New-York tribune., 1886-05-03
THE 5CADEM EXHIBITION.
fSeoond No'icel

Wa bavc called Mr. Robert Koehers paint
- .1he strike" con scicntious effort because We be-
,eve that 1t represents sincere ana earAest purpose
rs, ,s serious work. be- classed with the mean-
ngI,ss clevcrness OF painters OF rretthed hgcs and
.howy costumes. with the barren labor oil Pnters
=, utterly uunteresting interiors in which inc human
.lsment IA subordinatsd to s life Ihere no 'a0h ."
cbe, in the productions Of our younger aItss' p"'
thsre is iamentable absence OF real thoukniues 40
,v one can testify who searched Tor IDEAS Ia 'no
Natures or the day. The serious thoushl olspsou !"
Mr. Koehl,rs painting Is entitled to resPeeli" rocos
.t,,o, whatever faults may be found In the hrlstS
manner Of expression Mr. Koehor mas sno"n nl'"s''.
Tent of the studio. His PICTURES nave n"'a'
o., interest in the actual life OF tho wofm ABOUT nn
al unwordly existence OF the artist IL weh
o,,yh II il produces great art BAT very '""hy Vi 'o
,vh, r,niine themselves to the artiRciai "'mos
-, ., the studio have Little to show Tor IL
a,ar alt OF paintings OF supeFh''a ".P
., r,al life we nave "u ,
I'm, ur Koehler has concernc himSeu WIN 'no """'
,h,r,,e.,,,n portraying varioas phrases ot "' se'
81 snbiect Ills pictures reveal a profonna aPP''Vi"
,mD,r,ance and sympathy with the Ieeln|N
and tn N :hts Of the WORKERS whon ne Pa'h.7 ~
his att,tris is that " the ap'reciluVe S'"''"' "
socio,ocy rather than OF the Artist aiwiyS A'o"''
tive 20 benny. A with most German pan.o'S' '
d form are subordinated to thought "n 'h' rfe"o"'
-, =. .or.rr,bng The average French painter ui"h's
,,,. nj. end The greatest art lies between Inc
two extremes -. - =,
NJ Ka.ao-'s natural tendency to what may De
tern,d nsecual painting has b'en ntensihet Dy the
raining Il which inclined to lterai Am ana
which seems to ignore the claim. Of beauty at least III
color N,y and then he has escaped from tho tuTpid
crlys OF tich AM IN his pr,'ent pc'nrc th' hard
touch ant rigt handling OF the schoc are often eN-
changed freedom as though he arusl were
gaining more confidence In himself Yet the school
ia TO be ainy recognized We have said that the com
rosi,ion OF The Strike is faulty, because the centre
OF uercs, j., n.uiciently prominent, and awkward on
account of n. rigid vertical line o. the Ph!lstnic maj
sion on tAe lsft. general ontine OF the foregrcdai
would concaye. with thn sroIP OF worsncn IN thc
lowest part TAls group carries the meaning
OF In. picture. Yet the eye IL frst
drawn to the employers house and to the whltehared
capitalist hmsclf The hgnres % the men, placed as
they been. against the rising groand beyond nave
little re ei. This of course. codd have been helped Ia
the colOrn. And another ault of he cOmposiuoh -
its on Of unnecessary features The artist has
story to tell Ii should have been Expressed az SIMPLY
and directly possible The factory bndin 3 ON tHe
right were rot needed. II dgnres would show them
Themselves to work ynen and II is not essential I"
know any ibiug about The pace where thcY WORK.
Ne,thot ~ is u necessary 60 lns the employers usy
mansion even though tn owner was eccentric rhohtn
to n> home in TINS iororn in'r ny sluaFn, lnsta
Of N A f,aio able quarter Oi the adjacent cry Ihe
f-rc OF employer alone wond haye
ari,t his thought important 70 bring in thess Ond'
ings 10 itcr eth. conr-, brtween the "po
Ineaurst comprehension. This sort Of lAboIed eH.
