New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-22
AMERICAN ARTISTS.
FIFTEENTH EXHIBITION OF THEIR SOCIETY
SECOND NOTICE !

matter Of business than OF enthusiasm ii Is n0t0ri-
ously the crutch Of the modern struggling genius the
means whereby he supports himself through the stages
Of greater and conecnIal labor IT would b"
Interesting. If II were possible, to srik" al exact
balance between those portraits ut the exhibition OF
the Society OF American Artists which have been
painted out OF sheer love OF the work and those when
represent hard necessity alone. Tie Interest wond
lie In better explanation. PERHAPS. Of the prevailing
tendencies among the more progressive of American
artists One OF those tendencies Is manifest that
he who may read. The yearly record OF I'M
prcssionism which the society Of American Artists Is
accustomed to bring forward Is To the front this
season than II last But Is II to be Inferred from
the large number OF portraits that they stand Tor ms
keen an interest In Il distinct field Of work as the
imprcssonistic landscapes do We have not mad" an
accurate count Of them, but they obviously Outnum
Der the Ina ginatve compositions upon which we had
hoped that much ambition would have been spent
Whatever they may represent. n natural or an art
fetal Impetus the portraits certainly contain great
deal that Is good In this exhibition. Few OF them
have any Imaginative quality. This II snggrstV"
point. The genius Of nation l. partially expressed
In its porrarc as II Is In It's landscape art or In Its
genre paintings: and when II Is remembered that OF
all the portraits IN the exhibition those by Mr. Thaycr
alone imaginative II is lair to draw the conclusion
that I'm respect to work In this direction the dominant
voices are for realism. OmlttIng again Mr.. Thaycrs
three paintings. tn" portraits which reveal most power
are those which illustrate III" most elemental char
actci,tlcs Of the r,alst. II Is true that they are
not the most clcgant they assurcdly have far less
beauty Of color. and II happens, becaiS" 81 their
subjects. far less grace than som" o' Their h'ighnorS
but for the qualities Of a,ilc pOrtraiiurc there
will no; BE- found In these galleries any works n
strong rs Nos, 30 and l!3. 10y Mr.. Alfred Q. Collins
or Nos. II and 80. by Mr. Il. W. Vonnoh-all studies
Of ma ,crlinc sltt,rs Th-sc four portraits are about
equally typical. There l. cmion' sympathy be-
tween Ia. ,tylc of Mr. Collins and that Of Mr.. Nonnoh
and one +, rs good cXamrl" n a." other What
/, 10 be- noticed is that neither has apparently the
rcmo,c,t Interest In STYLE such, or In G'comtN"
eff, ct Tile difference hrwccn them and the painter,
Of large. feminine portrait painters TX" Mr.. On Mond
Mr. BENSON. slr. E,,s. Mr. Cha," and Hr Rlcc-i'
that the works Of the latter In this class are primarily
decorations ana draw th.ir vitality principally from
tie accsGcut.ls Of costumes. accessories and back
or.url.. whereas j,r C.l.lls ard Mr.. Nonnoh
concerned with clos" observation OF strctur" ard 'N
preston and concentrate all their 'urcrs upon the
essential appearances Of tier mode'S-upon The hun M
inter - IN Them. Each has technique. an uncoh-
yrnliom,l manner and wor.s freely. 50 there Is not
any ~ the coldnc,, IN their portraits which may be
felt I'm No 3D., f,r cXamp", Mr. trifeld,s stli'Sh
hall Myth Of ma.
Were Nr. Du Mond and those artists who work
IN his vein have n real advantage over the authors
81 rc,. severely rrnll,, portraits Is in the greater
,,cor,l quality Of their productions Tbs quality
doe. not pend uion external and II MrS'rS. col
lin, and Vonnoh men Of genius instead Of men
Of talent their portrait, world also j" pictures
Im, .Ai.rnal, imvarah" nios 10 IA" artist
q. talent vhen i" sets about m'"lhg u P'
,crl,l uor,i.tlt In rs Portrait Of Nr>. H.. ~
pan, Mr. Du Mond gives not the smallest sug-
tion # fine Shakes rarcan clara der his model chose
IN ti,.rn after IN dress but he has mad" the most
of h. o.. rssn rol,,. painted 1t With skhln'~s
that hovcis TIE side Of crudliy ana rawneSs' ana
vet does not end IN ciher fault. He has MAJ" OF
his PORTRAIT y picture. In a purely technical way
n. has produced one OF the first paintings III the
exhibition II j. m.reri"ious. After the first mo-
mon, Of pl,asilrablc surprise nj his nudady and
lrilancy the Ia K ~ fine quality In the color leaves
II in;oIrraMc II aIfoYd- n,ation and then cenSeS
| TO De- enjoyed. Eui' remains q tour de force. only
! Il very clover workman could hav" tak,n such II
mas, Of blazing red and by the manipulation 81 tones
cvolied an altogether fashv theatrical effect Ana
| thouch the color has only moderate quality. II Is
h,It;l. I'm lut one or places IN the arms ana III
the white wristbands. handkerchief ana a'''i'
! which toll sharply against the red. This portrait
! +. pictorial because the figure H PICTORIAL
! II would b. impossible to "Ntlhs"lSh u"
! c,rrm Of such n rob- ~ that which Mrs II.
