New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
TUE CHRONICLE OF ARTS
EXHIClTICNS AND OTHER TOPICS.
REVIVAL OF ACTIVITY IN THE GALLERIES
SCULPTURE AT THE ARCHITECTURAL
LEAGUES EXHIBITIoS-MR. cHAMPNEY's
PAsTEIs AFTER OLD EUROPEAN
ARTISTS-MlNOR AFrAIRS

ARTIsTS-MINoR AFFAIRs
Now tina; the holidays over. there will be
brsker atmosphere prevailing in the galleries The
Architectural Leagues exhibition closes Tuesday
night, but 1t will be speedily followed by the
Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish pictures from the
Worlds Fair ard the Autumn Academy, which
ends on the 18th. gives place to the exhibitions OF
the Water Color Society and the Etching Club,
two important societies whose displays will be in
readiness early next month Mr.. Keppel opened
yesterday an interesting exhibition OF Mr.. Joseph
Pennells etchings and drawings. to which we will
return presently. and from January IL to p Mr.
Avery will show two-score new Venetian water
colors by Mr.. f. Hopkinson Smith The Union
League Club opens its regular monthly exhibition
on THURSDAY At the Grolier Club arc the pasteis
by Mr. Champney referred to below Other at
fractions are impending. which will be noticed in
due time We may add that two pictures have been
sod at the Academy since last Sunday. "A Bavaran
Peasant" by Jessie NJ. Anthony. 500. ana The
KEYNOTE" By De Scott Evans, &l5.
When the cooperation Of the Architectural
League and the Sculpture Society was first spoken
of It was expected that the latter. as a society,
would be conspicuous In the new enterprise. 1t is
conspicuous in the exhibition now being held at the
building of the American Fine Arts Society but
asehn influence chiefly, for It's name Is not in the
catalogue, and there is nothing to show that the
extensive plastic exhibit Is due to special. or
ganzed movement. Nothing except the fact that
-
That is perhaps sufficient We wish we could say
that the first efforts OF the Sculpture Society were
as successful in respect TO quality as TO quantity,
but 1t seems mistaken idea that the truth .
should be gossed over in speaking OF new arts-
tic society simply because 1t l. young What ought
to be more stimulating to the members Of the pres
ent association is the observation that they must
strengthen their exhibit next year. This time II Is
uneven, and dscoses an anxiety to make snow
at any price. The good things are few. The medi-
ocrities are many What Is wanted Is not merely
an exhibition OF sculpture. but an exhibition OK
good sculpture Then the benefcent ann OF the
society will be realized and good taste will he fos-
tered The best lesson 1t teaches now-and 1t Is an
important lesson-is the value or artistic sculpture
in public buildings Mr.. Bitters two pediments Tor
a railway station in Philadelphia are admirable
speci,nens OF architectural decoration The ex-
tren,e animation Of his style he sometimes pushes
roo far but in doing he is erring on the rlsnt
side and on such q building as that Tor wnicn
these pedments were modelled he could not nave
too much movement and dash IN MS designs. -
railway station suggests motion rapid1ty an on
ward impulse and these are exactly the qualities
Nr Ritter expresses in his sculptures. II Is his
vitality which makes his panel OF chorsters ior a
carriage drive also satisfactory work, but ne IS
interesting in this for other reasons, too, FOR tne
cleverness Of his composition and the charm OF MS
Youthful types. Mr.. Rhini's door for TRINITY
church is good with reservations. Its realism Is
comrnendable and 30, in a measure. is the touch
If severity which digniiies the panels; but the
handling wants ease than IT possesses IL -
wise to be severe in monumental WORK Oh '"e
sort but It unfortunate 10 be stitf ana MT hhlh
Ia certainly a little stiff In the single panel SUD-
mitted in this competition. an Expulsion from
Eden" he is far more elastic and far more at
tractive He ought not to have apanioheu H's
freedom in carrying out the whoe Schehe. -'"o"s
the smaller pieces We have notlced MI, -"a0'''o"
nies,s Pan: al effective "Paolo and Francesca
~ y
hv the same sculptor; a striking Torso or Giri'
hv Aphonse Legros: some decorative aIegorcdi
sketches by Theo. Haur; Mr.. Partridge aus
tere and meditative Madonna, MS inedailion Oh
, feminine head called "A Dream, ana MISS fe'-
dla', beautiful little model for mantelpiece sup
norted by two stately figures. There are also IN
This category some spirited animal studies by H.
n lack a bold masculine bust by G. r. hamhan.
a tiny reduction of the picturesque N'"ei
fountain which r. 3 Clarke had at the "or''S .
