gshleu
character aud strong and Ovable Iersonay whose ne
was cyic well ecclesias lie. me ugny ol the t
INF a.f uOsa lp
Am vet sensitive modelling OF the face The roDes nave
given a rare for escape from the tialhnes OF
modern costume. Tho rigat arm IA bent the manu-
holding book in font, thus permitting Al araASeucnt
OF rich aud heavy folds Of draFcFy Ihis nassl8 ol .e
long lines and free sweep Of folds falling lfeey a, uli
length the hgures left There Is hotHln7 iao1i.r III
en-, I5e ,esnlts 40 often SHOWN by sculptors who
sttemf to convey the OF line and lo the DeA
ibity aud fall OF drapery, show thAL an artis u ueS"
~ .nress propery the simplest example OF the kind.
Mr. Il C;adens il snguarly happy IN bis treatment or
what may termed decorative effects Ike ms ana nc
has clearly euoyed and improved hs present chance
When the statue from points the question
suggested whether this enjoyment mas not carrou Ie
TOO far for folds OF drapery over the right
arm draw the eye strongly than the lace but
this is largely matter OF lighting anu OF sn."o 10Y, .
in other views suoordnadon OF the face Is not te
Dr. Bellows is represented he might have been
actually teen advancing with slow nrm step an ln-
pessiye figure to perform some function OF MS ONE:
kut in AN enduring memorial Ike this II was necessary
IN recognize other salient phases OF the subjects Ife
than the ecclesastc. and pre-emnent among tnese
vas DR. Rellow,s noble work In the sanitary toihm7
s1n An inscription giving the facts OF his life app ears
on the bronze tablet just above the statue anu sn
rms into and partially surrounds the cross OF
the sanitary Commission cOnspicuously placed oesue
the head Bnt the idea Is given IN more subtle anu eo
more orcibe way by the sculptors portrature OF Dr.
Fellows as lie appeared in the active time or me sanitary
Cornmission not "a he in the last years OF MS ne
The robes the use OF which Is unusual IN this denolna-
ton NAV be held ndi ate certain aesthetic tendency
on D Beowss part ard the civic dress when appears
beneath the robes suggest charactersuc OF tne
snbec hat hi. life not OF the cloiser, nut IN the
be, sense of the world aud nothing human was foreign
him And so Ii
seized upon the essentials % his subjects character ana
pressed them with artists love q! beauty ana
dittv The idea OF the mural tablet against which the
re.fs placed Is early Christian belonging 10 the tlne
when Roman and Reuassauce forms were lnlerlhgIeu
in Nnr,hern italy There Is arch with delicate lines
~ o-namentation the design suggested by those upon
tne coyers OF some early church books IN the emunH
saia mis- tablet has background OF cOlOred marble
extending across the in which the memorial is
nIaced Unfortunately, the church Poorly nghteu anu
si,.ten be seen by dnylght rAther