The sun., 1894-03-11
sooLETX OF AMERIo<y lR11srS
Paintings In the Seventeenth Au.uai Eshl
bition.

SOOfETX OF AMERIOAN lRIIsTa
Paintings IN the seve-tee.th Au-u.i Exit
bitios.
| Lest anything that follows should bc misap-
pretended. It may be set down at the start that
| the seventeenth annual exhibition OF the Socis-
| ty OF American Artists 10 o mighty interest.
ing show. There are some striking instances
| OF optical delusion and much skilled hsndt-
work. uagulded by any CLEAN Of intelligence
There arc the garish and bizarre; the
maudlin and the perverssly bad But
that is tho worst OF It and the best
of that sandwiched In with these extrem-
tiles aud atrocities. for which tho society
always seems ready to provide . kindly shel-
ter. there are numbers OF very beautiful works
OF art. OF coed painting there 10 q great deal
more. indeed. than there 10 Of good art; but
taking the good and the bad. Il 10 an alto
gether attractive and interesting exhibition.
Next to the blue trees and purple rocks that
are affected By an unusual number Of pro-
Rressives." the nudes are likely to catch the
attention very soon after one sccustoms his
eyes to the vibrating light Of tho pictures
In the South Gallery. There are several such
studies which. as studies. are to be pardcued
As pictures they have their faults. It 10
difficult to say whether Mr. Kenyon
Cox's Study OF Sunshine" No. aOl
or Mr.. Herbert Depman's Summer"
No. IL. is the more I'm m obesity ed and yu,-
gar. In neither ono Is there q suggestion Of
that beauty that constitutes the poetry OF the
undraped nRure or a woman. Mr.. Cox has
painted . eross person. out OF -deors prs.snt-
Ing her back TO the spectator. Sunlight falls
lightly upon her shoulders. while tho shadovs
fall heavily upon tho rest OF her psr.
son. 1t might q almost rass for the
figure OF man but for the back
hair. 40 clumsily is It conceived. Mr..
nan 2n a.D "a.
tiful In color. and in tho silvery light OF the
landscape. But the pose OF the young woman,
seated beside pool. Is peculiarly unfortunate
IN its indelicaoy. while the drawing OF the up
Der part OF the figure seems to be absolutely
bad. Her left elbow 10 plainly out OF Joint,
Mr. Carroll Beckwith has q curious little nude
figure. The Hat Bath" No. 90. that from its
odd perspective. would appear to have been
painted through q transom. Mr.. Robert Reid.
In his "Crosslights." No 102. 10 still working
with the problem that engaged him
in last years Society exhibition and
is losing ground The naked girl Is very well
modelled. but the skin is absolutely lacking In
carnation. II is q bloodless sort OF white skid
glove flesh that he has painted In the seated
figure. but the yellow light that outlines the
curves OF the contour before the open nre 10
well caught. Across the gallery the picture 10
effective. but its .paintinsss will not stand a
picture to hang at the other end Of a
bowling alley in q harem. Mr. jos. Deeamps's
The Mirror" No. e3. representing q seated
woman contem plating her own unmarked
beauty In the glass. is graceful and thoughtful
In composition aud agreeable In treatment
Mr. Otto H. Bacher has two nude studies.
July" No. 2S5 and Among the Wild Flow
ers and Pines" No. 223. variations OF tho
same scheme and extremely clever In
treatment. TnfOFtnnatalr ia
I.s5; make the f sfnfs bssYtitsi ana Mr. BsoA.SSs
are dissppoisting IN this ,mottled sifsct Of III:
mirI. have been rsstsd With more Sia sinpIisii1 hs
to ,itdhyspitase Sh age: Louise S9h has little nude
a cSy5 an IaI beauty and called Il Disna "A'
~ William n CHASE rt5Hhs The 81 soss;; Mss E..
hH1 sEse Sa .a &: hsf; s9s Ss sS 4:
ih.klng eertSin Senatorial courtesy toward
rorfs SI shs p.%trS IST 90 R .Ha
4 !! !mrI rII.tt' called sPrins 10. 34I. Il f Is :
nsss nS:saRS SsfHsnGag R GaS eo%Sa.' '0qTRSy TSsy sHd
!R.ra saet ARRsa @ssG tUepSs Be too ssSy' bit
best Ss,H, sPatsssPs; az h1s Essn swsEdsd the WEBB
Shaw iuGd Of 81. BOO TO be devoted % to the pnrs &
0nsse oI OF nsure eomposttinn ~ become the
pIopeIIy OF Mr. samuel T. Shaw has bean
Earded 70 Mr. Henry oliyer Walker for hls
picture, The Singers" Itis small eompo-
iiiitlon pleasing IN color and full OF ssntimsnt,
ne award OF tho prize must have excited
soiae surprise. and ysI II 10 not easy to select
@orthlsr painting The two figures = youns
~ aud child, are drapsd with reference
~ the e2Ior harmony but the charm of the
moIk ls IN the sweet faces. and they are Wholly
saSecessful S In c charnctsr and expression.
mere are altogether 3lT numbers In thu
catalogue. OF which IS represent works an
-eulp ptnTe. some Of them OF unusual bsnnty and
i,esI, 1i,sIesI, ihsrs was reception YESTERDAY
hI lhb,sIho9n az the galleries. and on Monday the
nov viii be open TO the public unTiI aftsr
y : men M tln "A more detailed notice of the Pant.
nEs aud other WORKS must bs TesersSd.