Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-17
SPRING SHOW OF PAINTINGS.

IT is safe to say that the finest pictures in
the exhibition of the National Academy OF
Design at New York are Edmund c. Tarbelrs
'In the Orchard;' Autumn" by william
St. John Harper; "An October Day." by A.
H. Wyant; Walter Shirlaw's Psyche" and
! Frank W. Benson's "By Firelight." "ln the
Orchard" hangs at the end of the North
Gallery, and as one sees it from distance it
seems not a canvas, but a living group of
young people gathered under the trees on q
warm, bright summer day. The sunlight falls
through the f1ickering leaves on the figures
beneath; one girl is seated carelesSly on
red bench, her face turned toward young
man who is seen in profile. Another looks
intently out OF the canvas, while third
shows only her graceful back. Tho fourth
girl, who is dressed in white stands at q lit
tie distance from the group, and is in the
full sunshine, her figure especially being
executed in masterly manner, so fine is
Its modelling and so true ARE its values. The
whole picture is vigorous bold and auda-
cious, painted with much force. and Is
remarkable example of the plein air school.
The atmospheric effect is excellent, and toe
figures stand out like those of bas relief.
think it is the best work have yet seen by
that very clever artist, Mr.. Tarbell and it is
one In which he must have encountered
enormous difficulties.
Mr.. Harper wins the Thomas B. Clarke
prize with his beautiful and poetic
Autumn" This is harmonious and dis
Greet in tone; dead leaves lie on the dull
earth, and soft sunset glow is dimly seen
through the bare trees. Against the trunk
OF an oak stands the spirit of autumn her.
self; her dull green and russell draperies
| hang in most graceful lines about her, while
with outstretched arms she catches the
branches and is thus framed by the falling
leaves. This figure is admirable in its draw
ing and modelling, and the picture as a
whole proves that the artist is not only an
accomplished painter, but also a man of
poetic imagination.
Tho Best Landscape.
-"AN October Day." by A. H. Wyant,
is the best landscape in the exhibition. 1t
is a simple and truthful representation of a
brown meadow land and clump of trees
under gray and clouded sky and is painted
with strength and soidity. The perspective
atmosphere and textures of this picture are
admirable.
Walter Shirlaw's "Psyche" is O fine study
of the nude. She is seated, her back turned,
gazing at the two fiuttering butterflies, but,
however hackneyed the subject may be,
there is nothing conventional in its treat
ment. The handling is broad and firm, the
flesh is solid and elastic and fine in tone.
Frank W. Benson has done nothing better
than "By Firelight." 1t shows a graceful
girl in black evening dress seated before
colonial chimney-piece, her feet resting on a
tiger skin. The whole is lit by the Pickering
red glow of the fire, and this effect of light
and shade on The figure is wonderfully well
managed. Altogether it is an admirable
little picture.
Another very strong work is 1.-THE Choir
nv Iuip ploe Aald N
picture, the figures being life size It'll skill
fully composed and harmonious in tone
Charles Sprague Pearre shows O good can
vas, 1.-THE Civil Burial" "Bad News" by
Robert Vonnoh, and Family Group Por-
traits" by John Daboul, have good qualities,
and "The Army Packer" by Frederic Rem
ington, is better than anything else we have
seen from his brush of late, being stronger
in execution and less like colored illustra-
tion than some of his recent work.
Good, Fair, Indifferent.
THE QUILTING PARTY" by Edgar NJ
Ward, represents six women gathered at
work around large table. 1t is we'll drawn
and carefully composed, but seems hard and
dry, the standing figure of girl being the
only one which has life and naturalness.
Carl Newmans nude, called "The Model
is correct and graceful, and has excellent
flesh tones. ga Rainy Afternoon in Madison
Square" is also noticeable, and can Old
Window, Brittany" by Burr H. Nichols, is
very good, its coloring being rich and dis
tinguished. NJ. Colin shows a little picture,
called "a Hot Day." which merits special
notice-an old man stands in his garden
among his cabbages; quite overcome by the
heat, he leans on his hoe and wipes his brow.
1t is-ife-lke and natural, and the sun effect
is captally rendered.
One grows very tired of J. G. Browns bows
and their dogs. We all know them by heart
so comment is unnecessary Suffice it to say
that it seems great pity that an artist of
real ability should allow himself to fall into
the mechanical reproduction of the same
pasteboard figures.
There are no very remarkab BILE portraits in
the exhibition. Eastman Johnson's is per-
haps the best; it is full length and life-size,
and represents young man seate in riding
costume, his crop and hat in hand. This is
q strong work, the tone is good and the text
ures admirably painted. Vonnoh shows a
study of Studio Comrade," which is the
best thing he has eXhibited the pose is easy
and natural and the drawing and tone excel
lent. 1t is done in q low key and is yerv
harmonious. But what can be said of the
two portraits by William NJ Chase! De-
cidedly this artist is depending too much
public favor, else he would never dare ex-
hibit such loose and careless work. Breadth
and freedom of touch are virtues in paint
ing, rs we all know but absolute negligence
is quite another thing, and Mr.. Chase's girl
in red shows no evidence of the hand of the
skilled painter. The tones are false the
pose commonplace and the drawing incor-
rect The portrait Of Miss L. in white.
against a dull blue background, is equally
bad.
Poor Portrait of Carnegie.
WORSE than either of these is s. W.
Woods portrait Of Mr.. Andrew Carnegie. 1t
may be faithful likeness, but it is devoid
of every artistic quality, being thin and fiat
in execution, more like a colored photo
graph than q painting from life. We turn
with relief from these to the excellent work
done in the same line by women: in fact
their many meritorious productions form
feature of the exhibition. Cecilia Beaux's
"Portrait OF Child" is very good, and Anna
E. Klumpke shows three strong portraits,
one in pastel and the other two in oils or
these the portrait of mother and child is
perhaps the best. The lady, dressed in
white, is seated under the trees in the sum-
mer sunshine, and the child leans against |
her knee. The figures are well modelled |
and living, and the whole effect is charming
in the extreme.
Lee Robbins Portrait of the Painter is q |
studied and carefully executed |
work. The background, representing a cor |
ner of her studio, is excellent, and the gen. |
eral tone is good, though the figure lacks |
solidity.
Gabrielle D. Clements exhibits Fortune |
Telling" n very cIeverly handled work, and |
"An Alsatienne," by Mary Buttles also de-