! wear II "a. the pcturcsqurncs, 81 an unfamiliar
ora T'. modern gown I, not often ~ picturesque
| Inn f. (. a., Decorative The value Of Mr.. Bcns n
| two porrnis one 81 u Lady In black and tn" o'h'r
Of lady I'm white. Nos - and 49, Is the vain" oi
texture Illusiby translated and color treated III
,mpl. and effective combinations. He i prominent
among the younger portrait painters. lii' method ha'
| n touch of originality II viii carry him on to better
and hotter work. FOR II l. method with intelligence
| and energy. rs we'll originality behind H. Bu'
nj, pictures VIII not be- ~ successful rs h. Is other
wise capable Of making them. until he ahndon' The
panty quality In his work. which Seems
to be- growing upon him. ana wmch i
especially in evidence in the portrait Of the lady
| I'm white. There plenty OF clever lNT
traits IN the decorative mood which he cullivatrs
| Mr.. Rice has "Portrait Of Lady" rather poorly
modelled and weak III the p:intng Of the h'Sh' 'n'
| very good study Of tho white and pal" green
In the costume. Mr.. Chas"S largest portrait ~"
o. is weak In the same direction. in the flesh. but
II is II bright arrangement Of whit" ana yellow against
red. FlsrYhcrc. In No. 1911. Portrait Of NV Mother
| Mr. Chase has directed his efforts. with very credit
able results 10 searching analysis Of feature. and there
are two three nrtistsMr. Isham. In No. :'S' " FOR
trait Of Lady In Gray ana Eoic": Mr.. Middleton In
| NO TO- Portrait Of Miss NJ and Mr. M"tcalf III
| No. -. n portrait Of Il Lady In binch-Wh" comhh'
| decorative taste with sympathy for character. But
except for these and half dozen other exceptions o
| which n few have been pointed out. the portraits 81
! the exhibition do not rely for their effect upon 'h'
! penetration of the nrrisi into the character oi M
subject. Tie Kind Of portrtnre that i most "tci
met Is The kind illustrated by Mr.. Du M"nds " Portal
II can he identified In Mrs. Cox's prctr Arrangement
| ~
she has proitcd by her husbands example. thougl
| ot the expense OF originality. II Is the portraitir
| which Mr. ". II. Hyde offers In his most nmbi'ion
| work. No. -. n study OF II lady dressed IN black
though he Is not incarable Of more vi'alhed painting
There ARE two specimens of The latter sort 10y him
No. g. n portrait Of youns woman. ana NO. IL
" The Place dn Carr,usel.' which shows the SAM
model n, of doors and in dress which has ahord"
Mr. r de the opportunity for scme OF his deites
handling one small portrait OF n purely decor"'iv
nature which Is nevertheless 50 original ana diS"'
guished In style on to find its Place near Mr. Ihnycr
works. Is No I7s. "Glrl In II White GOWN by MI
Deving In thi, the face Is not the first considers:
tion nor Is the figure. II Is the style. ana after ina
tbe very beautiful color. There T. new nan, MI
Kenneth Frazier, who's" three portraits OF wome
| bring into the exhbliio uncommon motive.
l. motive Of doubtful originality. There Is II cer'"
charm I'm the rather rigid IroGlr of No 10. In til
| perspective attitude and color OF No. H. NOM"
| with Rose and In the color ana composition Oh NC
eo,. In aprrehcndinG this charm. however. ti'
thought Is less OF Mr. Frazier than IL Is Oh 'he rr'
L. II