New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-31
rHs AozDsAY OF DESIGN
srxrr-rHraD ANNUAL EXHIBITION.

nfteruoon must have found themselves MAKING com
PARSONS betwoon tho present exhibition and tho CD
hibitions Of ton and twelve years ago. al INC -.
ter the younger mem frosh from Paris and Munich
found themselves admitted only on sufrance, ana Oh
toner perhaps. they were not received 1t all Ihcn
followed the formation Of society ~ protost ssasnss
a narrow conservatism which took no heeo OF nov
teachings IN art, and for time we had naturahsn
pitted against conventonalism Some OF toe socio'ys
membcrs refused to send anything TO tho Aoanomys
and others have been seen at tho older Institution
only within tho last few years. But there mas ocos
. change on both sides. year ago the Acsao"y
proved It's willingness to welcome the WORK OF paine
ers whose ideas much at variance with tno oo~
vontions of tho older Acsdemioians. tbs yoas
has brought general return to tho Academy, ana the
present exhibition illustrates fairly the diversified
and often conflicting aims and tendencies OF Amen-
can art II the roll Of contributors werc called IN
tho Academy galleries, most OF the members OF Inc
society would answer, and there would DO 80 many
promising newcomers that present mention OF theR
names would involve large drafts upon the catalogue
The various prizes which responsible for all manner
of mystic symbols in the catalogue can DO awarde4
this year on merit
All cults and schools, should say, have boon
treated fairly regards admission, centres and
on the first line. II tho president OF tho A'aoens
has the place of honor opposite tho main entrance.
10 the south gallery the president Of tho Society ..
American Artists, Mr.. Chase, has place OF nonor :.
tho east end. Messrs. Sonntag aud THOMAS MoieA
hold the corner panels naturally enough ana thon
we find Mr. Thomas Eakins In the centre OF the we"
end ylr Bevan balanced by Mr. Dcwings Charming
portrait, and Mr. Mowbray's fantasy In place OK
honor on the north wall In tho east gallery tho boss
place has been given to Mr.. sargents portrait, ana
here as tho north gallery, an entire panel Is nessv
filed with the work of the younger painters Hen
Is ono group Of pictures by Messrs. Chase HITCHCOCK
wIIes LOOMS, Plat, Tcggtn and shiriaw and Miues
ss we while In the north gallery ono panel presents
to Us the work Of Messrs. Sargent, Chase, Denman'
Tryon Weir, w. s. Allen, Curran Cox, Brush MAJOR
and Miss Brewster Mr. O. 81. Millers largo land
scape holds the chief place in this gallery. In the
gallery to the west Mr. Gays landscape has boon
I'm tho hanging while excellent places have
boen given to the pictures Of Messrs. Bogert and
Carr No doubt fault may be found with the COM
mittee's disposition Of individual pictures, but ws
have enough to show that the arrange
mont like the decision upon admissions, has been In
spirit of farness-indeed 1t Is only Just to say nDer'
atty Tho result is exhibition presenting more ex-
amples of good painting and moro pictures OF genus
inc interest, 1t seems to us, than any Acanemy
exhibition for the last ten years
Including sculpture, Of which good examples nave
been contributed by Messrs. Warner, ST. Gauoenss
whose appearance at the Academy IS something new.
French Hartley and others, there are less than COZ
numbers in the catalogue Yet there are many large
pictures, and the walls well flied The pres
ence Of so many men who are aiming to solve prop
lens in the management of light and atmosphere.
who are approaching the keynote OF nature, Us Wen
as seeking to reproduce forms with conventional col
orIng has affected the general appearance OF the col
lection 1t Is pitched In higher key than any Acad
envy exhibition which We remember GcnerahzS
ton Is obviously difficult In view Of the many excep
tons but clear that tho painters OF light and air
have done much violence, even at the ACADEMY, 70
the traditions handed down from RuysdaeL Thers
are pictures tucked away doors and In corners
and Others better placed, which show that the paint
ers have influenced more or less by CLAUDE Mone
We are not disposed to oyerrae this single nnuehce
but It exists. 1t would DO Interesting enough 10 specu
late upon other nHuenceshat of the school Oh PuVs
dc Chayannes, which seem to SEQ In Mr. sawyers
excellent landscape that Of Degas that Of certain
Franco Spanish panters-but at present we can only
cite q few examples Of the results reached In the af-
ferent lines of work In most Of our recent e4hioi-
lions landscape painters have been In the Majority
and here the pictures of Messrs Inness, Martin Iryon
and many Others sustain the credit OF American land
scape art but the portrait and figure painters moro
than hold their own. There much running to
and fro yesterday afternoon to obtain glimpse OK
Mr. sargents work, but Inclined to think thai
his portrait in the east gallery disappointed tho'e
who remembered the beautiful "Grl With Rose )"
which this brilliant painter exhibited here half
dozen wears ago. lie exhibits halflength portrat
of lady whose attitude tries the observer with us
| alertness and tension. The head with the Drown
hair and strongly accumulated eyes and lips Is well
detached from the background, but the body makes
|
ders and arms well brought out by the dress which
Is of a shade of red. Aside from questions OF Tho
solidy Of the painting and the constructive iorce
of tho figure may well be doubted whether The por-
trait is, in tho full sense Characteristic Ihere u
certainly anything but the charm Of repose and the
painting will be considered to represent the ar
| lists best manner Mr.. sargents two Venetian
scenes In the north gallery the studies Of an accom-
plished painter rather than his final results, but they
| arc thoroughly enjoyable. One shows Feheuan
street scene with slender figure In black In tho lore
| ground two admirably expressive figures In long
coaks on tho right, further removed, and stree'
vista beyond relieved by touches Of color Here as
in the Venetian Interior study grays and blacks
pitched in a lower key everything keeps Its place.
The figures detach themselves from the background
they keep their respective places and neither the
bit of white dress the light from tho door or
window In the background asserts itself unduy. Inc
little touch of color from the fan carried by Tho
foremost figure is adroty placed, and in addition to
the clever management of values and expression OF
atmos phere the action Of the figures Is individual
and interesting.
But We have been drawn away from the portraits,
of which Mr. huntington contributes three, II VIC
assume that his " Burgomaster of Northumberland"
an excellent example of the artist, may be Regarded
as portrait Mr. Eastman Johnson has sent por-
trait of Mr. Alexander Hamilton, painted for tho
Knckerbocker Club portrait OF Mr. ". ID SLOANE
and portrait of lady with an erect OF chiaroscuro,
all apparently truthful In point OF iAehess anu
with much quiet force and there IS also an interesting
figure study painted with an eye TO broad Effects
Mr. Cbase's portrait OF an elderly lady seated In
furtrlmmed blue robe, against hangings OF very
pale blue is picture which has earned Its honorable
place not only by the cleyerness of the coioring'
but also by the frmness and strength Of the modelling
Yet the flesh the most unsatisfactory part
of the colorlng. Mr. wyatt Eaton contributes an
| excellent portrait of a lady in brown, and MI Weir
one of Mr. John Gilbert sitting In an unstudied att
tude and painted quietly and firmly, with much sober
ness of colorng and reserve which allows no undue
Intervention of the artist between the subject ana
those TO whom the subject Is presented athoush
| the work Is evidently personal Mr. Dewines III
tia portrat of lady, seen about tbreequarters 'front.'
seated In a chair and wearing q long dress OF light