Fair and the twelve brilliant falcons in bronze
which figured in the japanese exhibit at the same
rl,ce These works are all artistic in spirit ana
in execution They alone prove that the co-ope'a-
ton OF the Sculpture Society with the Ledsuo -
fruitful and desirable great deal more III @ ,"e
galleries provokes reflections OF not ahythl "Ne
:, fatterins nature. but over this we pass ai'o'
in silence. Errors OF judgment are ihsspd,~ 90 aoe
from the debut OF organization we ha'e
no doubt that in the future every preeau'io" wa
he taken against the admission OF lou'' ''h-o'"''
york and that the first absolutely independent eN-
hbition OF the Sculpture Society-which occurs
year hence-w be one of unqualihed merit
Mr.. Ruskin has Jumped all the copyists together
as contemplate with special dehu"e'a'i'" io'
th. man who copies himself since he mas the
worst original" MIR. J. Wells Champney appears
as a copyist in an exhibition of pastels by nun
now holdng at the Grolier Ciuo ~. III" u. a ,ban,
some OF the best originals. ana ne mas eUpet pnsEn
SO well that although We suppose Mt. susA,n ,n
would consider the oHence agstaVateu lneie' au ~
the proper epithet at all La -FOUR l:otard' raS, na.
tier Cnardn. Rosaiba Carriera' Migtar1rI, Dsvcr
occur i'm Il New York exhibition, ana You caIiot
vtuperate man Tor set wher they are 50
scarce Especially when he does II so wen, III.
omnIiHhment. lie has neither rapidty intuitl.s
nor briancy OF SUE, mr. n,,,rs
hit hs has facility taste. delicacy suavity or
touch ana one IN America Is III csrta'h - v.e
ments OF refinement. eleganee and polish oe'ier
Tour His carnations may be less pute ana & Io,sS.
less Iimpid and svery than theirs but ne ap-
proximates very closely TO them m the cnara'tet yer
lightful All the artists We nave mentioned arc
represented. and there are s others he
nglshman OF reraTk1ble Rr9n %oy e subjects Of
the pictures by these painters are IN mos, & easss
women of the eighteenth century IKE Mne Sae,; rs
hSmpadqur Of Lenis N xv ~ the eharmng Mme
Mole -hay yrnomd. the Theatre Franfaise and
Autnllpttt.
beantifiI Thcy were painted by artists who were
syInua thetic to the grace and distinction OF thelt
stters and Mr.. Champney has worked win tns
same sympathy After all the defects OF MS porr,,
traits AZ second hand considered II l. sun
obvious that they are not second rate SoInetin,es
he has copied oils, sometimes pastcls, out ne hts
always employed the colored chaks himself lie
uses them with skill. and his exhibition is highly
Tomorrow afternoon. being i;adies,
Dav'' M the Grolicr club. MIR. Champney VIII read
a paper on ''Pastes and Pasteliists, ana the oe-
cason promises to be one OF positive interest
The American Art Association is exhibiting AZ
present a miscellaneous collection OF japanese anu
Chinese porcelans bronzes lacquers fabrics ana 20
forth belongin, TO Kahlchi Sano of Toxic. 1t con-
tains some excellent objects. but nothing when
calls for express comment. The collection Is 70
be sold the afternoons OF January D. ana lV.
AT these galleries there just row three mafpl.s
by Rodn OF very great beauty and personal sgnlt-
cance. Rodin is extraordinarily sensitive 10 tne
scnsuous charm of the nude female form. and In TWO
Of the sculptures in standing Eye ana com,
position OF two figures called Loves Right