The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-04
fE E1HLBfzTow or THR soOEErT or
AMERICAN ARTLSTS.
sseona Nouee.

70 display the most obvious side Of her person
ality and OF his own talent We may feel tha
the charm OF the model IL wholly wanting ant
that her beauty is scarcely suggested. but hel
immense vitality 10 admirably expressed with
its possibilities OF vigorous and passionate
movement and It IL not for us to dictate What
point OF view painter should choose. More
over. given this point Of view. there is artistic
fltness In the fact that force rather than charm
should mark the technical manner. too. II
there 10 little subtlety, there is extraordinary
brilliAncy in the handling and the color. Even
the face though admirably complete as the
painter desired 70 give It, is very broadly
treated, while breadth and impetuoslty
could hardly be greater than they arc
In the rest OF the canvas. Every one
will appreciate tho skill that could make such
shorthand record tell 40 much and tell It so
ruthfully. But the way in which q mass Of
yellow 80 gorgeous In hue and so clear in tone
has been kept suave and temperate 10 a still
moro notable achievement With all Its vivid
ness It is neither noisy nor sharp: and though
II dominates the whole ROOM It does not kill
tho things around 1t, az cruder color OF the
Same intensity would. Mr.. Sargent's versa
tllity In mood and manner and his power Of
fitting treatment to conception is felt whom We
contrast the Carmencita with his head OF the
singer Henschel mo. 1861. In the one he paints
as though he had been born Spaniard, In the
other as though he had been born O German:
that is. II we can fancy any German ever paint
ing so we'll. OF course, the workmanship is
still very vigorous but nevertheless the result
has a sentimental air that matches the senti-
mentality Of the model. Considered purely as
q piece OF painting, 1t is perhaps the most
beautiful that Mr.. Sargent shows this year. but
at the same time the one least apt to excite
immediate interest Very attractive In color
and character and, again, in the fitting OF the
technical manner to the theme. is the sketch Of
little boy tNo. 1871. while a less charming but
more brilliant piece Of work may be seen In the
young girls portrait mo 1881 In the portrait
study OF a lady with her hands on her hips mo.
1897 the color is only less astonishinGy good
in Its way than 1t is In the Carmencita. while
the last word OF a1daoity speaks in the concep-
ton and treatment Of the head.
To n study all things are permitted. even this
psrpetuation OF the most transitory OF atti-
tndes and expressions: indeed. In spite
OF tho verbal contradiction, the great merit
Of study 10 that it shall DO unstudied.
But the impulse to fix q first impress
sion rather than explore the best possibilities
OF q model sometimes characterizes Mr.. Sar-
gents painting when 1t processes to belong
in the category OF serious portraiture. Even
In the beautifully painted portrait OF young
girl already named mo. 1851 the quality OF
alertness might, one fanoies. have been COM
bned with greater degree OF pictorial reposs;
while in tho portrait OF a young man with
a red-edGed book in his hand mo. 154)
this repose has been more conspicuously
sacrificed. For work that Is to hand on O
memory to after generationsis It wholly wise.
one asks. to choose one Of those casual poses
which cannot but suggest q momentary mood
in the sitter and a superficial first glance on
the painters part2 II 1t were question be-
tween characteristic conception and tame.
conventional. impersonal one, no observer
could for q moment cavil at Mr.. SarRents
choice. But he at least can express PERSONAL
ity without running into eccentricity, and can
paint canvases at once forceful and quiet To
astonish by the sort OF verisimilitude which
suggests q snap-camera turned on an unsus-
pectinG subject. is not the highest kind Of task
for an ability so exceptional as his IT is curl
Gus that q portrait like this should show less
thought for pictorial simplicity dignity. and
serenity than the Carmencita- This is q
surprisingly effective piece OF portrature;
the Carmencita is q superbly effective yet dig
niaed. picture: a picture In which the yehe-
mence OF the treatment is sustained and en-
nobled by the simplicity and distinction Of the
design. Again. in the head In this young
mans portrait vivid characterization has been
"ou a. SOulo OF T0u0em0QL. Wlll0 Mr..
Sargent has shown us in other years that he
can make vividness and dsllcacy go hand in
hand. Never has his brush been more splen-
didly efficient than to-day; but as regards
qualities OF distinction. OF subtle insight and
OF pictorial charm he has done better in the
past Were he shade less able there would
OF course. be less temptation TO crltIcise. But
lie Is now in a position where tho most re-
spectful way OF approaching his work IL to
submit II to the highest tests Just because he
can do whatever he will, one has a right to ask
whether he is dom. quite all he might.
1t must he strong portrait which. with
those OF Sargent's beside II. can hold Its own
30 well rs Mr.. BunkOr's - Mirror" mo. ISL Yet
not strength but charm Is the first quality
when attracts us hero. The poae OF the figure
and the profile, the folds OF the drapery. the
quality OF the color. all are In harmony. and
reveal Keen sense for grace OF line and pic
torA comnletenesS. while the expression OF
'he mead Is 10 Keeping with the suggestions OF
'he NE yet not so sharply accented as TO re.
move the work from the domain Of portrAiturO
INFO that OF genre. IL IL beautiful and yIgor. |
Gus pieco Of work IN contrast With the same |
painter 5 Academy portrait. which is only In
trresiiRg ana Vigorous. The most dramatic |
bit oil characterization IN the room hangs near
w MT 'hahss little portrait 10 ~ Of an sI- !
S''g h'm1u' Muose lhfe 10 lis lie tale Of faRlk-
nation ~ clearly that there was no need Of the
numbering tile Well. should not niurnur
i"r God Judges best" 10 be dramatic la. MOI /
bliheH0 b"sh recognized ~ within Mr.. ChHss's |
power But he seems 70 DO one Of those who. !
u" 'saips hluR undOpo. hAs merely tie I
sheuse ~ bm airing 20 ~. After thls sueeoss
u" "uilS ~ o. HDHstbinR more ambitious IN a |
similar nhs. ipf certainly We are not rtrh ln
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