Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-23
ART NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Mr.. CHARLES WALz has pastel on exhibit
tion at Mayors. The subject is a portrait of
two young ladies taken with their heads
affectionately close together.
COUPLE of new water colors by Walkley
have been added to the collection in Histed's
gallery There are also shown some very fine
Photographs of scenes in and about Johnstown
which. in addition to great degree of artistic
excellence, tell the story of the fearful disaster
more clearly than any words can do.
A NEW etching by Frederick Dielman en-
titled, Under the Holly" is very pleasant
work in the style of decorative panel The
subject is the face of young girl embowered
IN holly rather than under 1t, while her gloved
hands may be seen turning aside its glossy
leaves. An excellent proof of this work may
be seen at Youngs.
THERE is plan now on foot in New York to
erect marble arch of style similar to the
temporary wooden structure which was built
on Washington square during the recent Gen.
tennial celebration. Mr.. Stanford White, who
built the temporary arch, will be the architect
Of this new monument, and as it is to cost
Sl50 600 1t will be quite imposing in size and also
IN design.
Mr.. D. B. WALKLEY has a couple of clever
water color sketches on view at Mayer's He
has developed quite a penchant for work in
this medium of late, and has succeeded in pro-
ducing some very pleasant effects. The two
sketches referred to are not materially differ
ent from others which he has shown recently;
they are both out-of-door studies, bright and
cheerful looking, with good effect of light
and sunshine.
Mr.. II. s. STEVENSON shows study of roses
in water colors at Boyd's There are books,
pottery and drapery in addition to the flowers,
but the latter form the picture, nevertheless,
as the former are merely family indicated,
suggested rather than drawn. There is some
fault to be found with the painting of the dra-
halc In, fl,A a.
ers, but the color in general is good and the
composition pleasing and effective.
Miss MADGE IRWIN has spent some time
recently skerching at Washington, Pa. and has
also been engaged upon studies of flowers, a
branch of art in which she succeeds particu-
lafly well. 1t is more than probable that this
young artist will be lost to Pittsburg for some
time at least as she has about decided to pay
an extended visit to New York with view Of
continuing her own studies and at the same
time imparting instruction to Others ~
The eleventh exhibition of the Society of
American artists, which closed on the 10th
inst, was one of the most satisfactory, and, as
regards the quality of the work shown one of
the best ever held by. that association. The
spacious galleries of the society OH Fifth avenue
New York, were well filled with pictures of an
unusual degree of excellence, and there was a
notable absence OF pretentious and careless
work. The latter fact was as agreeable
as noteworthy, and indicates that the members
OF the society have settled down to a straight
forward and conscientious line of work which
will reflect credit on themselves and the school
of art which they represent The 'Webb''
prize of $500 was awarded to D. W. Troyon. for
his picture entitled "The First Leaves" The
conditions of the competition for this prize
were that the pictures should be landscapes
painted by Americans under So years of age.
SOME persons who buy fine pictures are fond
of having the fact heralded about, and the
more generally it is known by those around
them the better pleased they are. Others,
again, and they constitute the great majority
OF buyers, purchase works of art as they do
anything else, principally for their own grati1-
cation, and consult their own pleasure in doing
so, though if the work be celebrated one. and
its sale matter of public interest, they have
nected with it be known. But there
is class of buyers. happily not the
most numerous one, who hide from the
general public the fact chat they have
purchased picture as carefully as though 1t
were something to be ashamed of. and they in
struct the dealers from whom they buy, to on
no account allow the fact to become known.
1t is somewhat difficult to assign q reason for
such seoretiveness, as the interest taken by the
public in fine art works is a healthy and ration
al interest, and does not arise from idle Curl
osity or inquisitiveness, When celebrated
pictures are known to be in the vicinity, the
wish to know their whereabouts Is only natur-
al, and the satisfaction of such reasonable de-
sires can in no way injure the pOssessorS Of the
WOEkS WulCu eAClLo ouCu INTEREST,"
To SAY that picture is one of Mr.. Bryan
Wallis best, is speaking of 1t in terms of con-
siderable meaning to any one acquainted with
that artists works. The large marine view, at
present on exhibition at Gillespie's. may fair
ly be considered as one of the best he has yet
produced, and beside, that must be accorded
q high rank as work of art. The subject is a
scene on Block Island. looking seaward over a
beach, the leading characteristic of which con-
sists of innumerable rough stakes driven into
the sand. Several old boats are stranded upon
the beach; one of them, in the immediate fore
ground, becomes a feature of leading interest
from its size and position, and also from the
fact that the figure of man is seen seated be- |
meath its prov. The color scheme of this work |
leans decidedly toward gray. but it is of a |
warm. pleasant tone and thoroughly in keep |
ing with the character Of the scene depicted. |
The sky, which is overcast with clouds, with |
the exception Of the portion which is far of |
toward the horizon, where strip of clear blue |
becomes visible. is one eff the points of first |
merit about the work, both in itself and in the |
manner in which it harmonIzes with the bal |
ance of the picture. Only too often fat coat |
of gray paint is made to do duty for cloudy |
sky but in this instance due attention has been |
paid to the proper modelling of the cloud forms, |
and it involves no strain upon the imagination |
to suppose that they represent masses of watery |
yapoF tossed about by the wind.