Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-16
THE CRITICS REVIEW.

Pictures ana Poetry From AOr0nd-Chii-
dreu's Floral PubIIcatIons-varied Styles
of Books for Holiday Buyers.
The handsomest book which The Critic has
been able to discover this season in the book
stores is Fdc-sinlites Of AQHarelles FREDERICK
A. Stokes Bro.; ]. r. Weldin & Co.. S12 SOY.
Its generous proportions. its embossed cover
edged with vellum, its fine paper and strong
binding, make fitting environment for its
charming pictures 1t represents great ad-
vance in two arts, in the art Of water-color
painting and In the art of color hthography
This latter art has SO recently won standing
for excellence that the word ''chromo," which
characterized its earlier attainments, has still
most inartistic sound in our ears. A really
successful 'chromo'' is. however an important
work of art, for it means the accurate repro
duction of color; it means that painting can
be practically duplicated and multiplied to
give inspiration and pleasure to thousands. The
fine pictures of the Arundel Society are simply
successful ''chromos" The "Fac-similes of
Aquarelles" which are presented in this book
belong to the same high class.
The art of water. color painting has made an
advance almost as notable In 1858, at the New
York Crystal Palace exhibition - handful Of
water-colors shown modestly upon SCREEN"
represented, both in quality and quantity, all
that had been done at that day in an art which
was thought to be best fitted for the abilities
of young ladies at boarding schools. To-day
out of great number of competing pictures,
the Water-Color Society selects 700 to show at
its annual exhibition. some Of the best work
which is being done now by artists is done in
water-color.
The art of painting and the art Of accurate
reproduction meet at high point Of perfection
in these eight pictures. There are figure
studies by Mr.. Percy Moran, Mr.. Ferris Mr.
| Symington and Mr.. Paul Moran. Mr.. Paul
| Moran's is perhaps the least pleasing being a
sketch of any airy maiden standing upon moth
ing and offering rose to dragon with fiery
tongue and tail of blue ribbon. The airy
| maiden, however, is quite pretty. The tall,
tastefully and quantity clad ladies of Mr..
Percy Moran and Mr.. Ferris are very fair to
see. Mr.. Barnsley has ian old-time merchant
man" with whole acres of spreading sail Mr..
McVicar has picture entitled 'Vain Regrets"
which reminds one of his good work in Life.
A group of pretty, chubby children picking
| dandelions is the contribution of Miss Hum
phrey. A delightful spring landscape Of green
| fields and trees in blossom is the work of Mr..
| William Hamilton Gibson.
Mr.. Ripley Hitchcock has prefaced the book
with a valuable review Of American water-color
Painting. Beside each picture is q paragraph de-
scriptive Of the artist with little sketch of his
face; and reproduction in half-tones Of one Of
| his other works.
Designed in England. Printed in Germany"
is set at the foot of the first page of great
number of pretty books of pictures and poetry,
published by Hildesheiner and Faulkner, of
London, imported by George G. Whitney, and
for sale here by ]. R. Weldin & Co. These
books are printed in the attractive monotint
which is the speciality of certain German art
publishing houses.
Il Book Of Old Ballads, the most important
of these publications, is a collection Of good
poetry with pictures. by Alice Havers. The
ballads are of the order of Comm Thro' the
Rye" Robert Burns and Thomas Moore are
the favorite authors. Some of the pictures are
clumsily drawn, but the soft colors make even
inferior work pleasant to look upon, and the
general effect is good. Two or three subjects
are SO ill-chosen that the book would be i'm
proved by the omission. The less pretentious
drawings are the better. The rustic dancers in
"Come let US seek the oaken grove" are very
graceful
Among the Daisies, by F. E. wetherly, is
pretty book for child. The verses are simple
and good, and the full-page pictures in color,
by NJ Ellen Edwards are bright and attractive.
There is one especially lively little picture Of
child rem and kittens. Needles and Pins is an
other pretty book in the same style. Michael
ORA yton's Shepherds Da0odH gives the name
to little bundle of pastoral ballads delight
fully illustrated Among great company of
other little books sent us by this house, and
all of them good. we have space to notice only
Songs of the Birds and ToiLers of the Sea and
Il Happy Childhood. The latter is little book
just right for Christmas remembrance for a
child. These booklets, with their pretty verses
and charming pictures, are taking the place of
Christmas cards by survival Of the 1ttest.
HsR
Speaking of Christmas cards, calls at once to
mind the house OF Prang q Co., who send Us
this year q great bundle Of samples of their
Holiday Publications. Among the cards,
Red Letter Days. pleases us most. Old
Father Time points out to o little child the
great days of the year personIaed by group
of charming boys and girls in appropriate cos |
tunes. A little folding calendar for 1890, with |
children holding a wreath, is particularly good.
Four little books with illustrations in color by
Louis K. Harlow are worthy of more ex-
tended mention than we can give. |
'tHaunts of Emerson" with pictures |
of the house and study, and glimpses |
of the river. the pond and the woods; Sunlight |
and Shadow" with pictures of landscapes in |
twilight; "Good Luck" in which new moons,
and old shoes, and horseshoes, and rice and |
wishbones are brought to remembrance in
verse and sketch with equal grace; and Golden
Sunsets" in which the words of famous poetry
are set to the music of pleasant pictures. "a
Fishing Town" being especially pretty, make
attractive little souvenirs for this season of |
good will
Another example of good work in color
is GondoIG and Palace (Frederick
A. Stokes q Bro. j. R. Weldon & Co.; 81 OOl.
The Doge's Palace, the Bridge Of Signs, the
Arsenal and the Piazza and Campanile are re-
produced from the familiar illuminated photo
graphs, with accompanying text from the
writings Of Charles Yriante. The Star SpdnoIed
Bonner and The Landscape Calendar come
from the same publishers and the same book.
sellers. The pictures in these pages are sketches
of American scenery.
From Lee & Shepard, through J. r. Weldin
4 Co., we receive several pieces of color work
One MerrSe Christmas Time, and 4 Hdppv
Ne1O Year to You, and RuTrdh for the Neao
Year. Little cats and dogs and boys and girls
dance through these little pictures. Our
Babgfs Book is just what some father and
mother are looking for, with a place for the
date of bahys birth and christening, a space
for his picture and for lock of his hair. and
plenty of room for chronicle of his bright
sayings, all bo and up in fine shape with chains
and ribbons.
Sally in Our Alley (White Allen; h.
Watts & Co., 81 25), is an ideal setting of this
most delightful OLD ballad. The illustrations
are by Joseph Lauber. Part Of the pictures
Ire in monotint part in rich color and all, with
but exception, excellent. The work of printer
and picture-maker is SO uniformly good that
1ne hesitates to express preference. This is
Sally" just as she looked when her prentice
oYer wooed her In ''our alley"
One. Too, Three, -Four (Frederick A. Stokes
Z Bro; ]. R weldin & Co.; SD is another of
Miss Humphreys children's books Four