New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-08
ART NOTES.
ETcu1NGs IN coLoRs BY MISS cAssATT-RELioS
OF RossETTT.


OF RossETTI
=, ihooItbv tmnuIse toward naturalsm combines WIN
n strain of French decadence to give character W .o
ton etchlncs in colors by Miss Mary Cassa'V' "Hi,
have inst appeared at the Wunderch gallery ~ Is "
tho ubo1esome elements In her talent tnat Mls'
Cassatt,s preference for commonplace moues III a'U
tudes of everyday life and her simple ueatlhon. "
color must be ascribed 1t Is morou lnstin'O -
4 douhtless responsible for the cOoring OF the e'chs
~ all and the Introduction Of that peculiar nalVe'e'
having an eve 10 effect which has been cuI'Na'eu "
Coro1Iet Rochegrosse and other Partisan eNpefiies
ISIS I'm recent Illustrative work. II Is necessary " ~
outset therefore, to accept the etchngs WIN reo'
tlons These once stated the charm OF the "oiA ~.
mains II is n purely decorative charm' IL NV
wa, suggested to Miss Cassatt by France ene oHsa
direction of her work in the present instance was J
ne certainly determined by Japan. Her method Is t'
made familiar to us by those Japanese prints IN "ni.
6Cures and accessories are detached lroh uie D"'A
ground partly by modelling but cheny Dy 'he 'h"4p
opposltlon of one fat color to anOther' Ill oio u
Miss Cassats plates which shows TWO WOMEN anu
child crossing the Seine In omnibus the dresses Vi
,h egrras the seat and it's back the river and lts
sbores each count as one decided tint. These tnts
are arranged tremendously but with no grauacons ollo
color balances that next to IT. there IS no suO'''S Ia
voyed The sense Of relief conveyed IN mis- way 10
sufficient but it is of the sort that Is graspeo 10 .e
full extent only when the artists unconventional poh'
% ,o,v i and granted. The beauty OF such
work dcpends upon the artists taste In the dlscmha
ton of colors and upon her veracity MISS CaSsD 10
NOT alone a safe coorist but displays her oils"n'J
most in this respect evolving new, sulkus' So'
ALWAYS simple combinations out Oh uIe Iha
terials offered in print dresses, screens hahs
ipo- and papered walls. In piate OF mo1ief
aressnr her infant the background IS pale blue the
woman is seated In an ollve-upholstered chair ana
90 "a dressed In apple green. The child Is haheo
and has the pink flesh of babyhood In announcer YUM
position of similar simplicity mother wrapPeu ~
black lowered yellow washes her child by the siue "a
a dull blue bathtub. As a draughtswoman MISS as
at belongs to the school of Manet which extehuacs
rotbinc lint reports physical appearances frankly
almost brutality The models for her TWO stuues Vi
eeninudc women were evidently unovely ana sue IDS
made no effort TO disguise the TRUTH IL Is '"e i4
less spirit which, applied TO her chuce Vi suO!eo''
also makes her pictures admirable NOt one vi '0
ten rises above a plane of the most uhiiVeres'ine
realsm-twO girls gosspping at tea-taDle' "ohai
dressing attended by her maid girl sealing io'ei
q. an escritoire-hese are of the SUBJECTS pu"
they have decorative possibilities of which MISS LAS
satt has made the most turning every piece Oh
furnItu,e or brc-a-brac to colOnsuc account. mus
the positive merits of her etchings are eoslnerae
The criticism Of work of art for what II Is iOV 10
ALWAYS secondary and has offer been proved vain
thing but it is not wholly Irrelevant to ask MISS
Caati,s echngs are strictly entitled to their name
Tbav may be classified with etchings but 1t must DC
on the strength of technically The aheuaee VI
line that is TO say the etched une is the vehicle OF
a noble art which Is superior 10 engraving in
h. Urine of It's greater SpOntaneity II Is more hdtuuy
creative Engraving, an essentially reprouuISSutHo
arr countenanceS the use Oh Color ~. l1o.n
its 0 fine creative character it should not pe
frtled with IL is rarely that manlpulaoIs nhe fcA
| nuhot or FelicieE Reps can be taken seilouS9H'
However, the success Of an attempt at 1e nd MISS
Of beauty must be the measure OF Its rhle anu nlI
Cassatt has trihed with etching SO eAceilehuy VII
that she deserves applause. but IL must De leT Th
hered that n this case she has been Only uullie
exten sion of the capabilities Of any medium OF us0
expression Is laudaDe in far ms II avoids tie LsO
dnri1on of extrnneous matter. To commit uls Liist
nentioned error simply testihes To misaPpenesiou
~ the scope of the particular art pTactseu OF 70 III
ahIity 10 accomplish legitimate results Wltl ~ Ioho
Miss Cassatt has demonstrated before lnls' dn %
Ire NJ her command Evidences OF her skill are
rich I'm these colored etchings IN the Dts Oh ueHcato
Ina work ON hands and heads, ana III inc Ooi9
,no.stive handling OF the main lines IN her compost
tlons ny her brevity, too She sho~s H Thp nI.,ss
an etcher Then why drag in COLOR Ihese pi h
| ara Charming but much the same efects coui1 nave
bcen obtnined with water colorS-the use OF wuch Is
indeed surgested-and the artist would not nave Ill
| rnrred the suspicion OF faddsm. II,
Students Of Rossetu are invited TO inspect GousC
| lion of relies attributed to their master nj D.. W.
H0uton's The collection consists Of -FOUR works IN
| nI wellflled studio ScrapbooR, poruoho "
| yboto0ranhs and a diary Of household expenses ~
IS said 10 have been purchased IRON ei" S " VIII
lam Michael Rossettis sgnatuIc Two OF ue oI,s aie
entitled respectively "Seercss OF brerCrst ana itAna
vr,,na freller or Seeress7 Thee BTerorst Seeress
hos the attenuated features full lips and wlstinl
melancholy ewes which are aSsocldtSo III 'he 'N WAN
| nearly any figure subject by Rossetu