New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-09
AN AMERICAN EXHIBITION
PICTURES BY FIVE ARTISTS.

Smedley, Mr. w. Hamilton Gibson, and Mr.. and ~, ~
r. V. v. Seweli, have collected their works Of N, -
few years and have filed all but one of the Am,r..
Art Associations nlleres with them. It Is o,yt,-,
a gathering Of studio driftwood, but many CA.
finished pictures are hung well the numerr-
small experimental studies which are expected IA =.
hlbltIons OF the sort. Mr.. Stokes occupies thu a.
gallery with f,ftys pictures. He makes an earuea ~
for popularity as figure painter IN two works MA
easly detach themselves from their SURROUNDINGS $.
cause OF their subjects, but IL " more TO his adysn.
TO be Judged as q laDdscspst. In each OF the 49,.
periods In his development which arc illustrated ~
he shows that landscape is prominently his ms,,
In the latest OF all his productions those dated ,se
and hung together on one side OF the room he u.-,
to have come nearer the definite and authoritative 49,
preston of his individuality than he has anyvts,.
else. That Individuality Is extremely ssuua,.
and poetic Tho late pictures, "Esrly spsn.
Moonlight In TIE Dunes" @woodland and Stars. No.,
light and half dozen Others In the same MI.
testify to very strong feeling for dim, cvaaesoect liza,
effects They suggest also that Mr.. Stokes mas han,
to poetic In advance OF acquiring . full scienss.
knowledge of lbs materials, that bis perception n.s
be sharpcned still further before he do pers,s,
successful work But he has at any rate erred On IL
right side. He has discovered something that h a.
IDENTIFY had not even thought Of when he painted IN
Dunes Along the Sea, SUNSET with It's raw va.
landscape giving It tone, and his recent experiment.
mark distinct gain In breadth upon his earlier wortu
lie sees his subject more as whole than no did 10,
merly That he has already something Of an eye for
more varied play Of light and shade is seen in No. ~
Afternoon There are fewer sharp accents Ia Ss
49, Dunes Sunlight but this Is one OF the warmcx
of the pictures and one Of the FRESHEST n
color Mr.. Stokes's two figure paintings meniicpsf
above are both OF children, one representing TIA
Procession of the Virgin in which two whte-rofed
little girls are the principal figures the other two
orphans resting beside their mothers grave They
are composed with originality, but The Orphans hes
the commonplace color Of the typical Salon picture,
and the other Is 100 hard and glittering in It's treatment
of the vouminous white gauze wells OF the cldreG In
third figure study, called "a Good Sermon thee b
shrewd reading Of character. In Of thesc how.
ever has Mr. Stokes the same quality OF sentiment
and paint that he has In his later landscapes.
The first Of the smaller galleries upstairs Is crowded
with over q hundred sketches by Mr.. w. I. smeily.
A handful Of them are In water coors the pretty at
of domestic genre "A Thanksgiving Dinner Which
won the Evans prize at the Water Color show Of iaso
the humorous shit called The Census Enumezs~';
the sentimental singeSgire subject, "octOber,' Nd
one or two others which have been exhibited kxN
An unfamiliar water color Is No. 14l, summer DzJ
on the Bronx In which the sunlight is stronger than
would be asked of a working much In black I'd
white as Mr.. Smedley does The rest Of the eoleeia
Is made I'D Of the originals of Illustrations which have
been printed from time 30 time in the Harper PERIOD
icals Mr.. Smedey is among the most accomplish
members Of WHAT might be called the American ahOd
of society drauglftsmen Feminine costume as 1t Is
seen at watering places In the summer and at resorts
like the horse show In winter finds In him ILLUSTRATOR
of Just the requisite Insight and style. When he can
introduce men In evening costume into his pictures he
wholly satisfactory, he gives perfect cptomes Of nne
teenth century social appearances. Mr.. cmedley
never satrca that Is not his MISSION but he has often
touches Of humor as in the sketches Of rotund Nj.
Port, for Janvlers " The Uncle Of Angel
Another Harper" illustrator, Mr.. W. Hamilton
Gibson, fills the next room with about seyenty-hs
water colors and pastels studies OF rural NewEngand
Their best characteristic Is their painstaking deha
ton Of details Mr. Gibson is careful 10 indicate clearly
the character not only of his trees. but Of the wA
flowers which dot his fairgrounds. Happily he pre-
serves fluent tonch in the midst OF his botanical
labors. AT intervals he is fairly summary IN M
treatment Of masses, but even in these pictures tbs
analytical mood creeps In, In the foreground Of No.
49, "Equinoctlal Weather" In spite Of HE long en-
gagement upon illustrative work. Mr.. Gibson Is SUI
all acceptable coloIist. Many Of these Landscapes
were done during the last two three months, and
they reproduce with considerable effectiveness inc
glowing tints of autumn.
The great gallery upstairs has been handed over 70
Mr.. r. V. V. Sewell and Mrs. Amanda Brewster
Sewell, whose paintings number seventy four alto
gether. Mr. sewelrs work ranges from the iaFse
painting OF an old French peasant woman, dated 1850
which recalls an exhibition liz these same galleries.
openair studies OF the nude done In the present yea
The stride taken in the i've years which have eapsea
since the sst picture painted is enormous. Mt.
Sewell in his peasant subject like Mr.. stokes 10 hs
picture Of The Orphans" is suggestive of character
lacc I'M
Stokes again. he is himself and vigorous In No. SOs'
"SpritesD and No. 3l4 Bacchantes,7 he gives rein V
an original, buoyant fancy and composes with muca
grace and vitality. The two bounding figures ID
"Sprtes7 are exceptionally strong in the sus'
gesdCk o. swift, eccentric movement, ana
the procession Of "Bacchantes," in the pet
ure of that name, Is full Of the reckless lovial
spirit which the theme necessltates. may Ts y
Witch Of No. 303, and La Cleaie,n Of No. 100, -,
wear the same peculiar hooded Cloak 1t Is not pisSo"t
reservations. They are trliie unnatural, even Mea
allowance is made for the strong outdoor light anae.
which they were painted; Yet they have asness'
kind of beauty which charms while II dsappoih'.;;
They are vast improvements upon The teless tns C =,
in 1855 The purity, grace and spirit Of Mr. sewels
nude figures make them remarkable. Ills landscape
work. done in Tangiers, Holland and America Is credit
Mrs seweli is versatile artist. Her first work .
consequence large Frenchfed picture OF ousy \,
realistic qualities Three years later she won tns
Dodge prize at the Academy with an outdoor poesuS
OF Miss Dora Wheeler and since then she hss paines
portraits landscapes, and fancf designs similar "a
Style to Mr.. Sewells All these pictures are nans
this ex hibition The Lavor In the Gatanas' s'l
an example OF masculine energetic work and equals
it does not surpass for solidiy and truth. anything
else in the collection. The portrait OF Miss wnee,sS
also retains its charm. Ii Is Infinitely better tha u
big Portrait Of Mother and Son. done under stue
light waach hangs few PAGES on Mrs s even md
newest pictures, . Sylvan Festival "sappho, az.
Pleasures of the Past have repose and stateins'
in the figures and the color is In lower key tna s
scwes. Perhaps her influence was resp9nSnU ns 70 70
Athena" sort Of Hector Leroux compositon done "a
the two artists In collaboration. Yet Sae mas Psi
southern studies. She has the faculty OF sueseS.
warmth without undue inslstenee upon the siafo ="