The sun., 1891-04-13
SOME QUESTIONS OF IRf'
Picture. at the A..ae-yf Design.

most interesting Of u presens eoheeuon'
First. II We follow te = ca.a!oEue q, numoeu,
comes Mr.. Parrish's 10 ....e saowery , ren y
Ishsm,s sober. ,,Sligent portrait Of q lady.
No. go which 10 siood In character and sttrae-
,ivslv s,sa y,et that effort after more rretti-
mas which .Arks the typical Academy por-
t,ait In y. Benson's Gsnre called "Twi-
ljcbtn No l23. the figures have a eomewhat
nurnoas,Js look. and the one In the FORE
rronnd lacks solidity. while neither In the
aesh Jr the white draperies is tho quality OF
tbo abstance well expressed. Nevertheless
,hxraceful composition and the clever rem
srinG OF a difficult effect OF lsmpliRht make
his an interesting canvas. Near II hangs
another portrait By Mr.. Sargent. the three
quarter standing figure Of q YOUNG girl IN
evening dress. The head Is . delightful pisoe
OF painting. No task is more difficult than TO
paiat flesh OF this delicate. almost transparent
kind, unless II be to render the character OF q
model Of this sort where an extremely refined
typo and the unaccented expression OF early
girlhood would bo lost by tho least ovsr-em-
phasis. yet. II weakly treated, would turn into
nero inane prettiness. Nothing could be
more Interesting than to compare Mr.. Bar
gents work In this hoad with that in the por-
trait OF Mr.. Vanderbilt to which we have al
ready referred. The pose OF the figure. WITH
10th hands holding two big orchids At H'e
breast, is q little stin. but perhaps tbs lact
only gives fullor expression to the Wy YOUTH
ful character so admirably re.saieo IN tne
head. The only real fault 10 can hno Win
the picture 10 that the b-snt iise nue. Of tile
flowers contrasts dis-sreeably with tho deli
cate pink OF the PTS gown
riyal of /. courier" No. 232. and the Mall
Terr..v OF Mr.. Van Gorder, No. 23S. which
i..sis interesting only as showing by contrast
tilat not every one can paint park scenes a.
charminRly az Mr.. Chase. We are brought to
longer pause before Mr. Tarbells Three Sis
ters," No. 2s4. The artist calls It . "Study 10
June Sunlight" and very good one It 10. and
an excellent piece OF portrait painting - wsil.
On white chairs close against mass OF green
shrubbsry In full food OF sunshine. sit three
young girls; two are dressed In white. and one
Of these. we airing a big red hat. holds baby on
hor lap. while the third is dressed In blue With
awhile hat. The grouping Is natural yet Of
fsctivs; the figures are well indicated: the
heads are sxcsllsntiy done. and the rendering
OF light and Atmosphere is snarkably success
full the very blaze OF 40 American summer
day being expressed ret without . particle OF
overaccen tuatiop. It ID only whom We realize
how many different diflc culties have been mas
tered, how good in ensemble tho picture is. and
despita q viGor which ID all but crude, how
agreeable 1t Is In color that We fully appreciate
Mr.. Tarbells work. and see why this is ono Of
the few really important pictures In the Aead-
envy. 1t 10 pictures like this which show most
clearly that the whole range Of art was not
eompassed or even perceived BY the old mas
ters, and that even when the great landscape
painters OF the lust generation died they left q
wide world for their descendants still to con-
quer. And Mr.. Tarbell proves, moreover that
the results aimed at by what we call the i'm
pressionstic school may be achieved through
q more agreeable way Of painting than We
associate with the members OF this sshool.
In his Memories" No 274. MI. Wilss falls,
perhaps. . little below his usual technical
level. and has not quite succeeded In giving the
sentiment he had in mind. His pensivs girl
looks somewhat as II she were pouting
because she had been turned away from the
piano. Over door near by hangs a picture
that comes With an unfamiliar signature from
Paris, " Portraits Of the Misses H." No. 279 by
Eleanor Norcross. It deserves . better place
as one Of the distinctly successful portraits of
tho year and q very serious and individual
pisce Of work. The thras little girls. dark Of
complexion and profoundly sober Of cir, Gro
shown seated. at thrse-quartsr length. dres.ed
alike in dull pale blue. with large black hats.
two holding tennis rsckets and one bunch OF
decorative" charm in the result, or ct any.
ihinG beyond simple. strsishtfor ward portrait
ure. But this the best and highest aim and
the most difficult to reach. has been we'll
achieved with broad. solid. and capable brush
work One will look with interest for further
specimens OF this young painters work.
With MIR. Picknslls strong marine called
Nearing Home" No. 2S5: Mr.. Wores's Jap
anese Garden" No. 285. and Nj Collins's good
but not especially interesting mans portrait.
No. 295. we name about all that need exam
ination in this room.
Turning to the North Gallery next ws ibd .
nice little example Of Mr.. Horatio Walkers a.
ways attractive II pst very versatile brush.
called Morning" No. lO2. Then, in . lady's
portrait. No. l03. Mr.. Beckuith disappoints Us.
for though there is admirable painting In the
dress. the head lacks tho freshness OF color.
the freedom Of handling. and the vitality Of e1-
preston which he attains when at his best
Not far OF hangs pretty idyllic group by Mr..
Henry Walker. Fortune and the Boy" No.
No. 113. and little genre by Mr.. Watrons,
No. ll6, which ia chsrmingly drawn. but. un-
fortunately. deficient In atmosphere and re-
lief. When he tries Mr.. Watrous con paint
figures which do not look a. il they were
pinned against the wall. Mr.. Chase's big por-
trait ol an old artist ut his easel. No. l1S. is o
vigorous and Interesting work. where no mas
thought less OF color harmonies or other deco
ratve results than OF the simple rendering Of
character. Mr.. Low has an attractive outdoor
study Of . half-draped girl in No. l4S. and No.
ls3. Dancing Girl" is one Of these exquisite
ly drawn bits OF Oriental genre that We always
oxPect from Mr.. Mowbray 1t disappoints US
little. however. for he seldom introduces 80
crude note OF color as here In the green scarf
OF the principal figure. and seldom brings q
background figure so unduly out Of Its place
as is the one whose head seems as near us as
the dancing girl herself. No. 1871. "A Vision OF
Moonrise," shows acompostlon which Mr.. Cox
painted some years ago on much larger scale.
and shows 1t 10 every way to better advantage.
And In No. 1885, Winter Morning In Barn
yard" We fnd q fresh. strong. and truthful
outdoor study by Mr.. G. @. Curraa.
In the West Gallery We notice first o misty
and almost opelescent yet Attractive head Of q
| girl by Mr.. Alden Weir. No. 437. and a winter
Landscape by Mr.. Palmer. No. 439. which Il not
so good as the first ones OF the sort that he
showed US. but better than many hs has done
in the last year or two No. 454 is another cx.
celsnt portrait signed by another new name
| Tha nj palt