New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-28
THE AMERICAN WATER COLOR CLUE.


new artistic society seldom emergcs from the
stage OF ncpency In less than three or four years
IL takes considerable length Of time definitely to
decide upon a policy and to attract the more ex-
penenced men. The American Water Color Club Is
no exception to the general rule. 1t held its first
annual exhibition last winter Mt the American Art
Galleries and made fairly cNditable impression.
Inc second ANIMAL exhibition which will be opened
at the Fifth Avenue Art Galleries next Monday,
produces both the faults and virtues of the clubs first
display. The club is still adoescent. II shows this
not alone In freshness and vitality, but by Its con.
ndence In the promise Of young artists ard by It's
failure to win much in the way of performance from
the front ranks Of American watercoorists. Too
many pictures have been accepted this year,
too many that tentative and amsteurish. There Is
much that IS encouraging there Is not much that
gives full and satisfying enjoyment. Pictures with
new motives are almost wholly absent. Landscapes
the figure pieces have rarely anything suggestive in
them This naturally gives greater prominence to mat
tiers Of purely technical interest.
Mr. August Franzen has four pictures hanging near
the entrance to the first gallery They the most
aggressive Of all the works illustrating experiments in
the analysis and manipulation Of color. Mr.. Franzen
sees nearly everything through veil of orange yellow.
Like the majority OF openar painters he Is fond OF
purple shadows on grass but the faces of his country
people are such as not even the most eccentric I'm
pressioniss often pant-they are Of blatant yellow.
The colU IS obviously false to nature. In only one
of his pictures. study Of two figures called
Country Courtship," does Mr.. Franzen forsake his
favorite color, and there working in quiet key, he
is delicate and poetic Mr.. W. d. mcknight,
who has several pictures grouped with Mr.. Franzens,
comes near to equalling him In daring HIS Fisher
woman of Douarnenez" is confused mass of colors,
TOO strong to be natural and too crude to be artistic
This picture is pastel and apropos of 1t II may be
said that there is an unusual percentage Of work In
the same medium in the exhibition, rather curious
circumstance, in view Of the purpose for which the
club is supposed 10 have been founded More than
that, some of the best pictures here pastels Mr.
Appleton Browns Sand Dunes for example, Mr..
Cauldwells Entire Act7 and "Tidal River and Mr..
Isham's "Dafods," nude study. Pastel frequently
seems to be handled more freely and with more de-
cison than water-color Lack of spontanety is the
bcsettng sin of the watercolorists Mr. Chapmans big
marine Tolers Of the Sea- which meets next stops
short Of success simply because 1t Is difhdently
painted and the crisp. fresh feeling which s the charm
OF watercolor is lacking. Following Is clear piece
OF modelling in Mr.. L. c. Earies bury longshoremah,
picturesquely called Sand snipc" aad after that
some good landscapes by Messrs. r. NJ. Shurtlc C. NJ.
Dewey, Edward Gay, Ben Foster and W. L. Lathrop.
Mr.. Childe Hassam breaks the line of landscapes with
rainy street scene which suggests that he things
through blue veil as Mr. Franzcn sees them through
yellow His picture is interesting, but its truthful
is doubtful Just beyond this is pastel study
of flowers by Miss Berthe Art newcomer, whose
work has been favoraby noticed at the Autumn Acad
envy, and who shows here again extreme solldty and
conscentiosness in execution. step further on hangs
OF the few attempts at sentimental genre, Love
Story" BY Mr.. F. r. Green. The story is poorly told
Above it is "A Fairy Tale" by Mr. George 3arsc in
which the characters two little nude children lead
ing lion. This is likewise lame production Miss
McChesney in interior study, "Ihe MONDAY Meal
he Of realism OF
the Dutch school. She has not yet succeeded in OBJ
tanning the transparent color and subtle feeling which
illuminate the realism Of her masters, but she shows
more progress in this than she has shown in any other
Of her sketches lately exhibited From Miss McChesney
picture we pass to cattle piece by Mr.. McIlhenny I'M
portant by virtue of its size and position. but sadly
deficient in strength of workmanship; to group OF
clevery conceived but not cleverly executed fan
cies by Mr.. Albert Herer; to an opcnair study by Mrs
R. II. Nichols, called Purple and GOd,' which Is rich
In purple, but utterly innocent OF gold; to two well
generazed pictures OF shipping on the Thames, by
Mr. G. Dixon Peonies" the best OF Mr.. Wiess four
figure studies, and 10 landscape and shore stud
les by Mr. Bruce Crane and Mr. W. S. Rob
inson Then comes the solitary bit Of humor
in the entire exhibition Mr.. p S. Newels
"The Water Colorist," baby norman sketching be-
meath the sea, a conoeit that only Mr. Church has
rivalled. Miss Adele McGlnniss Sleep" is the only
serious subject here. 1t represents angel poised
above a bed Of peoples, with enormous wings spread
motonless behind her. The wings far too large,
and the figure is too rigid, but at least the design
original and thoughtful, rare thing 1t Is the pres
ence Of shade Of toughtfuness in Miss Searss rather
heavily painted Portrait of Woman" that lends in
terest to that picture fine Nantucket Landscape by
Mr.. Nichols small in dimensions but spacious in feel
ing; meadow scene by Mr. Rosenberg, that only ers
in being a little too carefully analysed a sllvcry
marine by Miss Hollowel; study Of tulips by Miss
Dillon and pictures by Messrs. Burleigh and Graves
are among the remaining points Of attraction in the
| first gallery.
The second gallery, which Is smaller than the first
contains four five significant pictures. Two land
scapes by Mr.. Abbot II. Thayer welcome contribu
tons from an artist who has heretofore exhibited In
oils alone. They show him working in field, but
have the originality. vigor and sentiment which
are familiar In his portraits. Mr. George Inness also
furnishes pleasant surprise in two small sketches OF
Niagara Falls 1t Is surprising TO find him working III
water colors but Ii Is not TO find him treating the
Falls a. he does with thorough unconventionallty Mr..
The figure really moves and has character The little
study in pale green tnts called Thoughts by Miss
| Louise King mot by Louis King, as the catalogue
| states) Mr. Bnnner's Lutte Player" and Miss Sher-
woods Sleeping Baby are commendable and there
is striking frame full of miniature sketches by Mr..
Curran Of willows they appeared at different
seasons of the year. Mr. symingtons portrait OF the
Spanish dancer Otero, has the merit OF being i'm.
| mediatey recognizable The Bavarlan Peasants" of
Mr. Keller Is forclble and sympathetic sketch OF two
pictorial types. Mr. Foss had almost as good an OPP
portunity in his German Officer, but failed TO i'm
prove IT. The same judgment might be passed upon
dozens Young artists whose water-c0lors figure In
this exhibition II would be proftless to discuss them
| in detail.
crrptr 4 pv DIT 1--WE CO.'S III pHTI ADEIpHIA