New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-03
PAINTINGS AT THE ATHLETIC
CL1B.
FINE rvuIR1TION OF AMERICAN ART.

the Athletic Club have gained eeherh r0ooe"' -
choir even and admirable quality, ana this repu''
zion is sustained by the collection winch was MS
-, an saturday As usual the number OF pictures
., smau Only nfty-one are shown, but WIN ie"
executions these pictures have some Just o"' "io'
Tho observers attention. Perhaps the very eAoclo"'o
NJ these collections has caused visitors 10 DC more c
citing and il is easy to hesitate between the claims
NJ This and OF last years exhibition But INC pi0S'o
oxhbition leaves little occasion for faulthndhs ana
is uncracous for the guests of club to grnmpe al
.he ARRANGEMENTS made for their entertainment. NeV-
erheess il must be regarded most unfortunate 'a'
the club has properly lighted ana Vehth"'co s''
Ierv Only the eye Of faith could fully comprehe"u
some of the pictures shown in saturdays vague hgh'.
The admirable work done by the Art Committee Oh
The cuh can be thoroughly appreciated only by those
who have striven to organize exhibitions OF pictures
now to the public and intrisicaly eo"u
as well. Two three OF uie>e punt
ings have been seen at the dealers but IL Is proo-
able that all were new 70 Saturday NsHo'S' c'0n
though the exhibition goes back to the orth OF American
art Last wear we little group OF our own
old masters This year there is one, the study for
- u.o..,. &. rxnulson from Eden The
large painting of this subject is in windsor Castle
Int from the usual character OF Vests gTandioNe
works I'VE may infer that in this case our public mas
the advantage of royalty. The figures are drawn WIN
q certain academic correctness and the colonng,
,houch forced and hammered has considerable charm
realization Of roundness and OF atmosphere beyond
Tho background Of threatening sky, pierced by the
lchtnnc and Of dcsOlate landscape, is as theatrical
in lis way as the action of the angel but the work
possesses certain nobility of design and an evident
pictorial quality There may be faithful students of
Vests work at the Pennsylvania Academy, or else
where. in these days. but this picture
is a valuable example of the American artist
whose career from his birth in Pennsylvania, not
Massachusetts, the catalogue has it, TO his election
as president of the Royal Academy, was the most
romantic In the annals Of our art. His influence
upon his American pupils, Allston Trlmbull ana
Stuart IS familiar story, but one which always
leaves some regrets In the case of stuart at least
we NAV be content. But must remember that
there were Constable Bennington and Gainsborough III
England In those early years, and that before VESTS
death Gericault had asserted himself In the french
Salon. and Delacroix had made his first essays in
art We may not speculate upon the possible results
NJ such influences on our early art, but it is easy
for any one to compare Deacrox's superb study for
the Expulsion from Eden at the Metropolitan Mu-
scum with Vests treatment of the theme
1t is not an easy matter to choose the capital
works of exhibition containing so
much which is good. but we may note
tbe nrorress made by two Of younger
PAINTERS, Messrs II. o. Walker and Dangerfeld who
show the best work they have yet done, and
much might be said of Mr.. Tryon and Of the con
scentious If less pictorial art of Messrs Bolton ana
T. {. Jones. Among the landscapes we nave Il
Morning, and a "sunrse" by Mr.. Inness. Neither
picture represents the artists most success
full expression of landscape sentiment but both make
an appeal which goes beyond the eye. The Morn
ingo large upright picture shows unusual reserve
in the colorns, and rare tenderness OF effect The
vaporous atmosphere and the pale lines Of the land
scape are truthful than the expression OF texture
or the rendering of the foliage, which appears heavy
and impenetrable, although against the sky.
