New-York tribune., 1890-04-19
THE ACADEMY EXHIBITION.
PAINTINGS ENTEREp For PRIZES.


rain,ings entered for one or another Oh ,ne prizes
fs,.n ,,ju ho awarded next week The Clarke and
,,dce nrizcs are awarded without lmi'ation oil age
.rt n is natural that the older and better established
artists should leave the competition 10 'o'i ''S0'
associates and as a rule. The compc'',- i'''''''
hody much Of the promise OF the eNi"puo"' "''
vsar however the showing Is uniemaf"aOlo' i"V''
arc several studies among the ehTicS "'''" ",N Nv
a,,ora.,or and few of the fnore ambitious paintings
tell ms more than we have known rsAiuns 'e "''''S
There il material for awards when VIII "o tc
,,,,,o,orr hr, an examination Of pictures by me
.,t noetitors and by prize winners OF past years
riu hc ant 10 revive discussion OF the P'o"'""c"'SS
~ nrdze irving Il has been uifed 'lat an "i'".'''
s.r,nlns of this kind is harmful ia'"cr ''"' "iP'""
and that ,alent which has been qNl'"'n'u "'''o'N
"" , - g..d q retrorres. ion due 10 consequent
evcess NJ self confidence. Eat 'lc'0 iN' wv" '
sa,, o,neri.uce wien no prizes were offered ana on
:. oust be granted that. if prizes have re
-, a., M great gain they have at least Influenced
.,.,,o, n, better considered, more thoughtful
work. ,... :, - vr,,.o.
Mrs. sewcll and MIS- slsdc ana N''''s H. - "aAer'
- -, rar,cu pcneon Brush ~cwell and NatrOus
arc among the contributors Of competing pAih"nSS
whose work deserves consideration MIS-. Se"'"
pleasures Of the Past Greek idNl eXp'scu III 'e
language Of modern France. shows tact in oomposcn
and no little refinement and skill In the rendering of
the scure and the treatment of landscape aS we'll
7, will be felt that the artist has not wholly escaped
the common error Of painting outdoor figures IN
studio lght, despite her evident effort 10 Nalize
eplen air. effect The of light against the foliage
are undnv emphasized and The figures lack substance
and color but the general scheme has been carried ont
with much dclcscy Of touch The picture has deco
ratiye value and the exercise Of fancy is not 80 com
mon in our art that it may he safely ciSregarded'
Miss slade. another painter Of the figure. exhibits
three pic;ures-" Conentment.7 study. sympathetic
in quality: p portrait which shows a decided fcehhg
Tor color and 4 Rainy Day Elsewhere in the eN
mbition have noted portrait Of some promise uN
Miss C. Field and there are other entries like the
paintings Of Miss Dixon. but on the whole Inc
stimulus Of the Dodge prize Is not TO lie recognized
Mr. scwell took the prize two years AGO and Is thec
spre out Of the competition. In the case of the DocEe
prize al least those who deny that prize giving Is
helpful nav claim the best of the argument. The
Halcarten and Clarke prizes have exercised greater
influence upon the studios. Mr. CoXs portrait III
poutng far-haired boy in sailor costume Is one o
the good things Of the exhibition. and the design cN
preston and treatment Of color are far more ce'aDe
than the artists lame Approach Of Love- Nr. H. o.
Walkers presentation Of a model as modern Madonna
is picture Of great promise. The weakness OF INC
conception and unevenness of the execution may oo
taken for granted hut there passages OF tehner
and beautiful painting and in many respects ule uo
sign is sincerely expressive. MeSsrS Brush anu
sewel show archaeological leanings which have not
proved TO be altogether compatible with painierhhe
quality. In fact. Mr.. sewclls Tale Of Troy" con
tains little which is painterlikc, little which coud
not be given in a severely executed drawing III oiacH
and white Tie artist deserves credit for the serious
treatment OF serious subject, which lmpLes
by 10 means common, but he fais 10
prove the necessity for the use OF oils. ana MS
picture is dry and cold and mOnotonously hard IN
texture. In his "Keltic Diana" Nr. Brush offers
most interesting type. which will be sure to arrest
attention, and the painting OF the flesh ana AaiF
would be mastery if there less sameness, ana
less of the quality Of polished metal The Orpheus'
shows some admirable work upon the breast and
arms but here in an even greater degree the artist
las painted without any differentiation OF textures
and figure, rocks and rabbits alike are hard ana drH
With softer more fluent brush work. and inner per.
