New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-15
ENGLISH ART.
A CONCISE VIEW OF 1T AS DISPLAYED THIS
YEAR IN THE NEW GALLERY AND
TIE ROYAL ACADEMY

Or the best Of what is 10 he seen, for a coupH
Of shilngs-a shilling at the modest doorway OF
the New Gallery in Regent Street. and another
shilling al the more stately vestbue OF the Roya
Academy in its proper home at Burlington House
III he be not satisfied with these, there are dozen
minor exhibitions; the latest of them Professor
llerkomers in Bond Street. Mr.. Ilerkomer, like
more than one other English painter OF renown
is only English by adoption, or by annexation
But such is the condition of art in this country
That thosc who for il glad OF any good work
10 which they car lay claim, by help of natural
ization or otherwise. The adjective good is
perhaps strong to apply to Mr.. llerkomer S
painting II might be good, or, At any rate,
better, if, TO quote once more the wise Criticism
from the Vicar of Wakefield, the artist had taken
more pains Mr. TIerkomcr has energy industry,
enormous ambition; and is always in hurry.
lie has, beside his own exhibition, two pictures
at the New Gallery and five al the Royal
Academy. II can hardly be said that any one
Of them is finished
II there be any influence that prcdomnatcs in
both the New Gallery and The Royal Academy, il
Is the commercial and when it is not commercial
it is apt to Ike realistic Mr. IIcrkomcr Will do
very well as an example of the commercial. The
realistic finds n conspicuous Interpreter in Mr..
Stanbope FORBES Mr. Forbes is of a Young school
which has certain merits. and among them. IL it
he merit, that of q shrewd guess at the popular.
Mr. Forbes has painted his Forging of the Anchor
the average picture buyer would like to have
1t painted If a comparison may be drawn from
a kindred art-for are not all arts kindred. or is
there in fact, more than one art ?-he handles his
subject very much as Mr. Becrbohm Tree does
Hamlet at the Haymarket Theatre. The red light
of Mr. Forbcs's forge. and the red light which
turns Mr. Trees face blood-rcd as he bends over
the stage-ire. the same or are sprung from
the same conception of art. Both belong TO the
school, il it he school. of sensational realism
Mr.. Irving was beforehand with both of them :
the rudy glare which incarnadincs the face of
Matthias in The Bells. when he opens the stove
door, is the prototype of Mr.. Trees and MIR.
Forbess Examinations.
take Mr.. Forbes's picture, not because it is
intrinsically important except in the picture
dealers sense. but because it is supposed to indi
cate the theory of group Of men who are try
ing hard to come TO the front. They desire 10
reconcile conflicting aspirations: to produce some
thing novel and striking, and yet TO keep inside
the narrow limits of the general English interest
In art The English public wants story, or in
default of story, wants 10 see upon canvas the
counterfeit vet literal preScntmcnt OF some scene
or fact well within its own range Exclude the
work Of half a dozen men whose fame was long
since made eXcludc-or include IL does not much
matter which.-thc portraits: make further
exception in favor Of few men to whom the
motto art for arts sake" is a maxim of conduct
and when you have done this you may sum up
both exhibitions in this dis"essingly narrow
classification.
If that he so, what occasion is there for much
serious critcismp An art which has no high aim
and O very moderate technique, which hardly
Strives for originality or expresses any high ind
vidual inspiration-s that all art which counts
for much in the worlds history? In the academy.
as on the stage, the public is much at fault US
the artists that, perhaps is au excuse, 10 some
extent, for the artists. But what we arc con-
cerned with, what matters to the outside world,
IL not the distribution Of praise or bame 1t is the
perception of aims and tendencies and some
accurate knowledge Of what makes for art itself
What one asks oneself is whether these acres Of
colored canvas are, or not, in truth, within
the domain of art in the right sense of the word.
There are, of course, in both galleries interesting
pictures: in neither. perhaps is there any one pre-
eminently interesting. There are certain names
which every year dance before the general eye. and
sometimes dazzle it. This is not one of the daz-
cling years The President of the Royal Academy
b as learned ever and holds himself aloof from
what is modern OF trivial: so far aloof that most
beholdcFs pass him by in kind # puzzled despair
Sir John Millas-but if am to say anything Of
this eminent painter had rather say it next year.
or say it Of his past and best work. Mr.. Orchard
son has made himself again the illustrator of the
Napolconic legend But this pale stout, pas,y figure
and mea 2rcy modelled face, what are they? The
owner of them certainly never conquered con
tinent 1t is clever, not mastery plausible
without sincerity, and without real force Mr.
Watts, 10 whom art is a sacred thing. aims high
but his strength is not, al the moment, great
Mr. Alma Tadema has contentee himself with
painting portraits and cabinet pieces Of which
the very titles indicate the limitations They are
masterpieces of mere painting. Mr. Luke Fildes
exhibits nothing this year hut portraiture: his
Miss lsmay is a brilliant thing Mr. Shannon
is a portrait-2aiuter and there an end TO whom
popularity has not proved a good teacher Mr.
Sargent, busy with studies for his Boston commits
SION. sends nothing 10 either gallery: nor does Mr.
Whistler. nor does Mr. Burnc-Jones who has been
III, ana who is 10 have an exhibition 10 himself
at the New Gallery in JanuNy next
III This he the record OF the best known men for
the year. and If no new man has made his mark
IL were idle indeed 10 dwell the second and
tenth rate painters who cover so much of the wall
space in both galleries. There is no pleasure in
naming artists who have done their best and
failed AS a rule. the least pretentious pictures
are the best many Of them have the merit OF
simplicity and of feeling. and give Won the i'm
preston that the honest man who signs them
knows the restrictions upon his power and has
worked in humble obedience 10 them The land
scapes show but too plainly that Landscape is not
now deemed to be the most remunerative branch
Of art. The animal pictures are essentially popu-
lar. The painters Of men in amor like the
astonishing Mr.. Petite. may challenge the paint
ers Of the pseudo-classical. like Mr.. Waterhouse.-
no discreet umpire would care TO nee a
positive verdict on their respective dement's
Oddly enough-for il is odd-the strength of the
Academy Exhibition NAV almost be said 10 lie in
to sculpture; an art neither loved. often pur
sued with success. In England Mr. Onslow Ford's