New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-09
THE vERESTCHAG GIN EXHIBIT.

THE VERES1 CHdGlN EAH1OAA'
vaxxiu yerestchazin, painter, soldier. traveller
might style himself decorator also. even IL his
claim rested only upon his arrangement Of the Amer
ran Art Galleries The walls have disappeared oehino
dark red hangings Two magnificent rugs OF ehori'ou'
size drape opposite sides of the frs gallery sinsno'
Oriental rugs and carpets are arranged at the aoor
Ways, aud the smaller rooms arc canopied WIN s.u
of Harmonious colors. Here, there and evcrvwhco
are trophies of weapons from the Orient ana uo'o
are rows OF cases filed with iewelry, curos ana
laces which vercstchagin has gahe cd In Russia anu
In more distant countries This store OF curosiuo'
presents much which is worth attentive consioeraua
and doubtless the may be said OF Veres'chapi"s
work as author But this is primarily On exhloihoh
OF paintings and may, therefore, concern ouisoo
with verestchagin the painter. Perhaps IL Is ui'
fortunate for the artist that he comes TO us al un
when discussion of Russian realism have grown wear"
some. Those who were eager to accept inc suo'o"
of Russian realistic ntera ure VIII fnu tne ou'"aio
horrors Of war recorded by Nerestchssh' WIN q
liberalism exceeding its ghastiness the aha sis %
rolstols ~Cossackss AS a traveller, Vercs tchas'n
has seen many strange things ID uls'"n.
lands, ari he has boon an ouser'a",
student of ethnography, of costumes a"u
Of architecture Perhaps he is disposed 10 hss. 700
much upon his travels, for ethnography III arr u"'o'
back to the Egyptian campaign OF the hrst Napv.on'
and to-day we may find accurate Transcripts VI io "
pn, n Is true that the earlier generations OF aVeca
-,,sts sought picoral effect rather than fdei'y anu
yarasch aetns work bears the impress OF uhconiPi'
uisine truthfuness. 1t is Impossible 10 aVo'u so %
planation of the artists attitude toward ART, ior NC p
SCENTS himself as a moralist as we'll as painter. inv"
have been very many melancholy results Va '"o -
,nr Of pictures and writing of novels IN oroer W or
force morals and on the Other hand, human P"4"s
.rd modelling machines" have abundantly ilus1a
the DANCER of blind devotion to " ART tor as'
,as o,por,,,nity for another discussion Is preseh'cu
nv the Verestchagin exhibition, put VIC sHA -,
ourselves with expressing our opn'on ma ~, =, ,,
,s1 has often done violence to art In the choi00 VI
,sc,s unsuitable for pictorial treatment AS paih'o
nure and simple verestchagn shows vast en0' o, -
dus,rv closcness of observation, ALI suoiAO
earc Of certain reinemcnts which are usuan! ooA
cred necessary lie is usuan' 49,,
draughtsman, according TO meohailcAi s'a"u' 90
his drawing often lacks individual emphasis on
r,,, He dis,erards the usual rules of compost on.
and with the exception OF le o,na Place and It's
ncghbors he presents slight claims upon our in
as colOrst several OF his paintings aS pc otven
vsTy high Key and the effects OF sunignt are I'M
without reservation but Claude Monet and oher ". n,
pressionists' have accustomed US 10 va. a9,nNis NJ
nature lie ignores values and the renneiea'S ~
tonss and MANY OF his pictures present CONFUSION VI
crude colors. Ills paintings show heavy onS de i
paste the effect OF dryhess Is oten @ q" some
nmcn In his smaller studies as Wen as u, III S1,,
large paintings he shows colslaera3e po~Jd some
actcrzaon This is eAceloniy Iiustia'ou III 10 I've
of the black ana white drawings His figures are tlc
U
The Oppressive influence of the malady which MI,
sman accustomed TO diagnose aS tno PV tr
nlastiIuc Verestchagu will be found 70 be painter
OF great power in certain directions, and he shows some
admirable paintings viewed as paintings alone. bi,
sre es TeS Ot to Ra ss hat U Shall Is
own province, wl not accept NereschaTln as p pa.
OF these vast canv sses simply as nustraupns
OF didacc purpose me leacnlns ma v w aataS
nism instead Of brotherhood Ana other piSiu vs.
a al
lake convenient instance, one side Is hlled Win an
iendns the entrance OF the Prince of wales into Jey
PORE II Is hardly worth While 10 point Out INC Az
sence o: purity, depth aud harmony of colors or the
forming ironca contrast are half dozen pictures
imperial game Of war. We see the Russian Emperor
ground bis neat by with waiting the SG the lying sssh '1S
eyPs Then We NAV pass vito, e the os SNOW o o0 0e
sd TIE dch S9 WITH s fash Slain ' and and on the
left beyond the plain dotted with Russian dead. tho
ctDrG soC cserns aPs IN. t Gown b e Sc
ture of mucn truthfuness and force and we have no
true records There is painting Of the hospital tents
and OF feds thely covered WITH soldiers Wounded At
sher s"d espesOns bcspcans
gloomy interior OF a Turkish hospital at Plcvna where
figures s'raPsely distorted are vaguely seen In the
Turkish prisoners c&nght IN a binding s1owsorm
by the bitter wind anG half covered with the snow
Last we are shown the road from Pl,vna TO the
Danube, stfewn With dead bOQles where The ravens
are already gathering Undoubtedly this IS war. but
It Is NOT necessary to live in chamber Of horrors,
and We shall not dwell upon the various results Of
Verestchacin's conclusion that even in own
time people nh one another cverywhere under all
possible pietcxts and by every possible means -
With this thought a. his inspl Sti0a the artist has
painted three hugo pictures The first illustrates
cruclfxon under the Romans, which is grauitousy sug
gestive Of the Crucixion on Calvary THIS is followed
By painting Of the when mutinOus Sepoys
about 10 be blown from the mouths Of
after the Indian mutny. The third
picture represents execution OF Nihi-
lists, whose bodies the ganows, while the
seeks veil the CHASTITY II this Is the
perfect flower OF realistic then artists should be-
take themselves to the accident wards in hospitals
the dissectiD groom and the mO-gue.