The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-12
AIExAxDER,s PICTURES IN PARIS.
The New York Portrait Painter Carries or
MIEh Mon ore There Thi. Ysnr.

| Ahe view 1ork I-0rtrrtt RAINIER enrrtct vi
High Hcnors There This Year.
The American artist who has achieved thu
greatest success this year 10 Mr.. John w
Alexander. the distinguished portrait painter
who has Just returned from Paris. Perhaps
the word American. as applied to his achieve
mont, does him an injustice. for in q compe
titon with the painters OF tho many countries
who exhibited in the Champ de Mars salon
this year he distanced all OF his class, and
stood alone.
When Mr.. Alexander surrendered the presi
dency OF the Fellowcraft Club OF this city In
1891. he went abroad because an attack Of
the grippe had left him in terribly nerv.
GUS condition. and because It was his belief
| that an artist who is truly ambitious needs
| to go to Paris once in every few years in
order to be in touch with the outcome OF a
truly vibrant artistic atmosphere. He had al
ready done very notable things hore. and his
portraits Of Robert Louis Stevenson. Walt
| whitman, Joseph Jefferson. George W. Chids.
ana others had attracted wide attention and
unbroken praise. He was unable to work for n
| long time subsequent to his reaching Europe.
| but after yenr or moro OF rest he picked up
| his brushes eagerly.
He rented n studio in the Boulevard Ber-
thier. near the Pare Monceau. and applied him
| self without any acquaintance among tho
oi'ip'e VI uEt CTltlcb OF IuTlS. Dut WIN buil-
| Client American clientele to keep him In work
and good spirits. When 1t came time to paint
| for the annual exhibitions Of this year. he made
| a careful study Of tho merits Of the old salon
| In the Champs Elysees and the new ono In the
Champ de Mars. and he became firmly con-
WINGED that the managem ent Of the new salon
| was the more representative OF what is new
| est and most vigorous and progressive. He
prepared three full length portraits and sent
them to this salon. Whether they were
likely to be considered tame and com.
monplace can best be Judged by those
familiar with his Whitman portrait and with
that head Of Stevenson the novelist, which
was dubbed by those OF the English critics who
did not admire it. tho pioneer picture OF the
watermelon SCHOOL Of art" though Whistler
| and many other men in London prais ed it
greatly. The three portraits were accented By
thusiasm that it was voted that they. should DO
hung in one panel, an honor not frequently
On vanishing day at the salon. many Of the
most famous painters who work in Paris.
introIueing themselves. assured HIM Of their ni
desire to make his acquaintance and Of their
great admiration for his productions. From
press and by the most noted critics was ' fol.
al the
ander was urged to go to Russia. with prom
q siSss In
exhibition o. portraits. sent to him for what:
ever he could spare from his studio. but he had
In the salon were bespoke en- for the annual ex-
hibition Of the new school artists in Munich.
Everywhere except in London the painters
are d. ENGAGED i In strife for novelty and
newand e1trserdinary nderinss Of i itmew ,nn
this tendency; Mr.; Alexander chose the most
al I'm Yli1 70 In nrI frn,
nanss ON; HDIR three ' his s'P Psn IN ao
seoS and IN psarg F es;k Hn' th e
one in black. the object was to Illustrate per-
sfs ABS er ssvs d aas black Ro
open to show an ,ndeiinite: uncertain view Of a
The yellow portrait shows woman standing
and wearing a yellow dress with green velvet
dominant notes Here the light is all on the
back Of the figure. the face is in the shade and
liant s hf sS Ses Of hi s S9o Gs fSan .tan b Rs
material Of which the dress is made Is thin.
and an the light comes through it in places
tones. and By stSdi use Of coIors ali the
is meant to stand out or to be thrown back.
works through b. the subtle effect Of the colors
81 w VI Ss s
been the study OF Mr.. Alexander for years, and
could with. profit contlne himself to playing
Would be- he deSoted years. ga tn Ing
study Of colors and their com binations with
he Of th
trait 10 trimmed with satin Of the same color.
and It Is FL relieved by single scarlet ribbon
S;ays hssRs'2 sssns t f5! sSen IL
+ tfe% M i IL. q %6stIsT %Sd little q ss!
aaa b hs
aer.s name vim strike many people for the
canvas. have mat isoE Very y pleasing iHst to
with franknsss and distinctio Of color. relieved
mere and there oy Gontra Which
50 skilfully managed. Not the least merit Of
these fine portraits I1 ns Is the ease with which
The London Moraa Posi- Of a Nay Is IN it's cp
tique Of the work In the new salon, has this to
edy those By John afs the en H%spi
can artist Alexander. paints on specially pre-
Shst anestr9 ese but s,%ses
ton of feminine sentiment in grace. and
ttSS sD Pfs 81 sd he for ,Sns Ms
says the one salient feature OF the dis-
play In Paris Is the prominence Of tho
foreign exhibitors. In the new sal on. she says.
the portraits which compel admiration or.
at least, attention are BY Torn. Gaudara.
all. by Mr.. Alexander. an American. 1t 10 the
latter who carries of the honors." She finds
that faults In his work may be pointed out,
and yet she discovers that the style Of his pose.
the dignity Of his lines. and the delicacy Of his
tones reveal him to be not merely the skilled
workman but the inspired artist"
Thusit has gone with this New Yorker who
was almost unknown in London and quite I'M
in this city. and means to spend the summer
here before putt Ing In another year in Paris
He Is half resting and half working in the
mean time. for he has q portrait OF Chief JUS
tice Beasley of New Jersey and one OF Mr.
Mosenthal. ordered by the Mendelssohn Club.
already under way.