Ao,fca nd
and the general effect is truthful. The sunrise
less brilliant than artist and subject might cause us
TO expect. p forcible but not an extraordinary eX-
ample. Mr. Wants Clearing IN the Woods which
we discussed when 1t shown b. Mcssrs. Reichard
Il Co.. TO us one Of the best OF the artists
recent landscapes. 1t is pleasant 10 find no signs
Of retrogreSson in the two landscapes by MI. Davis
contributed from the exhibition of his work at the
Avery gallery. one picture shows bank in sun
light. well relieved against rosy sky and painted
with something Of Daubgny's breadth and spDn
taneity. The other IS view Of a plain. true
French landscape. with slender trees along road
which crosses little stone bridge on the right
and perhaps winds around 10 the red rooted cottage
beyond and with the level surface of the pale green
fields stretching away nearly u the horizon. The
ool0ring has tire delicate repression of the spring
time Mr. Pickneus study Of water with bright
reflections. and white house relieved against the
yellow foliage which clothes a hillside j. fresh
for color and outdoor atmosphere. Nh Bolton
Jones's "swampland7 is impressive only Oh account
Of its size and the cOnsccnt ousness Of the execution
Nothing is gained by the repetition OF thes' leaves
and dead weeds. each pahNu "Ith Nrteso ,"I
tudc.7 and this labOrOus In,lstancc upon d''dils
lessons our interest IT, the more pictorial diottcc
Mr.. T. G. Jones exhibits an effective Woodland sceGG
in addition to his genres and Mr.. Bunker mas pacu
a sunllt meadow brook flowing over weeds, wherein
he prOclaims himself a disciple OF 'laluc Monet
Mr.. Tryon's liarbor OF New bedford Is beauAlu
study Of lazy moving water win pale sreem . ic
Elections a N-nted city beyond, and crescent moon
in "A vague, 'aporous SKY. Nr. liAoh noU,i.s"v
is truthful, unaffected rendering OF the whte moon
light falling upon farmhouse and hayrcks, ci>co'in1
form and distance but hcVertIeicss ',n'''S ,i
atmosphere with peculiar tenderness; Mr. baho
these two pictures represent his more fortunate elorT
10 realize melody in the painters art Other land
Po6re van Buskirk and the late W. J.. Baker.
There are shore scenes in this collection the ex-
aPSs 81 nnis Mr. hyders jonah h. /. to be called
A marine. At all events this is a painting, and it
Thus We can see that the heavy. laborcd mpas,o
represents dangerous and combining method. We
extraordinary relations to the observer and the
orz9 line that he has drawn % boat which muI1 se
remarkable manner. and that MS drawing Of whale
would utf rly cOniound any ichthyOlOgi,t. On the
other hand we acknowledge that this heavily
glazed surface possesses a richness OF Color which
suggest. some phases of ceramic art. When
gard the artist, conception of his theme we find
that he adopted what may be termed the allegOrlcal
treatment ANY semblancc Of true Imagination is 10
be welcomed in these days, bat here unhappily the
artist has been vague and finally ridiculous. In
fact a sense Of humor would have killed Mr.. Ryders
whale at once and finer sense of fitness would nave
removed the figure OF the Deity holding the globe
The conception is absurd and the execution sadly
deficient, and yet we know that Mr.. Ryder has
genuine, If lldrcctcd poetic instinct which sometimes
nnd' beautiful expression. Mr.. Ryder's picture
represents an extreme less common than that suggested
III MI II. .. Walkers admirable painting of young
mother VINO looks tendcry down upon the babe slowly
sinking 70 sleep yet loath 70 rcndnSh the nourshng
breast For tis picture Mr. Walker deserves all
credit. ana vet nc Insists upon destroying the OBJ
servers illusions Why not persuade that this
J. scene of genuine motherl0vc instead of
tanning "A conventional draping or rather undraping
Of the model and prOclaming his picture a school
study instead Of real life This l. an elementary
fault, aud the most serious one. But we have ONLY
praise for the expression. for the action Of the hand
gently raising the drapery, for the general color
scheme and for much of the flesh painting cspc.jallv
tLe h.caei. Tle head 1. I'm exceInnt