New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-19
fAE GIBSON and VAN Ellen CoALhC'
IHON6

Az tbe American Ar Galleries over Q Thousand
all paintings watcrcoors. black and whitc drawings
and prints testify 70 the industry Of two consuon'"u
students VI nature, Messrs Kruseman van EHcn Anu
william Hamilton Gibson. Most OF tnor s"''''
have been found In the Atlantic seaboard Staies r
Van Elton exhibits n few Holland scenes, but ior 'no
mos, part his sketching has been done In fsVon'o
haunis of artists in Now York. New Jersey ana fp1"
eylvania Mr.. Gibson has found much "a'ei'~1 ~
the neighborlrood Of Washington, CONNECTICUT ana
much aear Brooklyn and New-forG ne mas she''pou
in tho White Mountains. along the Hudson ana IN the
so,,born ststes and We need hardly say that the
results Of his observation deserve respectful CON
sdcratoa
Mr. Van Eltcn has como to be looked upon as an
American artist, by virtue Of his long residence In
this country although he was born In Bolland, ana
came TO us In 1865. as exhibitor at the Academy
for tycnty-nne years and original member OF the
Water Color Society and Etching Club, Dir Van
Ellen has made his work familiar to our public
that we may Le pardOned for mention necessarily
brief Mr. Van Een shows himself in tits ex-
hbltion as a painter Of pastoral landscapes dealing
usually with the gcner phases OF nature, and rare
Iy attempting atmos pherc effects OF especial sublety
or vieor So far as form IS concerned his pictures
are faithful TRANSACTIONS of certain apparent
phases Of American landscape, and they testify TO
sincere love OF and constant eheFt Tor
truthful representation One OF the largest landscapes
IS the summer the Winnockee River,' which, as
the catalogue informs us, was honored with SILVER
medal in Boston. No. 40, Tho Matn Spring OF
Liic" is another picture OF large size, out Mr.. Van
Elton usually has contentcd himself with canvaSes
of moderate dimensions. Color and tone, atulos-
rheric sulfetics light and air, and tho observation
of values play so large part in the landscape paint
ing OF the day that II Is easy to DO 'nlnsucc 10
landscapes In which truth of form and fidelity to
more apparent facts play the leading part But the
value of such fidelity Is too often ignored In the
/. will 10 zp6
If art has sny larger purpose than the Immediate
qualification of amateurs. Mr. Gibson has earned most
honorable rank among American artists. His study
OF nature has been Intelligent. Instead OF disgusting
Ignorance with talk of generalization Mr. Gibson
from the first has been actual student OF nature,
that Is student OF the fora aud smaller fauna OF
East, aud bis art, like his literary work, Is based
upon knowledge. Mr.. Gibson thus far has been
primarily an illustrator and 1t is not easy TO recos-
nze sufficiently the vitality OF the influence eAeIted
by the diffusion Of studies of nature which not only
crafty the eye but also stimulate tho brain ms
art may 10 very different from the art let us say,
Of tho great Tenchmen, and there can be no question
as the relative rank of the Two, yet there 10 much
to DO said for drawing which, reproduced stmu-
lates million people 10 Intelligent Interest Ia
nature while a Corot may remain 'prisonod In
private cabinet. Mr. Gibsons work has been es-
sentally democratic, that IS, 1t has reached The many
rather than the few, presenting to them studies Oh
nature which stand for great deal inCte tL@n mcio
descriptive picureSquencss, because, as we have sa'u
before they are informed only With feeling Tor
the beautiful but also with tne scientific SPH'' oi
INQUIRY and q love OF exact knowledge.
1t would be useless TO attempt any detailed men
ton of the work which testihes to Mr. Glos'as ro-
markable activity. He exhibits the original dIa"ine'
with proof ensravang' VIM h were p'eSo'.oa 40 .0
Ing Grounds Pastoral Days. all earlier WORK ana
"lhe Master of the GunneIy series o. southern
ctadies in l.
various miscellaneous designs make up cOieC'ion
which Is certain OF careful consideration, even thO"sh
most of the draw Dgs have been seen in ItaTlei
Magazine Tho tenCn; Conferred by MI CtosOus Work
SO Tar exceeds its dcfc ncles that Is haiGI! worm
while to dwell upon q tendency 10 mAho haioIb
rlay the "poSoar" and to ONelcro~d and lrctuiy
com positions, which SOMETIMES oOtrudcs itSel bul
prencss and excess OF details seem nevltaDe IN Ie
picturesque ILLUSTRATIVE work of the day, and MI
Gibson deserves the credit Of very rarely sacihc'ne
truth effect
The water colors, $50 In number. show the same
union Of careful obscrv alton and enthusiastic ioo
of nature which magazine readers have rccoshlIed IA
Mr. GitSonS black ana white "orh ~ -, - 'Tf h' ,aa
illustrator rather than an academic artist VINO mas
and caefui ca plantation leave less to the
than could wish Mr. Gibson Is lhcIlnsd 10 cfu~I
grasses to can attention this vine or that cluster
Of shrubs until interest becomes weakened IL mignt
positions With those of Bonvin but these alter
coors include many fresh, charming Transcripts Oh
OF detail or the free Of Opaque color and some
consequent loss Of transparency and atmosphere
81 Lace mntve. In the comy,SiioDs These water
coors furnish Illuminated record OF seed tno ana
the time OF fruitiOn and harvest In rural New hhgian
There are studies of pastures rough with gray
bouldcrs overgrown with thorny vines, OF upland
fields dotted with daisies, OF meadows with seney
brooks where small trout Turk OF southern slopes
where crops rpcn earliest, fields grit about with
generous mapes, apple orchards, PINK ana "hlte
in Nav hill side slopes in June. broad stretches va,
ley. and studies made when the foliage had flushed
at the touch OF autumn
Mr. Gibson also exhibits various smoke pictures,
clever IN preparation and rich in effect, and great
q nth
been variously treated by the artists own hand In
ways set forth at length In the catalogue IL seems
hardly necessary TO commend the VI, rk which MI.
Gibson has done for few artists OF his years have
addressed ST. largo audience. This sale VIII rem
on the afternoon Of March 20. The paintings OF MT
Van Elton Will De sold the evenings OF Thursday
and Friday next