The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-31
so,tc oUxsz1oxs OF ARE
Thomas y. Reed, Sy John Sargent.

s0ME QUHszI0xs OF ARE
Thomas =. Reed. sy Jeh. Sargent.
Not long ago statue OF Bruno was set up In
an italian town. More recently the Congress
| Of these United States ordered portrait OF
one Of its members at the hands OF Mr.. John
Sargent May we not conclude that the world
doth mover Mr. Sargent accepted the com
mission and executed IL In London during the
summer. and the result may now be seen In
the Schaus gallery on Fifth avenue. 1t Is well
worth seeing. One cnn almost believe that
when this bit Of Samson's handiwork IL hung
in the camp OF tho Philistines they Will Ike It,
And every one else surely must like It 1t por.
trays the Honorable Thomas b. Reed. 1t more
than portrays him. It celebrates him. MIR.
Sargent shows him to be not merely person
OF we'll marked individuality. but parsonage
We feel that no is q big man and that no knows
| II. Yet we do not feel that he Is determined to
| force the knowledge upon us. He Is simply
taking tho world into his confidence In the
| most genial possible way. He appreciates
himself. aud the fact makes him 30 happy
| that no narrow partisan bias limits the cordial
greeting which his humorous eyes bestow upon
| us Whatever he may have seemed to good
Democrats when he sat in the Speakers
| chair. on this canvas he is wholly delight
full The fact Is worth emphasizing. as MIR.
Sargent has been accused OF making some OF
his sitters less delightful in paint than to the
casual eye they had seemed In the flesh.
| And perhaps it may DO interpreted rs
warning to the possible sitters OF the
future. Don't pose for Mr.. Sargent"
It seems to say. IF you suspect that you
have O soul which. II clearly revealed.
will do you discredit. He will not attempt the
task Of deepening tho impression you havo
been trying to mako upon the world. He will
get his own impression OF you. and will express
that. OF course there is chance that it may
DO wrong one. But there is greater chance
that 1t will DO truer ono than your other &C.
quaintances have. Don't sit to him. therefore.
IL you feel you are running any risks. But il
you aro man like Mr.. Reed. who keeps moro
good things beneath the surface OF his counte-
nance than he commonly reveals by 1t. you
may thank your good angel II Sargent gets
chance to paint YOU" It Is to be hoped that Mr..
Reed has thanked Congress very heartily.
Mr.. Reed was not painted with his sash:
sashes are not worn during the London sea-
son. He Is all in black except for bit Of
white shirt front which shows on either side
OF his decorous neckte. and bit OF gold
watch chain which ho is fngering-not idly.
for We cannot imagine any Of his least move
ments idle ones. but with an air that shows he
was not afraid even OF the keenest portrait
painter OF our day. Nor is he painted at full
length. We see only hall his figure and half
OF his right hand. while o piece OF the right
elbow and all the left arm with a
bit OF its shoulder are likewise cut
away by the frame. Why. one won
ders. was tho figure thus awkwardly
placed on tho canvas1 Did Mr. Sargent mis-
calculate the expanse OF chest presented to
him Or was he simply short OF canvasesp Or
did he craftily reflect that thus to truncate
the model would but better explain that it had
been very big one? In either case we wish
that he had worked differently. for had the
half figure been completely shown. just filling
but not overpassinR the canvas. as does for
instance. the burly form Of Holben's Gold
smith" in the Dresden gallery. the picture
would havo gained In dignity and reposc.
Even as it stands 1t is eminently. marvellously
digni1ed and reposefuL and so 1t seems q sin
that it should not be perfect in these respects.
Despite its vigor. point, and briliancy as
rendering Of character and the Incompatible
dash and breadth OF its handling. tho impress
sion the portrait makes is one OF extreme sim
plicity and great distinction. Here at least no
| ono can call Mr.. Sargent eccentric. or say
| that he strovo for mere effectiveness. that he
| was anxious merely to show how magnificent
| ly he could paint. that he was not serious" or
| ''sincere" or well balanced" or any Of the
other things which he almost invariably is but
which stupid people keep on declaring heis not.
Lovers OF the painters art. as such. will adore
this work for its mastery insistence upon es.
sentisls. its mastery neglect OF unimportant
details But lovers of finish" will also be
satisfied with 1t II they consent to stand for
enough away to perceive not the paint.
but the effect the paint was intended to
produce. 1t Is beautifully drawn-the model
ling OF the high bald crown. for example. is o
wonder OF delicate definition. And 1t is beauti-
full In color. too. the rudy face contrasting
strongly with the white pate and tho black
coat. yet uniting with them in a tone Of salts
tying unity. strength. and clearness. There
has. OF course. been no attempt to secure
"tone" in the cant studio sense. This at
least is one sin OF which no cackIer has ever &C.
cused John Sargent Yet fresh from the
easel Mr.. Reed could hang In any gallery of
the Old World and not look crude or
raw or toneless. The picture Is as
frank in color as nature itself. yet as
harmonious as though It wore four centuries
old. Its splendid balance. dignity. and dis
tinction cannot be too often insisted upon. for
| 1t Is these qualities. far more than any tech
micah cleverness, which put it IN the ranks OF
the worlds great portraits Yct how bewilder-
ingly clever 1t isl One rarely sees anything In
the way Of execution that even approaches the
manner In which the Swallowed cheek and the
massive chin In full light have been rendered:
two or three sweeps OF the brush and yet the
modelling is as solidly realized as 1t was well
intentioned. The merry black eyes and the
mouth which seems to smile yet does not
break It's firm curves are o delight to see
and delight to study for the man
ner Of their creation. The hand. though
| scarcely more than sketched In is as
solid. alive and individual as the head. AMI.
in short. the moro one studies this wonderful
piece of portraiture the moro one realizes
what wonderful piece Of painting 1t also is
It is hardly right though. to name these two
qualities as though they could be contrasted
They arc really one and the same; for. al
though man must be moro than q clever
painter to DO an admirable portrait painter.
conld any one give us such n portrait who was
not aLlo to paint as tho great demi-gods OF the
brush used to paint In tho great old days2
This young demi.god has mover I believe
n 4, Al A.