New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-04
THE PRIZE FUND EXHIBITION.

when 1t was announced that the subscribers TO ths
FUND.- had awarded the prize % Mr. J. Alden
weIr's large picture Of mother and shld seated upon
divan against a broad. curtaInsd window Mr.
Weirs picture is therefore to be purchased by tho sub
scrbcrs and presented to the Metropolitan Museum
of Art, which will gan admirable example Of a
strong painter. Unanimty of opinion is not to ba
hoped for In matters d this kind, bus think lt will
be generally acknowledged that the choice was wseIv
made There not many paintings In the exhibition
which could be seriously considered and, when every
thing Is taken into account, ecall none which
seems TO better entitled TO tho honor than the picture
Of Mr.. Weir 1t appears that tho artists object has
been primarily the successful treatment OF the win.
dow light effects Which have occupied many OF our
| painters for the last half dozen years Some OF US
! might ask for the expression Of stronger human
Interest, but we should probably be old that senti
ment' In pictorial e is obsolete and that humanity IA
only TO be regarded as so much material In this case
we may be sure taat the artists attitude toward his
sitters was thoroughly sympathetic, and yet here as
| In other pictures OF the same figures craismanship
| prcdomlnatcs. Tiere is nothing TO indicate that
either figure is rtated essential the other save
as means Of balancing and completing the compost
ton. The mothG turns her back upon the child the
child is occupied with other things and their faces arc
comparatively eIprcssionless. But the arrangement
has been made TO suit the purposes OF the painter,
and his end has been attained, though could
wish that his treatment less impcrsona and obicc-
tive 1t is as painting pure and simple that Mr. Wells
picture is to be considered and example Of The
skilful treatment Of difficult effects by q painter Of
great ability, his work be praised with but few
reservations. His picture is really arrangements
In white' relieved by few touches of color which
furnished In tle yellow flowers worn by the moher
the dull but rich tones Of cushions the yellow hair
| Of the child and few details. The values q the
picture have been expressed with remarkable deIcacy
and trithfucss. Everything keeps its place. Tho
ne hail ha
| lighted window which nowhere becomes unduS OBJ
| trusve. Ths shadow the face is transparent, al
though might ask little clearer definition ofform,
to say nothing Of expression. The child, who's face
is lighted, Is admirably painted, and refined IN color
Possibly exceptions might be taken 10 TIL tones
of the mothers dress and to the indication FORM
but the picture hole is an intelligent and admir-.
able piece Of work. characterized by close observation
and ability in execution. 1t is less ambitious In
a sense than the pictures which led to expect great
things Of the artist ten years since, but the grand
manner is nearly extinct, and the ambition Of tho
day concerns itself rather with the manner express
sion than syith that which may be roughly dassed a.
| subject.
1t is difficult to define the general character OF tho
Prizo FUND.- exhibition further than b! noting the
| presence of many huge pictures by American artists
living abroad, and the display Of many examples Of
sculpture. Statues and satuettes and other plaster
models have been unfortunately grouped in the middle
Of the first gallery, and the result is israefng con-
| fusion Of agitated arms and legs. 1r Nehaus ex-
hbits statue Of Grccian athlete using the "stfgils
| after exercise, but there is little trace OF recent
exertion. The sculptor Is clearly IN artist OF somo
native force, this essay IN PSEUDO clsSscism -
hardly justified by the strength leauy Of the result
! Yet this figure evidently has mu'h moro structural
! force than Mr. Dallins statue o, an indian whose
has Just left the bow. figure Of Unbalanced
| planes and inadequate modelling rs well as arrange.
| Dut tha fara alt
ability in pOrraure, and ma hope for rper work
in tho future There several examples OF sculpt-
uro by Miss Grant which suggest tie inslncerlty and
| weak prettiness Of modern Ialy, as influences In
! English sculpture These aid other examples OK
sculpture make up showing distinguished by siho
| rather than ouaty And must add that size
rather than quality characszos several OF the paint"
| ings which have come to across the sea- 1t was
| surely unnecessary for Nj Smth-Lewis TO devote so
| vast 10 picur OF seaweed gathercrs Win
| their and horses uIon gray ana yeiio" Deacn
with an intermlnable Stretch OF green am blue sea
beyond But have deprecated the fashion OF paint
ing overgrown exhibition pictures SO often that We
NAV as well pass oysr this example pauslng only to
motto the paintiness md strange mmobity of horses
and figures and tp rawncss OF certain greens, and
blues. Across the gallery hangs Mr. Wigands largo
painting Of chldrn at play In Brittany courtyard,
watched meantpe by the elders OF the family, q
picture which tie artist has sought to invest by his
title with an esy sentimentaliSm. We fear that the
blouses and sbots which continue to pour in upon
US como to anaudence long since satiated with pctures
Of the uprising and the down-sitlng, the mornings
and the evenings, the MONDAY repasts and all tho
performances devotional and profane Of the French
peasant But Mr.. Wigand courageously painted his
peasants In the gray atmosphere OF tradition and
must be confessed that be has done much good work
Thon como pidures by Miss Falrchld and Mr.. Alex
ander Harrison to furnish examples of the painting OF
the nude which seems to be considered primal neces
sity in Paris The former artist has painted reclining
figure called Young June" with the peacock Oh
tradition In the background and blossoms overhead
which have not averted serious case Of sunburn. Mr.
Harrison has painted nude model with shadows Of an
unhealthy green her body who is seen against
confused background of grasses. flowers and trees,
which IS somewhat OF tho Bastlen-Le Page order The
artist has endeavored to express the quality OF flesh In
light shadow and the effect OF diffuscd outdoor light
and In tho hope of engaging tito no has called bis
picture In Arcadia" But in Arcadia there could
never 10 place for this leerng Paris model. IL 10
well to from the insncery of work like this to
Mr. Howes unpretentIous. but excellent painting Of
cattle thoroughly honest picture, to Miss
Chadwcks painting of old women In an English aims
house at their tea. unusually sympathetic study OF
character, although certain pictorial qualities, hko
color and texture, are susceptible of much improve
ment.
Mr. George Hitchcock has redeemed ahackneyed SUBJ
ject by his treatment Of A Wnnowerr wellrelieved
figure seen In the middle distance Of little grassy
| ntervale which rises toward high tky line. Then
| We find a fulllength portrait of the Rev. Philips
! Brooks, painted in sohd but heavy manner BY Mrs
| Sarah Whitman pupil of William Hunt. and former
| exhibitor OF thoroughly paintorlke work with tho
| society Mr. Horatio Walker shows another large
| ploughlng scene with the wind rampant and gloom
prevalent, and Mr.. Daingeried send a picture OF
goose-h herd returning with her charg by moonlight,
which represents an advance upon past work Mr.
| Chambers seeks TO share tho haNest which tho
Dovelsts have found In tho Tennessee MOUNTAINS Due
his painting OF an old woman In he garden Is dsap-
pointing In pictorial quality. and tic scene might az
well have been laid elsewhere. -
| Mr.. AndersoD's hard. eNpressonless, immoDle
portrait OF General Howard appearSke petrifacuon
In corner, but there hueicy and refinement
I Of color In the portrait opposite ,,
Another of the few portraits In The exhollon
hangs in the first small gallery, astudy OF lady IN
Japanese robe painted, q little after the Carvtus
Duran manner with freedom AID feeling Tor eneeo