The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-02
a NOTABLE AMERICAN PAINTER.
Exhibition OF Painting. and sketehe. by the
Late A. n. yVvnnt

A. II. wyant n. A.. was one Of the painters
oflandscape creditably representative Of our
American art. He was q painter to be COM
pared with the venerable George Inness. His
death last year was an unquestionabe loss to
our art. and IL may be said that no did not fail
OF appreciation in his lifetime. wyant was a
student always. and never wearied Of expert
mentinR with means OF expressing those
phases and aspects OF natural scenery that
touched him.
Tho present collection. now on exhibition at
the Fifth Avenue Art Galleries is made up OF
40 OF the finished pictures that he lett in his
studio but many OF these are very slight in
execution. and might more properly be Chased
with his studies. Mrs. Wyant 10 understood to
have selected these canvases with a Jealous
regard for the reputation OF her husband. and
to intend to destroy absolutely tho hundred or
two hundred sketches that he left II Is a
great pity that they cannot be sold frankly as
sketches. but II is obvious that many OF these
fragments are not properly representative OF
MIR. Wyant ut his best. and on that ground
they are to be put out OF the reach OF the cold,
speculative eye Of posterity.
These paintings now exhibited are to be sold
on Monday and Tuesday evenings next. Tho
collection contains many wholly character
istic and representative examples OF Mr.. Wy
ants work. They are sober. serious. even
earnest paintings transcribine natural scenes.
for the most part. In n minor key OF grays and
deep greens and russell browne There is an
unmistakable dignity to nature as Mr.. wyant
observed 1t. and he had q fine sense OF rich
cooring in low tones
One OF the most interesting OF these paint
ings Is almost q m monochrome In q steel-blu
black. 1t is called Moonlight and Frost"
and 1t is plainly the quickly painted record OF
avery beautiful impression OF cloud fecked
sky illuminated by q full moon. The Land
scape" No. 1873 Is a noble view OF American
scenery. great mass OF white clouds piling up
in tho sky as seen through an opening in tho
trees pool In the foreground is frightened
by reflection OF these same clouds. In
- Clearing on OF Sunset" big canvas re-
markably suggestive OF lines. the sunllt
clouds in great masses are flne in form and
majestic In their sweep across tho sere fields
below. but there lie a certain feeling OF heavi-
ness in the sky and OF undue prominence that
makes one feel that the sky overhangs and
overreaches the landscape. The Autumn
Landscape" No. 125. is lovely in its atmos-
pheric quality and tone. An October Day"
is n beautiful picture OF brown fields and troes
over which is broad sweep OF sky filled with
steel blue clouds
There is a remarkable sky in form and color
In the " Sunset in the Lowlands" while In the
Forenoon in the Adirondack" In the
North Woods" and " The Valley OF the Housa-
tonic" there is a fine expression OF sunlight
and shadow In tangled wood and rolling val
ley There are two canyases called Even
Ing" No SO and No. 70. that are exquisite in
their tender colors OF twilight with fine cloud
forms. while in Sunset After a Storm" there |
is weird effect of ragged clouds revealing
through their tattered frinGes a splendid vel.
low light
Altogether this exhibition OF Mr.. WANTS
paintings Is nne and interesting. as revealing |
our American scenery through the eyes OF a |
true artist and thoroughly we'll trained |
painter In fact, Mr.. Wyant's work makes him |
candidate for a place among the foremost of |
the painters who have distinguished American
art as such. |