The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-11
A BACKWARD GLANCE IN ART

In the retrospective view OF our art Afforded
BY the current exhibition OF tho Society OF
American Artists. in the new and beautiful
Fine Arts building in Fiity-seventh street.
there Is much that is edifying and that should
| stimulate our pride. A simple list OF tho OK
hibitors. indeed. gives evidence TO tho In
itiated OF the merit OF this collection OF paint
fngs and sculpture. and when IL is remem-
bered that these men and women arc repre-
sented by the best and cloverest OF their work.
| some idea is presented OF how important and
Instructive an exhibition 1t is.
The new galleries OF tho Fine Arts building,
including the large hall provided by Mr. Geo.
w. Vanderbilt are superior In arrangement
! and In lighting to any that New York has ever
| enjoyed before. and they are worthiy open ed
| to tho public now by as flno q collection from
the brushes OF American artists as we have
| ever had.
The retrospect for which this exhibition az
| lords opportunity covers period dating from
| last spring back to the dates OF the eminent
and late William Morris Hunt some three or
four OF whose old-fashioned. but ever excel
lent. portraits and compositions hang In the
south gallery. The place Of honor in the large
| north gallery. by expert and popular consent
! alike. Is held by Mr.. Sargents portrait. No.
80. OF Mrs. Twombly. large and splendid
canvas. or its particular and distinctive class
|
an American artist has yet produced. 1t Is a
portrait in which the highest and the most
| graceful expression Is given to considerations
OF ceremony and OF class. Gainsborough and
| Vandyke were the two greatest masters ofthis
| style. tNs rarest that exists In the art OF nor
traiture In France there IL manifest some
mastery OF it. but only in tho por-
trnits OF men which arc distinguished
by tho title OF official" portraits. Mr..
Sargent. however. imrarts to his entire
canvas that subtle atmosphere OF personal
distinction and privileged consciousness
which constitutes tho great and pervading
charm Of Gainsborough's ladies Of high
degree. and OF the gracious women and lordly
men who hold themselves SO proudly in the
| canvases OF Nandyke. or Mr.. Sargent's other
pictures that Of Mr.. Il. /. Stevenson. No.
27S. will attract the most attention perhaps,
| not alone because OF popular interest in the
| subject but also on account OF the extraordi-
nary Internationally OF tho face. His
Venetian Scene" No 270. has been seen and
| admired here before.
| Tho next novelty to command notice Is Mr..
Whtstler's Variations In Flesh Color and
Green-The Balcony" No. 35a. which bears
the immortal butterfly signature. but In
hardly any other respect is likely to realize
tho expectations OF Whistlers admirers. 1t
represents q number OF Japanese women in
the gowns OF their country. dispos ed about on
q balcony that Is carpoted with an ey panse OF
atrying blue-green. Mr. Whistler appears In
the catalogue now as resident OF Paris. hay
Ing abandoned London to its inte.
In respect Of portraits this exhibition Is
strong where most others OF recent years have
been sadly weak. There is nothing bettor in
Its way than Mr.. Dewipgs Girl In Blue"
No 46. shown last spring, nor his companion
portrait. "A Lady in Pink" No. 81, beth
charming in refinement and drawing. Mr.
Carroll Beckwith's Portrait OF Mr.. Isaacson.
No. 10. bears on its face evidence OF its
excellence. Abbott H. Thayers brother
and Sister" No. 304. Is most charm.
ing characterization OF two interesting chill
dren. Alden Welr's Young Student" No. 80
is as fine as his young Man with
Gun" C. S. Reinhart's little picture OF
&C. S. r.. Jr.." No. POI. an alert and rest
less boy in sailor costume and sitting
in tho stern OF boat Is pleasant tc
contemplate. and SO. too. are the portraits by
Mrs. Dora Keith Wheeler. Mrs. Whitman Of
Boston. and Hrs Rosina Emmett Sherwood
There are Chase's portrait OF Duveneck. No
As. long familiar in certain Broadway caf6
Duveneck's Portrait OF q Lady" No. Ill
Ruger Donoho's Portrait OF the Artist" No
107: Mr.. Wyatt Fnton's portraits Of Mrs. r.
W. g." No. 122. OF 1T. Cole" No. 1913 OF
Miss NJ G. r. No. 124. and some strongly
painted portraits. too, by Mary Cassntt. Otto
II. Enche-. Frank Fowler. Francis Lathrop
Edward l. Simmons. and Irving Wiles. besidei
number Of excellent portrait busts in bronze
and plaster by Herbert Adams. +. Edwin FL
well. Daniel c. French I. Scott Hartley. Fred.
ericE MacMonnies. DIN !. Warner. and Louis
and Augustus Saint-Gaudena
Among the pictures whose previous sue.
cesses in public have justified their reappaar
unce. and whose bringing together In single
collection makes tho present exhibition nota
bic. are the late George Fuler's beautiful
"Romany Girl" No. $50: George Hitchcock's
brilliant Tulip Culture" several OF Mr.
Chass's and Mr.. Childe Hassam's dashnC ant
bright bits Of city and seaside characteriza
ton. Mr.. +. s. Church's fantastical and doll
cate conceits In the realm Of pure fancy. Mr.
Cox's somewhat feshly interpretations OF poet
ic theories. and number ofthe charming land
scapes OF Bruce Crano. j. Appleton Brown. tn,
late Dennis Bunker. Howard Russell Butler
William A. Coffin. Samuel Coleman. Louis 9
Tiffany. G. G. Curran. Bolton Jones. and Johr
La Fargo. These. indeed. are not all thu
names that might be fifty included In such
summary. but further notice OF these and o
the splendid canvases OF Homer Martin
George Inness. and como Of the other NOTABLE
painters OF landscape among us must DO 70
served for future notice
1t may 10 added that q number OF prize Pic
lures OF recent years are In the collection. n ota
bly, Theodore Eobinsons In tho Sum-" Nc
267. which was bought by the Shaw Fund las
year: his Winter Landscape" No. 26S. whic
won tho Webb prize: RuGsr Donoho's "Ex
plorers." No 1GG. the winner of the Webb priz
in 1892: Frank Millet's AT the Inn." whic
won a $1,000 prize and W. r. Smedley's -
Thanksgiving Dinner No. 237. a charmin
scene in the dnins-room of lofty fat whic
took the Evans prize Of the Water Color soci
ETY. in 1890
In conjunction with tho exhibition Of paint
ipgs are large number Of etchings and mez
zotints OF Rembrandt. DGrer. and Reynolds
from tina private collection OF Mr.. George "
Vanderbilt
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