ception of textures tie artist might have made much
Of even the hackneyed theme of Olphcus. Nr. Ben
sons .Girl in White" would gain something by
borrowing little of Mr.. Brnsh's clean modelling, but
Mr.. Benson also falls in his texture although nc eFT~
In different way His work is panty, and even
fumbling and vague in places, and his method might
DC taken to illustrate the dangers Of preference of
color TO form Mr.. Benson has concerned himself
with an arrangement Of pale blue. yellow and white.
and lie offers excellent study OF color. Of
familiar kind, but he has done little else. His "Crl
With "a Red Shawl j. "A variation Of the same motif.
hut the execution is carried further the flesh paint
ing carefully considered and as an example %
cleverness the picture easily takes precedence Of The
other other pictures which Mr. Benson has sent
TO cur exhibitions have shown the promise
Of his art. and he should have sent
more serious work 10 the Academy. Nr. Ia.bcn an
other promising Boston artist, las contributed clever
.A;er the Ban, pooiis composed ana lighted BAT
intercstlng as an example Of portraitu:e
Mr.. Lows Love Dlsarmed7 il Of the =" i'm
l0rtant pictures Of the exhibition, ana II well Nus
tiates TIE grace and refinement u the artl,ts treat
lnent Of the nude. The COlu1ug Is cold and unln
wiling, ana the picture, hhe Others by The artist j.
open 10 the charges Of thnncss ard excessive prcf
ness. Nevertheless, II we are willing u accept Tire
artists limitations, II VIII DC seen tial Ills MDi"
well designed aad well executed. aAt IFS .uavity a,t
graceful idyl We have the group OF dtihi paintings
which add another 70 The NJ sclc, oi tic hanging W
their place beneath Mr. lluntncton's large portrait
Mcssrs. Na'rous, IlaiI!s ana 'haNant c,nirDuIc
pictures, clever Of thcI Kind and not al oil d.
ressive. Mr. Waioq, }, lii-i a. Icssfds me quan5
Of his art, and his >ket'hinS Her H. ana csp,c!aN
lis picture called What's the Uscl' show an ap
pecatlvc treatment Of color as W ii , a.,
Oid Guide j. merely bald statement Of iaeis
Mr. Ciaanf's shaver a dIcary pi'ce OF realism,
i' ,,,c,.es the n.aititndc. 0i tar Eul fhc wo. l.
good. but the kind has become Is hacAr1ed a' ile
iIaicd in Mr. Lippincott', Loves Ambush 4, srl
stands behind tie door waiting To- snir,e h.r ioNef
a curiOusly awkward figure This brilliant theme
serves as the excuse for large interior, painted win
a fidelity suggestive Of photography. .Hc hstie Vl
TIE girl j. expressed with much tact and thc details
are set forth with unprohtebc sl but the color Is
poor and there l. little IN the painting 10 redeem ~"
inanity OF The theme. Mr.. Hassam- Last Clean
After Ram study Of crowd ~ wet city street 81.
shows prascwortly effort TO realize certain peculiar
atmos phcIc conditions and effects due - rchccto
rom wet surfaces. bat the painting must hc cas. .
among the many which are signs ~ promise rsther
than proofs OF arrival" Mr. JdIncss mprOmptu duel
in the ocen time is carcful piece Of excellent cir
Attenuation, primarily illustrative but th0Ggh,Init
painted and crcditablc 70 the ar>' There j. 10 charm
Of color, bur the actor play tcr pant, well ana the
point IS made caectivelv Mr.. Dcnman la, con
trlb1,ed a painting which. ii not for halo.
Lhgt be taken for FlOrcntlne adaptation % the
Judgment OF Paris. But this Ballad Of Li"' con
sccred an illustration or painting. VIII be found
more curiou, than delightful. Mcs-r. Ranger Bunker.
REID laer. Chapman, Woodbury.. Patt P,is and Dav
ar among The Others who have entered their paintings
N The competition for the awards which VIII be an
DOlnced next week.