New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-04

CHARM OF THE FAIREsT FAIR
WOMEN IN ART.
London. october q
Tho Fair Women" show at the Academy IN
New-York follows the exhibition at the GRAFTON
Galleries here-an exhibition which has peen one
of the great successes of the season; and the pos
sihiIitv NJ its New-York rival equalng the Eng
l,sb dsray in other ways the keenest curl
osity For there has seldom been seen SO aito-
gether fascinating an exhibition as the one winch
will remain visible at the Grafton lot Some "eeNs
to come Its character has in one sense chahseo
weekly new pictures coming and old ones going
all summer long In the strict sense the exhibition
has remained unaltered from the day OF us IN
auguration 1t is still, 1t was then, extraorui-
narily illustrative of one OF the nnest iorms Vi
historical painting. The most suggestive pon'
raised by the exhibition is one which promises 10
be Of equal import in the case of the New-fork
show | mean the question OF national racui'y !"
the portraiture of fair women and the unquestion-
able pre-eminence of the English Their superiority
has been so copiously and so conciusveiy
demonstrated as In this exhibition. Parusans or
the French school OF the last century might be
inclined TO doubt 1t comparing with the English
pictures at the Grafton those examples OF Drouais
Vanoo Greuze Boucher, Tocque and La Tour
which are also shown. For a moment one could al
most agree with them. These few French relics
evoke vivid recollections Of numberless canvaees
on which the facile fingers of the great century or
grace had arrested the types OF their decorative
time But turning to the company of Sir Joshuas
here TO the Romneys, the Galnsboroughs, the Hopp-
ners the Lelys and the Lawrences. one sees that
in spite of the existence of John Sargent and George
Fredc lick Watts. the beautiful woman OF the pres
ent era was unfortunate In not having been born
a hundred years ago. and in England rather than
any other place in the history of art. mat woulo
have been hard on the of to-day, Of course.
ddeJ hat
Ightful TO have had her infinite loneliness passed
through the alembic OF many an art other tnan
that of Reynolds Lawrence. This very exh-
bltion proves how gloriousy s1e would nave peen
celebrated by Holbe!n and Rembrandt in the North
by Titan and Lotto and Luni in the South But
TO have had that which is most feminine and beau
tiful in her nature worthily suggested-no painter
vet ever really revealed woman-she should nave
had an Englishman OF the eighteenth century, or
OF the first part Of this for her interpreter and for
the high priest OF her fame.
II YOU are at all technical in your aesthetic habit
Won walk through the Grafton. revealing in the
maestria OF the earlier English school You want
to meet some perky young dabster Of the Whistler
and-water school. with patronzing remarks as %
Reynolds and his circle on his lips. 10 take him up
before the Tragic Muse" or Lawrence's cele-
brated Miss Farren." and show him that there
vas some painting being done in London years
ago and painters painting at that. But tech
meal questions aside. the JOY Of the show Is its
beauty. Some there be who say that Ley estao-
nshed a custom. which Van Dyck began. OF making
every woman a Venus: but Reynolds. Romney and
the rest prove that every woman Is a Venus. II
you have only the wit to perceive 1t. 1t always
has been, it always will be matter OF innate
, Gneness and charm which constitutes this magic
called beauty and the Englishmen were knights
enough. we'll as painters. TO ma this out no"
else could they have transferred TO canvas such
grace. such tenderness. such high-bred witcnery
lao hos
oricallv but potentially. You read 1t IN their
grain in the poise of the head. in the calm glance
OF the eye In their immaculate reserve in tneir
finely human emancipation from mere hihhe'S-
the curse OF modern portraiture twhen 1t is not ON
the strictly pictorial side its chiefest blessing).
There is another collection OF portraits on Vie"
here inst now At the New Gallery the latest pro-
ductions OF the Society Of Portrait PAINTERS arc
shown Here and there. as in Wattss MIS- fercy
Wyrdharn" to name the gem OF the exhibtioh' you
find a woman imaged forth in all her nauVe state
nness As a rule however the gowns seem 10
have worried the artists. In many cases they De-
ain nv pantng an individuality, and end by I'M
mortalizng the talent OF Worth But You go PACK
70 the Grafton and there you look at Lawrence
Lady Castlereagh" at Romneys Lady Miner
AT this same painters inimiable portrait OF M's'
Jordan in The Country Girl the model for the
atrical porraits for all time; or at the picture OK
nosltlvely rollcking charm which Reynolds painted
IN his famous ''Georgiana. Duchess OF Devonshire,
and Her Child Aferward Countess OF carlisle a,,;
There you have great art art mar moves wi',.u mn
throws over them always me glamour OF super
trait by Reynolds rollickns. term which might
seem belong more TO Work oI Mor,a , - i his
to a production OF the most courtiy painter OF MS
lime Vet II the reader will look at the repro
d,n,ion ~ This picture which is bound to be In
every collection OF prints or pnotogIaphs, ne VII
odmi, the fitness OF the word. At the same time
~ ,,,l observe the supreme grace IN the thing the
felicity with which Sir joshua hahoies tue iaus"-
'H Sy,nods and every Of his compesrs. painted
women with Just this exquisite tact ana taste lana ana
skill They did MOI iaSaze T wee nn and pased
in their pictures the fairest complexions the nrign-
eyes. the most entranens eaa carriase which
,r,isis have ever been so fortunate as TO depict:
The Great English portraits are whont ,race . vt
nose or affectatlon They were pasea on a cohven'
po,s ~ averv work Of art must be- but the conven.
,ion was elastic and was always EXPANDED 10 meet
he spontaneous demands OF nature me suoJes,s
nau no. for postery nor had the painters any un.
easlness Both were oceupeu ,, shirt and mprsss
~ actuai life and they were pom nnsonsciosusiy
sensitive in REGARD to cl hhe He they have eft
ele'heii' han, said the fairest aTora@ that ever
fair women and clever painters beoueatheo 10 me
ra +, s very exciting 10 study the deveiopment
", ~ r tradition notifications and accreuons IN
~ ~, maj came after them and that Is sun NOV
ing on ~ nu ,vhere the Grafton shows you hectic
e,,. beside the fl.l-bodled art OF Reynolds the
@ b the fearless wild roses Of his British prede-
coSsorS The contrast ought 10 be even more N
s unrss ~ REYNOLDS and Rembrandt. Gainsbor-
ough and Halls there will be not only a new art.
peculiarly new ps pa ne IS ia favor Of
a'' decorative" scheme. The sitter is considered
az mar, OF a pattern OF co.or. There Is wisdom IN
i, il, sue The school OF Reynolds demonstrated
that II Doriralture Is to endure II must De tounoeo
first and last on nature.