New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-09

lessly. These contributions and others are now
en- show at Dunthornss. together with the
new mode OF applying the drawing from paper
to the stone and the printing therefrom. Mr..
Whistler is soon to have separate show" OF
the same art-which he Is no new hand at, by
the way-in the Bond-st galleries of the So
ciety OF Art And there is to be another show
at Boussod. valadon Co.'S.
Meanwhile the interest grows in the old en-
gravers of the lovely mezzotints and Zine and
stipple' done by the English masters OF the
craft, after the now wildly sought for por-
traits and pictures by the English painters Of
late last century. The fine proof engravings. in
fine condition Of this period bring the most
startling prices-almost much. perhaps In
many cases more, than was paid for the original
pictures The exhibition of the portraits Of
fair children at the Grafton is about to close
after a most successful and protracted show.
The exhibition Of portraits by living artists is
also attracting many visitors, who do not, like
many Others wait until all the people concerned
are dead and gone before they take what they
are pleased to consider awakened interest in
them.
The one really drawing exhibition still is
the show of studies and sketches by Mr.. Du
Maurier for his famous "Trilby." This. too, is
also awakening here. "Trilby" would
have slept more or less peaceably in the libra
ries of London but for the noise made about her
in America. And even nov the insomnia is not
quite leading her admirers to the American
degree Of madness The drawings still
drawing strongly and the play is also drawing
wildly; but the studios not yet invaded
they were in New-York by the would-be alto
gether" heroine Of Mr.. Du Maurier's charming
book. willing to display any tiny cramped
and distorted foot under the false impression
that ii must be beautiful and correct If only
small enough. No error is more common than
to suppose that the tiny foot or hand, or the
little mouth or ear or the large eye must be
good simply on account Of these long-auded
qualities; any painter sculptor will soon tell
you that il is the perfection of form and char
acter and in the features the power OF subtle
and refined expression ;hat go to make the
highest types of accepted beauty lovely and
most perfect face may be badly poised on the
throat and the throat not well attached to the
bust And so on altogether.
one Of the most beautiful women who have
trod the modern stage was all perfection down
to her wrists; and naturally the ankles were
in the same respect not worthy of the space
they so badly filed. And it Is in less meas
ure. observable in the splendid "Trllby" of the
she might have stepped bodily out Of the most
perfect illustrations Of her in the book itself.
The foot is fine and shapely and not "Chinesed"
in any way: but the ankle just where It might
have a. painters line the less or the lightest
kiss of the sculptors chisel the more, fails 10
reach the highest ideal, not only Of the char
acter but Of perfect form in that particular
type of woman
Ii is difficult to realize that the Trilby Of the
drama did not sit for every one OF these trial
sketches and studies for the book illustrations
now on exhibition. The trial sketches Of Sven
gall 20 through many changes before the final
type IL settled upon but the heroine seems to
have come fully realized from the first incep-
ton The show is a revelation 10 the easy-go-
ing Heaven-born genius who would scott at
having to take any sort Of pains or trouble with
his work Every detail here is sought out and
fought out until the underlying fact is good
and solid enough to bea- any weight or struct-
ural fancy. AS an example TO the easily satis-
fed New" person there are on one sheet some
three or four careful drawings Of the tip of
violin bow: and in the finished drawing 1t is
but tiny speck done with few light, playful
skips Of the pen. These drawings are all in
pencil four or five times larger in scale than the
final pen drawings for the story. And to any
value and rightness Of tough bit Of drawing
these pencil studies have a living charm and
value that few other things in art can give.
In the same galleries at the same time are
shown the pastel studies and pictures by Mr.
Edwin Abbey. These. too. have been sort OF
revelation to those who best know Abbey by his
pen Illustrations and later on by the decorations
for the Boston Library. Most OF the charm
that modern pastel art can give he has given
with certain charm and grace all his very own
There is a curiousy inept Introductory preface
to the catalogue by who has much more
sympathy with and knowledge of modern pen
drawing than works where color Of any sort
Is concerned II is a pity, too, for wild gush
and defiant statements based on personal IN
experience are not only uncOnvincing in the
present day of wider information In art matters
but these untempered blasts apt to chill off
the more admirers Of the excellent artist
whom he seeks to boom. Abbeys work is suf-
fciently charming and lucid in It's own sweet
and strong without the big drum of
sideshow Here is gem OF the New Criticism
(from the predatory note'):
And it is with pastel that these momentary
effects may be seized by master and fixed
forever. There is no messing about with sticky
oils, coaxing Of unwilling water colors
Does not the elegance of this betray the I'M
successful "messer" and "coaXer'? And IL true
how severe on poor, misguided Rembrandt; how
hard and unkind 10 Turner, who messed
about" as has been thought, not unsuccessfully
In both oil and water, and how unfortunate for
the object Of his hysterical raptures. who is
now messing about on large and important
work in sticky oils. What the predatory
note to that will be. If The appearance of the
work and the lung power Of the Snowman coin
eide time alone reveal
The third concurrent show In the same gal
eries is also by way of being q revelation.
These drawings are Of the much-reviled streeIs
Of London, and until Mr.. Herbert Marshall