New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-06
PAINTINGS LY KARL IEFFNER.

The little exhibition Of Karl Icfnr's works at the
Avery Gallery is the introduction Of hs artist TO our
public Many amateurs ave seen his pictures at
London exhibitions and W. believe that one two
have reached this country. nut to the general public
HcIners work is unknown, or If know at all it is
through reproductions This fact is anolcr illustra
ton of the want of sympathy between The n-lish
and American tastes in matters Ct art. Thqc is agree
ment when it is a question of Constable Gansborough
or REYNOLDS but when We 10 the painters Of the
day the differences are irreconclablc. Professor
Henner. a German artist living il London, appears
to rank with the most popular English landscape
painters and indeed no paintings could have higher
praise than that which London has bestowed so
iavishly upon IIelncr. The euloeies when have
amused some readers OF London Journals have bcenco
ected i'm a little volume which leaves nothing More
10 be said for the greatest masters OF all times In
the catalogue find a London Journal declaring
llencr at once the most romantic ana the mod
truthful of modern landscape paintcrs.' Ills art
therefore, may be supposed 10 exhibit that perfect
union Of realism and romance which has been believed
TO exist only in Imagination Much has beca SAID oil
the sentiment of Hencrs paintings but he appears
TO be artist Of the intellectual rather than emo
tonal ORDER and although his pictures certainly show
sentiment" il is always temperate and well ordered.
The best example Of his manner is large painting
called The Cleaning" which presents stretch OF
placid water touched by light in tac distance, and u
rcdroofed cottage beneath trees the right This is
Characteristic subject and the treatment illustrates the
artists liking for comprehensivcncss, for exact DETAIL
and for neutral cOloring. The picture exhibits care
full drawing and excellent pcrpe tive, and the coorS
If Of little positive force IS certainly harmonious ms
an interesting work, and the artist has accomplished
the task which he himself but here elsewhere.
The picture is dry and hard, and ii has cold studio at
mOspherc rather than outdoor air and light. HIS
sprngtime, Italy, painting Of grassy banks where
flowers, grasses and bushes are mingled in con-
fusion, and Of distance the right j.
coarse and teXturclcss. and extremely unreal
> regards the foreground. Morning IN the C>'h-
pasna," large upright painting Of large trees beside
brook, yelling the distant Landscape, shows re-
stricted color scheme, wherein grays and pale vel
lows play the chief part. and there is a feeling 81
thuuc~s and COlcncss here A. IN the ca" oi ll,
Spring, Florence brOOAsidc study IN gray ana
subducd green. These pictures and the " Moonrse.
there can bc doubt regarding the artists science
~ a draughls man and the CONSTITUENCIES OF MS
work. In fact. if his work showed lcs. reasoning
and more feeling. and II the personal impulse were
more apparent, il would De more impressive. HIS
technique is founded upon models very different rom
those Of French art. and h, painting Is nu.h more
dry as well precise. In some OF the ltilc
Studies which are exhibited he has permitted himself 10
use positive cOOrs with strong results, but lie
will be called COOrist or master OF brush work
Nevertheless lie is clearly an artist OF great ntclll-
gcnce and considerable scnsibility, and IN his own
field his work deserves attention.