New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-24
THE SPRING ACADEMY.
FEW GOOD PORTRAITS AND COM.
POSITIONS

90, a, the spring exhibition that the Academy
80. n.en accustomed TO put forth all its strength
49,. s.a.on the manifestations Of energy. more
.-.A,c than they have commonly been upon similar
occslons and the majority Of artists contributing to
~. total Of $50 pictures M the walls are to
hs thanked for an exhibition which recalls
~. medfying displays OF successive autumns
..,s., than the more encouraging gatherings of an
.,,.r period In the year. 1t is not apparent that
,,.re Is any service TO rendered to the Of
Art IN general by disgusting or pallating this dis
courucing fact In the fortunes OF American art In
ror,icnlar The mediocrity OF the Academy eXhib
on taken as WHOLE is obvious and 1t would be futile
"a couch the statement Of II In ambiguous phrase
whether or not the galleries Will present better APP
,.1rance next March when interest in the Fair will
bav. relaxed Is a question which look most
rurousy into the future 10 answered. or answers
proYered the query 10 what the present has 10
show there may be found limited number at the
Academy inspiring confidence and even pleasure
the first comes from Mr. Homer Martin, who has
landscape on the line m the south gallery, a work
nch In individuality. in color and in sentiment which
leads the studies from nature, though
some pictures by MIR. Minor and Mr.. Dewey press It
hard Bearing the test Of criticism In Its sphere,
sanchly this is the work which is destined to
be the chief point OF attraction in the exhibition.
japanese street scene by Mr.. Robert Blum. Many
Of his sketches Of the Orient have already been seen
through the medium OF process reproductions in
aScribner's." and two or three originals shown
At the Union League Club some months ago. Nothing
OF his which has yet been submitted TO public scrutiny,
whether In coors black white has foreshadowed
the brancy OF this fairsized oil painting Of The
Ameya.' an Ninerant Japanese maker and vendcr of
some trihes Of groesQue shapes for which leave
10 the student OF Oriental pedler's ware TO find
adequate description thoroughly original painting
owing not an atom OF its effect TO the Spanish and
ralan masters with whom M his earlier pictures, Mr..
Blum wont TO show such sympathy, II Is utterly
unlike either Mr.. Lafarges or Mr.. Psrsonss japanese
studies In point OF style, and yet resembles the pct
Of the former In its wealth OF color 1t rivals
those OF the latter In the impression Of intense realism
which 1t conveys. The composition is absolutely
forced. spontaneous to degree. All the figures are
narrowly observed, the ounger in the background and
the Indifferent passerby well the busy vendcr
and the young women with their children on their
backs who surround him and watch his operations
with bcundless curiosity and the most amusing gravity
Each figure wears a costume from which a welcome
effect Of color Is extracted the vender dpuiing the
palm for beauty Of hue. In his light and dark blue
garments, with the woman whose crimson and green
robe is brought conspcuosly into the foreground be-
side him. The naturalness OF the group the vivid
and yet perfectly harmonious coloraion, the dcft
handling Of every picturesque detail VIII cause this
work TO stand out. But chiefly will II It's promi-
nence to the unconventional, purely personal method
which carries the design 10 the very edge d the
canvas, freely and with VIM
IIeNibilty CONSCIOUSNESS, at least an approx
mate idea Of exactly the effect amcd at. and a -
sutant freedom from timidlty in drawing near 10 it
It is this Characteristic. evidently possessed 10y Mr.
Blum. which is shared In no small degree by Miss
Cecilia Beax, whose portraits are By far the mos,
interesting In the exhibition The best Of the th..,c
she has on the walls No. 800. a portrait Of a lady.
cannot be unreservcdly praised, 1t only
purtes Of color, but 1t is strongly suggestive OF
M -.
Of the invertebrate imator with his rarrOtlike cmpi
ness. In Miss Beauxs work. she has q way OF her
own. for after the echo of sargent is rcckoncd with
there Is vitality in her portraits and direct, sure
touch In the painting Of them with which OF
interest in the noted artist wok coud sup
pntd her SHE works nuenty and forcitN ard in her
own intellectual spirit in the portrait referred 70. she
Is hardly less satisfactory In the portrait of ii boy
which hangs in the west gallery. and even in the
least pleasing OF all her canvases, the portrait Of
gentleman, IN the corridor. she has something Of what
enc and all other competent portrait paintcr havo
at their best, nervous force. As the C last
spring the galleries contain innumeable portraits
one Of lady In Hack, by Mr.. Eastman johnson, a
not very impressive work. occupies the place Of honor
IN the south gallery but there many
which, like Miss Bcauxs afford stimulating sensations
Among the better examples Of portraiturc head OF
q young man by Mr.. Kenyon Cox. two portrait, Of
men BY Mr.. Baer Whose third exhibit, full length
OF q Hdy, Is poor enough, nasty sketch by NJ.
TarbelI a delightful little study Of childish model
BY Mr.. Thorue pastel of a boy By Mr.. Turcas. and
q lhalflength Of man by Mr. Sargent Kendall,
alone In joining some favor Of originality to technical
ability. There arc no portraits remaining 10 inter
5ers plausibly with q transition from Mr.. Kendalls
study TO his large picture OF two French peasants
D:srs az he calls Il, which 10 tOwa from abDv,
doorway at the head OF the stairs In the corridor
This sentimental In motive, hut It's salient
quality Is q robust mascunity. 1t amply redcems the
promise Of the smaller Breton pictures which Mr.. Ken
dali exhibited year ago. Those were good, and cs
peciay In color. This is better ard Is strong In the
disposition OF the figures and the handling OF the lat
ter. as In the tones drawn from their costumes and
their rural surroundings. This and Mr. BUNS
japanese picture are the principal figure pieces in
the exhibition. They followed by freight
study Of Costume by Mr. Benson. repetition OF the
brittle yet clever effect (which he produced for the
spring exhibition preceding this one: couple OF
peasant studies by Dir. Daingerfeld. interesting
q SSe QUE NO. iS S' Trodsl on nice n
BIT Of painting and quite uncon,'rained. which his
second design Is not; tanyard scene b. Mr. Georse
lnness IT,. strlkingly warm In color. s0oi interior
With figures. by MIR l.. A. Bell huge and moderately
weldone picture OF the youthful Lncola palssng III
read another OF Mr.. Curran's ambitious imaginative
paintings. study Of nude hgnres on rocks c9as.,
sn IN n w@sA s G%aS e an s
ever been before; u charming :" Head OF sleeping
Girl By Mr. II. .. Walker: religious subject by
Miss Macomber OF which the fine feeling makes Us
particularly regret tho poor texture; spirited Mex
lean by Mr. II. II. Butler and. from this Ilcn,
after some landscapes BY Dir Cofhn, Mr. Plcknll
and Mr.. Robnson have been noted and marine by
Mr. Ranger, are quantity OF works among wmc n.
10 have asserted themselves III irst view OF the col
lection. Possibly further examination OF the gni-
jer,es NAV develop few pictures Of consequence
II Is TOO much 20 hope that II VIII materially alter ior
the betor the general impression received yesterday.
INCIDENTS IN SOCIETY,"