New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-28
GREAT MERICAN PAINTER.
THE LANDSCAPES OF THE LATE: GEORGE
IN\ESS

T. 0elch: and Stimulus 10 honor. Ii carries Tho
observer into the atmosphere % noble Ideals ana
adequate expression which orl5 a master car cre
a,e. and It there awakens sympa lhes wac, only
.naste. imbue1 with the spri; OF nature can
ever touch !. W.. doubtless be said oc this exhb.-
ton tEa; II IS uneven. and 50 I; is. owing - the III
clus!on OF sketches am stuGies whlcl Were made
merely a. preliminary landings q some allur.ns
.nenc. The collection o.: abou: 20 paintings j.
composed Of finished and unhn.shoa work, lef; -
SIR !nness IN his studio tn. Tine of his doa tl
Yet great painter IS known hy ;ae intrinsic men.
OF h.s every bTush-niSrk. ana Wci.e w0I.a 20;
attach a. exaggerated vaUs - caca picture E,Ec
IN tho galleries uptown. We WONG uAhesita;i-r;y
ascribe % oyery Inch Of canvas thee tie vitality
lnheren; n oven the ssmaios, proiIcion q: genius
The late George lnncss had genius. ana ;..1; q;
very high order.
Inness was in nothing moro -orsp.e-ois thAi. "a:
Ms .ndomitabe originality. Tia; IS ne stca; .ac;
which Is encountered on ;he threshold q: ,.e pres
en-. exhibition. You cannot pat your inS"t on =
single e!cmen, in his work ard say that re owed Il
directly this tina. influence among the schools
II he indebted at all 10 the Romantic move
ment accelerated by the painters OF Foatanebleau
early In the century. Il was in such slight measure
that ne forgot 1t long ago. His critics admit
that the French strain has never been visible in
his work All tina; is due 70 his predecessors in
France Is paid when IL Is said that he shared their
eager return 10 idealized naturalism. They
10 nature for their material. So did Iancss. They
pu; their personal feelings their work. regard
less Of academic conventions. So did Inness. There
the parallel ends. save in such matters az make
every great arts, the parallel of another. Inness
was born in 1925. just before the aesthetic revolu-
ton led by Gericault and Delacrox. He
abroad early in his and studied for q time
In the studio of Gignoux: but French methods.
whether romantic academic do appear to
have ever held him for moment. lie travelled IN
Europe second and third time. his las,
trip being made in the late seventies. bu, AZ
time did contact with Continental scenes schools
modify the essential fibre of his Tina; remained
peculiar 10 himself and unbroken descent
be traced from such early works the little Italian
studies shown in this exhibition TO the landscapes
hung beside them. which were done in New-]ersey
during the present year. The symmetrical and
natural development of Inness in his paintings
not be too strongly emphasized. 1t is one of the
characteristics OF a really eminen, artist to pre-
serve the logic OF evolution in his career At the
outset Inness painted somewhat in the manner OF
his contemporaries Of the Hudson River school.
Like them he had a notion that landscape should
be first Of all veracous Unlike them he discarded
impedimenta and from the first had large way
with him--a breadth Of outlook which could not DE
altogether counteracted by the minute analysis he
was not yet ready 10 abandon In one sense he
never abandoned II; He always gives you copious
impression, generous Interpretation OF nature
But just there he parte1 company with his yod'i-
fu colleagues in American art. They did not IN
terpret nature: they essayed 20 reproduce heT zeal
for leaf twig for twIg color for color Inness saw
the tones 10 which light and atmosphere reduced
his colors saw the bosky masses that are formed
Of leaves and twigs. felt the vagueness ana myS-
terry which these things convey TO sensitive tenn
perament-and he painted the sum OF MS sehsa-
lions not the data which the latter were based.
1t Is because he did this that he appeals to the
poetic the imaginative lover Of nature His vision
was wide and so is his art. 1t is synthetic as
all great art must he, and therefore II has per
manence and beauty rich as 1t Is enduring.
TIL. curious reconciliation OF analysis with
generalization in the work of Inness is extremely
interesting. A superficial survey would not per
haps, admit that the meeting OF the TWO hao oeei
effected The fine Rocky DELL for example al
the Union League Club the other DAY sho"eu "'t'
in 1s4s Inness put a good many details into his
nicture II would be useless to deny the literal
character OF much in that work. But even In that
picture the breadth OF the conception IN sehefai
was most marked, and II was entirely obvious tha'
the same hand that produced II had In 1t the power
for the landscape dated 1894. which was eXhiDi'eo
at the same time. Similarly the visitor who scru-
,,r,vss Tho collection now under review will do
we'll TO hunt out those landscapes which date iur-
thest back In the life OF the artist STUDY NO :"
Sacred Grove. Italy" and compare It's Ueinuious
sky with the heavens as they are painted III any
changed but not the power OF apprehension not
the sympathy not the faculty for Selling the
great veil OF light and color and Ringing II with
absolute sureness the scene depicted iet the
Italian painting must have been done years anu
years ago The pictures OF Albano ana 1lVoh'
mbered 49, III and 49, the view OF the Roman
Campagna IN No. 154. the fascinating little sketch
OF a Perugian hillside; which opens the catalogue
and records year as old ls1$-all OF these
belong to period when lnness was sun
under the shadow OF his American environment
but you would hardly know 1t from evidence III
the work itself. There he is already the painter OF
healthy naturasm, the poet OF subtle anu
original ideas Between these Italian pictures
and such an opulen, canvas as No. 81. The gov
Ing Sum- with It's blare and crash OF burning
color the road is long, but il knows no turning.
Its end is marked we'll by the sunset study JUST
alluded 10 as by any other OF the recent "Ofhs
shown, but II should not be supposed, pe'auSc
there are many crescendoes at the termination
o. his career that Inness became addicted TO
effects ~ blaze and fury On the contrary. there
Is nothing more charming about his later WORK
which is in the main most represented In TINS eA-
hlbiton-than its celebration or the most anu
heca moods. Inness could paint not long beiore
he died. the fervid vibrations OF NO 49, ficn
auumnal landscape or the fun. deep tones oi
No. S. The Path to the River" with lis thick
lush greens In the sward He could paint also the
subtle evanescence of No &c. Across the Mead
0ss." wherein ne gives you deiicacy OF landscape
tissue and sentiment raised TO the highest pich'
lie could paint the tenderness and exQuisitely re-
fined boom OF such scene as NO ~, me
Shower" with It's shmmering hints OF yelled hgh'.
To major and minor chords he was equally re-
sponsve and in translatpg them he handled ms
brushes with equal felicity. II his interest In sun
vet effects reacted with perhaps more force upon
his method than did his sympathy FOR twi'igh,
and its more delicate tones ~ had. IN the IohB
rix md
loser made him treat his theme wi;h more ana
more OF breadth and spontaneous vigor SEE me
rich fneadow in No Q '"California' the splendor
Of the sun in No. 2os, The cleaners; The pale
young greens in No q. "Springtme." or the lovely
iurve moon in No l90 a picture which We must
leave Without title The freshness In these Is
i.e,markabe, so also is their fidelity 10 hatuit ri 80
b admired Is the unity OF the impression which
,,ney leave, and which they owe 10 the pane ahln.eI
arni.n4 IL 10