The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-08
SOME oursrroys or AR
TIE water Color ExAibiSsea as the Academy.
rIRsT NOTICE.

TIE water Color ExAsb,sssa ~ the Academy.
FIRST NOTICE.
Thore 10 no disputinR about questions OF
color. Arguments may explain and COMPARE
sons may prove whether the forms in a pic
ture are right and the composition skilful:
whether values are intellieently interpreted.
character we'll expressed. and the story. II
there is any. conveyed In . lucid way But
how shall we decide by the reason whether
color is agreeable to the eye or not. especially
as we cannot ever be sure whether II looks the
same to every eye? We all use the same
names for the color OF the sky or the tree
but who Is to say whether green does not
affect your eye as blue affects mine: whether
what We call red is not the same ocular sensa-
tion to which you have been taught to give the
name OF Yellow Many persons. OF course. do
not see colors at all. or only distinguish
two or three where normal eyes distinguish
more. And though It is probable that all nor
NAL eyes receive in the same fashion the I'm
pact OF these varying vibrations which pro-
duce varying effects OF color It is impossible
to be sure that they do. Therefore there is no
disputine about color. Each person may de-
eide for himself whether the color OF picture
pleases him or not. and no one can Cainsny
his decision. although declaring different one
All OF which means. naturally. that there is
nothing about which people dispute so eagerly
and persistently as about color. And con-
spcuous case in point Is Mr.. Abbey's inter-
esting water color in the present exhibition at
the Academy Of Design. 1t represents the
scene from Measure for Measure" where
Mariana is listening to the pages music: and
all observers seem to agree that It has certain
patent faults and certain conspicuous merits.
1t Is not as skilfully composed as we might
expect work OF Mr.. Abbey's to be. Mariana
sits on couch toward the left OF tho picture.
the page stands toward the right in doorway
at some distance from her. and between the
two rises great green porcelain stove which
Is more prominent In tho scheme than either
OF the figures and cuts the composition so de-
cidedly as almost to make two pictures where
there should have been one. This being the
case. the pictures story Is not so we'll told as 1t
might be. Neither in its expression OF Shake
speares words. nor in pictorial dignity and
charm as such. is this conception nearly as at
tractive as the one in black and white bearing
the same name which Mr.. Abbey recently con-
tributed to the pages Of Ha,per's Magazine
But on the other hand. nothing could be more
admirably skilful than the way In which he
has painted his figures and accessories. From
the faces of the figures to the rendering Of the
little medBvsl painting which hangs on the
wall there Is not an inch OF this drawing
which does not deserve admiration as
an example Of the utmost delicacy OF
definition secured without loss OF breadth
or OF Vigor and freshness or touch.
In all this. we think. every one will agree.
but when the color Of the picture is named,
disagreement and argument begin. There
are some who call its color crude and ugly, or
hard and common. or cheaply effective. or
overcharged: and there are others who think
1t surprisingly fine. with n rich sensuous quail
ity very rarely achieved in aquarelle. Our
own vote goes with the latter class Of critics.
with the qualification. merely. that the color
effect Of the picture would be better had its
deep and gorgeous notes been somewhat diff
ferently distributed. That is. the two strong
red notes. one given by the bed hanglngs DO.
hind the pages figure. and the other by the
cushion near Marana's arm form two centres
for the color harmony. and thus in color as
we'll as In linear composition the picture lacks
unity. But otherwise the color effect seems to
us very beautiful. and there are minor pas
ssges. as in Mariana's dress and the contrast
ing cushions. which are so firm yet delicately
lovely In their modulations that they could
hardly be surpassed in charm by the petals Of
flower. However. we may be all wrong.
which is to say that other eyes may see colors
very differently from our own.
Few other pictures among the 676 which
compose the exhibition stand out very con-
spicuously from the wallis But, as always
Mr.. La Farge's do He sends study OF half
draped figure. No. $50. and picture with three
figures showing Samoan Girls Carrying a
Canoe" No. 236. which is very interest
ing in its Interpretation Of unfamiliar
human types and exotic vigor OF color
But more beautiful than either Of these. and
to our minds more interesting. is No. l7S.
oil lro, ,,;o tab,
OF Maona Roa Morea. one OF the Society
Islands. at dawn. The dignity OF the lines in
this picture is as great as the beauty Of the
color. the huge peak rising purple against a
clear green sky with tiny white cloud touch
ing its summit. This is poetry in landscape
painting. and poetry which has an accent Of
almost epic grandeur.
Even more truly than in former years IL may
be said that the exhibition is strongest in land
scape work. Few figure pictures deserves Sc
rious attention. Mr.. Joseph Boston sends q
clevery and broadly handled profile head Of
child in brown bonnet, called Little Miss"
No. 1O4. and a study head OF a boy. also in pro-
file. No. 479. Miss Phinney's simple little fig
ure OF girl in white. called Ennui." No. 81.
is nicely painted and good In character. Miss
Sears has not attained to the interesting ex-
preston OF character in her large half figure
called "A Canoness." No. 500. but has painted
it intelligently and vigorously. Mr.. George
Wharton Edwards is manly and clever. II not
especially individual. in his Dutch scenes. "A
Village Sabot Shop" No. 342. Winter Market
Day" No. 1913. and" Dutch Kitchen" No.
523. where girls in blue dresses are working
in strong white light Mr.. Wiles contributes
an interesting little half-fgure called "A
Study OF Reflected Light" No. 1925. and
near by hangs little head by Mr.. Curran. No.
Bob which might bear the same title strong
reflections from the purple dress falling on the
face. Mr.. Francis Day is much below his usual
average In his large picture called Evening""
No. 331. where both the landscape and the two
idealistic figures are painted In softly nerve-
less fashion. Mr.. Will H. Robinson's ION the
North Sea-" No. 49, is large drawing OF
fsherfolk unloading their boats with two wo-
men carrying basket between them in the
foreground: the effect OF white misty atmos-
phcre is we'll rendered and the figures are vital:
and still better work OF the sort. because