New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-06
HOLIDAY BOOKS.
F. HoPKINSON SMITHS AMERICAN ILLUS
TRAITORS"

TI,A1 CRS. -
AMERICAN ILLUSTRATORS. BY F. Hophnson
cIlbner's Sons New-York. 1902
TIE GREAT STREETS OF THE WORLD PIP. Xii,
c53. Charles Scribncr's sons.
IN GOLD AND SILVER. by George II. Eliwangcr
Illustrated. 1Gmo. PIP 1876. ID. Appleton & CO.
A WONDER BOOK FOR GIRLS AND BOYS. By
N waI1@r rrann PoySl 3. " pp. x, BIO Eo5ton
Ioughton. Mlnln & Co., 1898.
TIE GOOD THINGs OF LEE Sinh Series Ser OBJ
LIES FAIRY TALES. By J. a. Mitchell. 16mo
PIP. III. F. a. Stokes co.
The American illustrator tolls so industriousy
10 beautify the books brought ont at this season
Of the year that there is peculiar fitness in the
publication of a holiday volume devoted to praise
Of his works. and reproductions of some Of the
best of the latter. But a good book on the
American illustrator would he welcome at any
time As a topic of discussion his freshness and
suggestivcness arc perennial. No ono mas sald
the last word about him, because oven If the type
were not constantly developing it Is at any ra'e
Protcan. Mr.. Henry James has discourscd OIL
black and white art as cXcmplifed IN the pictures
of ono group Of Americans. Mr. fehheH mas
treated and treated comprchcnslvely and We'll,
the designers whose best work has been done
with the pen Mr.. Coffin has written, IN one OF
the periodicals. on illustrators in various mcdiuMS'
mon whose STYLES he could only illustrate in
monochrome. q
about illustrators in which no restrictions have
been observed with reference 10 mediums, ana
IN which fac-similes show what the men can do
In color rs well as in black and white. And yet
tho STANDARD book on American illustrators re-
mains 70 he written. The subject is no small
one The Illustration of books and periodicals
has not simply enlisted the talents of a great
many American artists 1t las called those
talents TO the surface, it has formed them ana
nourished them. by giving them experience IL
has enabled mon like Abbey and Rcinhart TO
perfect themselves. and by giving them puplclV
f. has assisted them TO the attainment OF STATUS
they might have conquered alone, but h2rdly rs
SOON. II has. moreover tended to concentrate an
immense number of men on specially 10 give
rs In one direction at least standing which we
can boldly call National. With materials such
Ms this n volume of positive and lasting value
could be written Tie value Of Mr.. Smiths book
Is relative in the first place. because he has been
limited az to space: in the second place. because
he has thought it well to occupy himself within
his circumscrbod field partly with tie char2c-
tcristcs of American illustrators, and partly with
the conveyance of " some idea of the atmosphere
surrounding the art life of New-York-rcally tho
centre Of our American Bohemia Views on art
that arc communicated TO the reader In reports
of familiar conversations held III an atmosphere
of drinkaDlcS ana smoke, as All tilc tOIlN'lN'i''
reported in this book were whether ar the Century
Club. Oscars" the Tile Club, private studio
or tho Academy Of Design, may be clever, they
NAV even be sound, hut they are not likely to
he taken seriously There can he no doubt, how
over. of the success which this book must obtain
with a popular audience Granted the form IN
which he has preferred TO present his remarks
Mr. Smith falls no whit below the readable,
entertaining Lowell which he has reached In ms
otlcr writings. The - Doctor, pungent ana
eccentric parsonage who makes the longest speeches.
in the book and is making them al the time, Is
himself tribute to Mr. Smiths faslionng power
that this book, taken literary whole, Is not
md the opinions he expresses are worth nearing
II is very true that Abbe} innate, personal re-
fnemcnt is the subtle quality which permeatcs
and underlies every touch of his brush, ana 'haU
without that he might draw like the great Michael
and paint like Rembrandt and yet would never
have been the Abbey he is-the Abbey of IIcrrick
and Goldsmith"
Mr. Smith is professed optimist on the sub
iect of American art lie AYERS in his introduce
ton that because Of his belief in the future OF the
former he is less disposed to criticize detects,
which every year grow less, and ms five talks re-
feet practically little but admiration for the men
of whom he speaks. All things considered land
especially the reproductions which accompany his
text IL is not difficult TO acre" Win MN. OhI|
words of appreciation spring 10 the lips as We
turn the pages and come upon Illustrations OF the
quaintncss Of Abbey, the versatility and dcAterity
Of Reinhart, the pictuIesquenes' OF Howard rye,
the imasnatiyeaess of Neddcr. the refinement Of
Gibson. the originality Of Church. the decorative
beauty of Blum the broad truthfulncS Of Homer
and the irresistible fun of Frost, who has con-
tributed delicious caricaturc Of Mr.. Smiths own
manner, a Venetian study called Translooscenc",
in which there is an artist in a gondoa painting
q view of q very distant and phantom-like Venice
on huge stretCher, and in which three pail hlrch
conically in the foreground. Underneath is the
jingle:
can l.at lll.1m dnlar