I..tf 4
OF Illustrative art, but IT IS not called foT
her. -. . ,.,,, .,on,a o,con,
the observer led the artist 10 inirodHte the "-
Ieaiins and frightened women and chil!reh rms J.,
perAap. Justhabe. and yet .1es not the mere mem
ilon Of strike suggest IT'S cHect upon tue wl'e'
n"t no' needed. Mr.. Koenler could have expressed
what he has 3 to . s"y g.., Inor, farcin,e, lie
colii nave avoided the dancer OF dividing the oD-
servers attention ami distrarting IRON esscntlt!s
Would hrld fnil Of peasants au cnurtn @ % t ti"a %
with al and bell ringer panty vsn.e hin "o
ia Net's Angelus! Tne best pictorial ELECTS :" tn'
picture re have sti. III The sOi er'yS an NJ
inc, ~ ihe bIcksround ana the well painted thOnEh
factor, buildings In ine Varied actions oi
the -ris-rs there Ii much strong ana ihhivhua rx-
best tnai MI KOehier psnted. The poorest snre
is the cmoyer and are less successful y u-
"sf1Gig," To- rehefto the brcx wal o. the VT In
who icci tnat they been unjustly treated. who
axe disposed 10 claim their r-hs al any cost ana tno
timI l1r Of Women he Expresses n"tns on me
Other SIDE for the employer meaningless figure
head lie has the differences IN social con
dtion. uDnoces~ iiy We nave po ed OUT 80 iai Is
can ~e he teaches lesson, points no moral une's
we are asked remember the conseq iences OF SihS
grstlveness Oy the events oi the times al e.cH o.
The Philosophical German mint this paintlns
NAV seem "a profound Psychological study, ahd
uer ol qualities INTO picture, II can be sd t.' 'i arr.
isl has seriously c,n-iaerod the inongit ana ' looriac'
S. 'lVS NH do well to AK themselves whether
The printed p.-o wi,. give them ~ much ana more
-, a. ar in ud the different functions Of art ana
literature Met gave the greater part OF MS NE w tlc
painting iaDoring men ana wohe en-. No similar
jennings aimed meaning tan ii. bcat
works, pictures are simple dfcct uucohs Jus
ana le work artist always awe 10 the orautIiu'
OF other p1ntrss n the exhibition We nave leitoui
;ir chance TO spcaA @t ms tDe' 9n' S' We 6
nat fil the encouragement Oi Mr hOehcIs
work ami the significance OF such hlEh eDhcaVof IooA
iuc through the exhibition we nnd t1at Muplch more
than holds Mr. Fitzs Iorcihe piece o realism
Nnmrut'. Ecspite' Is accompanied Dy simple bit
delightful study OF gr III old Aisatmn costume. u
(aig. sends creditable studio INFERIOR. ana siI"h-
Nan AZ
tber. /. a painting Interior of II IartOry by ar
II IL could be seen liu lOr hs
steI-adGcr and lamp are needed MI t. A. Ben
Munich representative. Well paced III the south s"
lery A. ArdcmcIans shOad place IT, Is picture lres
from Dusseldorf. which shows Us that mcthods are
chslpiu. al able school IDS is IHSe gray
shore scene German GrOOe, an uuldm lF u'i4c
arlruo,d % "A picture painted. II not WIN sapdash let
have been rank hcresy Dusseldorf IN other days one
word inor. of Inuesss wok. HIS large W OOu IN
terlnr seems he the opposite OF his landscape Wh
Inpr in the same place year ag" Iheh lie uoiIt Win
OF cOlOrs, ryIug dOuotiess 10 ptc~ero
contrast appea ed TO him ~ nature Now lie uea's
with elect OF sunlight upon olItSo anu pr A. @ au
YET he has been unWiiiing 10 llodliLo
effects much. His pict0re Is injured Dy tue Tree
trunks cutting vertical through the foreground. Inc
composed II seems 10 us un"lseIl cboscn
Err the rest The neither rich color eHect Ike
MANY uaintlnss subject, nor does IL appear en-
tey OF nature, ana yet we KNOW hat dr
her IN cooring ana ensemble but the picture Is inter
.stng Ike everything which comes from the br lIlan
alihlgb uneven artist Mr. Inness sends another lahu
seale w!tA some pressye touches IN the foliage
IX-PRESTDENT ARTHUR IMPROVING.
The reports concerning the health OF eX-
encouraging day. Tie