New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-18
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTa
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPPER

FIGURE STUDiEs-GOoD PIcT-
UREs AND BAD-MISoR
ATTRACTIONS
Spring may not be here technically as Il ma.
but K Is here in fact. and the art galleries ree...
the cheerful vitality of the season. In nearly an
the accustomed PAGES there is something TO "a.
in others there will soon be works OF art brouxh,
forward. and the material everywhere has or q.
expected 10 have, genuine interest. At the Fifth
Avenue Art Galleries. for example, there Will \.
opened next Tuesday show Of which 1t Is safe "a,
make a 1attering forecast The Dutch pic,u,..
from Chicago watch were for a time at the Firs.
Arts Building to he exhibited fer ten DAYS a.
so. and then sod at auction. The sale should AZ,
| tract many buyers. The collection represents On.
OF the leading schools OF Europe and represents n
well. After the Dutch sac there will be one a,
the same galleries, OF pictures by Mr. G.. H. Han
and several other American artists. After that tss
paintings and curios gathered by the late Job,
| Wolfe. cousin Of the Miss Catherine Wolfe rho
bequeathed her paintings to the Metropolitan Nm
scum will be sod. The dispersal Of this collection
( Is set down for April II and -. At the Avery
/ Gallery the exhibition OF pictures by W. B. Tho,en
Is to be followed tomorrow bv some oil pantinv.
by Mr.. Thomas Hovender Early in April n,
Avery will show a number OF charcoal dra wins,
/ made In Venice by Mr. r Hopkinson Smith II,
exhibition OF the Society OF American Artists r..
mains open for several weeks and Commands m.
attention of every thoughtfu! observer.
Mt Alexander Harrison is one Of the fov na,.
/ ers OF the sea whose works leave on the whole
nardIy anything 10 be desired. His exhibition ~
marines at the American Art Galleries IS the demon
stration of a positive gift Many other men com.
near 70 Mr. Harrison in manual ceyerness on,,
me really distinguished marine psnters-men III.
Dupre in France: Henry Moore. in England a,
Wins'ow Homer. in Amerca-are his fair ma raJ,s,.
when X comes % putting the heart Of the sea int
pictorial designs. That Mr.. Harrison is aIw.v.
pic'osiai IS one OF his greatest merits. and he re-
ains this merit I'm the face % the creates, a,m
cn'iies for mere body OF water with no sign. a,
animal o" human life. and often with no land ei,he,
is hard to throw into a composition Whera IA.
artist shows his faculty is in producing so resIis.
an enect-at the same time that he Is exoujsI,eIv
renned and sensitive-tnat he CONVEYS much IN.
s''ne impression that YOU would from an actual
1ugitlve glimpse OF the sea. II is not fragment
that he shows you. He opens window, r,tbs-
npon the sea Itself. and within the limits ~ q
frame suggests limt,ess horizons 7, is M, go
to choose from the great mass of work whIc, h.
exhibits upon this occason-al % the marines ar.
good-but there are some pictures which are nsr.
maps more distinguished than others The thin vau
Of water left by the rocedlng waves in Va
Brittany rnoonrise; the trail OF light IN No +, ~.
well-known "Crepuscue." belonging IN tho c,oroora
gallery the rippled shadows in No g. another ,cens
IRON Inc coast OF Brittany: the tenderlv flushed
mist IN No. %. study made at Newport: these
are Few or the pictures in which opalescent color
ueep ana gimne-ing the color OF tho ocean itself
brings with most sympathc.cay studied atmos.
phere and light. irresistible sense OF salt air and
clean breezy reaches under lofty skies Some o.
Mir Harrisons studies-No. 81 Cain" or No .,
yellow lmpre ssions' appear to have been made
principally for the sake OF the color in the scenes
depicted. yet even in these the vitality IA convinc-
ing Handling his brush with absolute authority:
winning invariably harmony ard TRANSPARENCY. IN,
dlcatlnS with unique and success the ceaseless
movement OF his Protean subject and expressing AZ
al times distinct Individuality ,lr Herriso,
gives an amount Of pleasure in his work for which
II Is impossible TO be too grateful. No such bracng
and artistic studies from nature as his seascape.
nave been seen here in slch force since no him
sell held an exhibition a few years ago He has
~" rivals and not any superiors. HIS conquest as
marine painter is complete
Beng man OF energy ant ambition as well AZ
an abe painter Mr. Harrison signs for new feds d,
conquer He has essayed landscape and has ac-
quilted himself creditaby. In fact. there are two
landscapes IN this collection. Nos % and % both
made at Cree. which are notable for rather n,o,.
unctuous and solid color than is to be found else.
"here' Inc landscape in No |. En- Arcade"
SHOWS delightful grasp Of sunlight effects Rut IN
the long run Mr. Harrison suffers dimnutIon IN
power IN his transition from to and and that
ne should have adhered 10 his natural province IL
Still more obvious when his nun,eroue s,.,as ,ror,
the nude are approa he'd These are without anv
whatever. vulgar embarrassing and IN
"i''stic IN the presence of the sea Mr. Harrison
c" "'Hisel a man OF feeling and sentiment,
Htuoying the ugly models who have posed for bjs
IMPRESSIONS. as he calls them. he has betravsd
an nlpressbi'ity 10 the bald fact alone and even
mat Ne mas not succeeded in portraying with any
"",'' win any art with any charm 1t is easy 10
I"H'FS'a'd that. as attempts to pain. the naked
'' III ou' OF doors these coarse pictures might pos
fla ~ fb.
No uouo| sought and has possibly found stln,ulu.
81 u't training OF his hand and observation in
'''''s WIN night and atmosphere But no one
'ouiu De expected 10 enjoy them or pro6t bv
'"en Tor even II the purely technical purpose OF the
a. uS' Is alone considered. It is in just that direction
tm.ureS We're conceived. His handling ia r"ueh n
dnassa b., re modelling has neither suavifv nor
-" heSh tints arr muddy The dr.WInS - nor n
reached bv th ana touches no higher plane than is
II ,rris coming from them the trash which Wr
his talent mi S.Tsei TO mix with the best fruits Of
l,ceJ in, Eager to win notorety might have ntro
, me gross figures which spoil tha; n,sn f W
problem whinb should trail his art in the mire
M arr he has won distinction which I thu eoSe ned
,ersa str 1s sSespse In another through some ner
49, rpuse or imitation which it would he
which nor MN, ,h ne mas sunk to level OF nedlocrity
envy. u HIS contemporaries could
S a remarkshe s,IsWith Mr. Harrison's paintings
hese Srnts 'o cIrs to s. Bing. OF Paris We call
more closely the groa because no other epithet fts
i've habit Which hi I hsr the amazingly minute execa-
n tba 'uns OF Japan. Blu; In their formal fasSi1'
hemes to actlon OF realistic we'll as imarina tiy:
rol,,d 10 grammar OF linear expressnp bS
iorlc e g, TO De whole leagues behind The poshe%
)rlent ,era stern peoples. these artists ~ The
anfv 'eLtn-ess preserve a rare and ar,is,i.
flor an oewitchIng picturesqueness which are
ri The nrss easy matched in own schools OF
ners ~ present collection contains about an snsei
olors WORK engraved on wood and printed m
,lng has nr mptacss artists from 1850 10 ISIS NJ
rceunan prepared an excellent little pamnbIst m
m VIII az ms exhibition. and students OF Oriental
IS well as ,'e prints a source of refreshing study
xhihi,a."o VI pleasure. The Bling and Varrisoo
c,t