New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-13
PORTRAITS or WOMEN.
THE ENGLISH WORKS AT THE ACADEMv
EXHIBITION

The north gallery at the Academy Of Design m,gs,
justly be called the English one. Other schools ara
illustrated there but the predomnating masters ar.
Reynolds. Lawrence and those accomplished paint
ers who revived something Of their skill and stv.
in America early In this century. There Is one
group Of portraits from Gilbert Stuarts brush which
inspires curious contectures as to what might have
occurred in the recent history OF American art II h.
and men like Ingham and Sully had succeeded In
imposing the English tradition upon native
stock. 1t is inevitable that they could not do
this. American art was bound TO develop eventually
along American lines. But II IL not to be regretted
that Stuar,'s effort was made. A sympathetic scru.
tiny Of his "Mrs. Sargent and Mrs. Blngamen" OF
any one of Inghams eight canyases, Of sulys
Mrs Robert Morris and Mrs. William Hamilton
Henry" will discover much OF the suave. graclou,
feeling which the English school possessed in such
abundant measure. and the technique though lack.
Ing in force Is easy ard respectable. The Engshmen
themselves present in some very acceptable ex.
amp.es The portrait of Mime Adelaide " France,
By Sir Joshua is Of his most distinguished
works Other paintings by him have more fu,nes
more body. but in this there arc united his high.
bred atmosphere. his dslicacy Of color his mastery
Of the technical difficulties before him, and his mos
convincing touches Of sty;e. Gwen the richer I'm.
paste which you VIII lind in some Of his more fer
yd works. and this portrait would BE- quite per.
feet As IL H. represents him at me mos; felcl.
tols iuncture Of one OF his colder. debers.
moods. !; is the hes; of me three Sir joshuas ex-
hlbi;ed "The Countess Of Cdrnsryon.' and the Dor.
trait Of a lady ,sn b. Miss Hewitt, beine interest.
nz. but Jess rich in the printers typical beauty.
OF Sir Thomas Lawrence there three speci.
mems and tvo of these. Lady Char.emcnt" and No
49, ~ Lady" are done in his most spontaneous
manner They have his hud almost playful, brush.
ing and While the second named illustrates HI,
freshest color his rpest carnations, the other con.
tans a food OF the mellow. golden luminosity
which ne sometimes employed az though 10 demon.
strate his capacity IN a field Reynolds vas also Ee.
culiarly disposed 10 cultivate. The quality Of e.s-
gance and sparkle Which both these painters pos
scsscd carries back 10 earlier Jess rcmarks.
bic man. who nevertheless brilliant al moments
we refer to Sir Peter LEY. No less than six
portraits hy him are hung In ths exhibition. and
four 81 them are unansweraDe reminders " the
depths Of meIocrity to which this Fashionable
painter could sink when he rose. however. II
10 the leve exemplied IN No. is2 ana 49, Those
are good pictures sprleht.y ana tasteful in sent
ment and imbuei with authority in he execution
81, 20. the delicacy and daintness ani brio Of the
English school It it, best. II j. perhaps as well to
turn from Reynolds Lawrence and LEY. JUS, for
this occasion. to Mr.. Nardu@ad Hoppner. he
portrait vf Mrs. Gwyn." Il il as rayisa'ns frag.
inent o. painting a. you coud esk The style n
indiy,dualizci. Ths color - fresh ana handed
with the utmos, refinement. And all ne young.
hea.,hy charm cf the English school is summed up
In the picture It il s,rorg work Carried to stage
o. completion which Hoplncr FOR some reason or
other apparently lid not care 10 reaen would nave
Al the dignity Of an e1ooie ia, m mUpppn e
nnrphantinr ..I.ady of the Bedchamber" AS though
she were never even to 20 near court. and ieavins
the canvas with all The marks OF spon;snei,y upon
and .lrTole. lovely nature Sweetness IS word
DANGEROUS to use in connection win pictures There
IS An easily brldged division betty zen II and the
petty saccharine quality which renders some modern
work insipid and which, Tor that mat'sl - per,
petua irritation in Angelica Kaufman CiprIan ana
their iik Bur the representative men OF the o.d
English school never crossed thai fata. bridge and
IL is possible to recognize tender. swee! elemen.
in pictures Ink those noted above In Romnsys
Quaint Mrs Wells" and in CosNays MISS Mur-
raw" without subtractng anything from the fayora-
same time In fact the best E:nglshmen neye,
fount !; necessary to deprive their sitters OF vital
energy because they preserved their purely feminine
aspects. and there is refreshing sense OF goOo'
as well AS a sense Of uncommonly gentle motives
and remarkably fine art They ngure conspicuou.hy
Oil French and Flemish works included, ana some 2.
these notably Mr.. Jesup's Rembrand are aistnc, h
past the painters OF England and their followers u
America are quite the most sausrynns aa hssssmv
that have been compromised III tne As~Ae"s
scheme. iii. =, o,,.
ion our IF own se strensth which more a.ns
as the show IS revisited again and again. Amcns
them az among the old masters there are some W.
welcome regulations In an eNnlD.to., ., ' ~ mi
superhuous pictures are bound TO creep ~, OF
deduct the obvious lhtsriVp ricaIiv and in the
finest artistic sense. The leading pictures Tha
heir merits have already been traverSei ~ nj
tribune AIlusion has been made to the orignu
ami effective interpretations Of beauty when sar,
GENT Thaycr. Dewlng. Chase, Beck"ith ana inab y,
ethers hiring into the ensemble But II needs TO %
remembered that the ensemble would not De "ns'
/, = il the average style Of our contemporary
fr,itIra had not been raised 10 nigh p,,lCH. ~
would be absurd 10 claim positive eminenoe lor es
STYLE There Is often sacrihce 81 slinpiaS.w
ana repose TO the mercy decorative dNu -,
nOssbiites Of a clever arrange ment 'h lIis o.hv
hand no matter how far the pendulum sTinsS r. an
~. wrong direction. II leaves the really aDe Ins,
vim a mos engaging facility. with 50 muSh spM .,n
and ughtnes. with outlines realized IN sucn 49,, 1870
III nreciso, All this has been observed ptlo..
and Sometimes IN reference ID portraits Wlen In az.
annear IN IN, present display after hdNns -"
p in sav.r.l exhibitions But the portrait-ptin,
ers have always shared the gallery i.r nroncss
10y .hsv nave never been privileged to make ~
Siir sri EXCELLENT an effect they make now