New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-02

, go each canvas Is niehnahe any hypothesis
save thar 1t came to the Imagination OF the painter
IN Just that way by some spiritual stirring OF his
t,mprramen OF his styllstic instinct. of his artis-
ric character. Thus take IT that Whstler's 'Por-
trait Of My Mother in the Luxembourg might be
dissect'l As TO It's mere technical facts as to ITS
v dtSs ana yyu sndn sru nor, 70 ta az
"Phuip ~ a Young Man" by \elasquez, in
chsrn TO be- rrckoned with. the uncapturable es,
sence which makes the canvas work OF genius. a
N even more felictous comparison might be
made hs'w s the rhp reIerrst to ana me Sar
clothed man against a dark backg round and placing
thr lights about the face and hands and shirt
BOSOM might very pausely be traced 70 Velasquez
be sub,le mastery the perfect skin in color and
form which you md illustrated in the image OF the
choose the portraits which have given Whistler his
:ame and You admit that IN their presence no mans
suggestive Of reserve. OF moderation the last style
u the worll would expect from the man who
action as Whistler has been. But the eccentric
Is lost in the artist. and there is nothing more re-
uarklbe about Whistler's painting about his etch.
INK. than the purity OF It's beauty. the absence OF
ar,iiice ne AIR as OF incid conception sereney
OF his productions. He asks for no aids In his work
for no pctureSau"ness OF costume, Tor no striking
pose for no elaborate establishment OF ne sur
roundings. lie wishes an interesting sitter.
wall against which 10 see that parsonage. and that
Is all His color never goes high In tho scale, but
j. always subdued. pure and transparent Fixing
a
of proportion he proceeds to execute his impress
sion Of IT, an impression full OF character, OF tenn:
with that strange attribute Of impersonality which
belongs to The masters only; The Sarasate Is an
5 n Which whseP cxccs and f is chiefly hi With
desire to Illustrate this virtue that We give a
drawing Of II. The high qualities OF the portrait
disappear in reproduction. all but this one OF per-
feet proportion. Our cut gives trustworthy hint
picture Of the Peacock Room" one may see even
from this how curningy adjusted TO the scheme OF
Vel fowls whom Whistler
depicted 1t one end OF the chamber lie was called
the arch ct. Jcksii had Completed his share OF
the work. Whistler got Interested in the color
agreement and turned the room into place which
spoke of his own art and no others Jekyll came.
looked went home and lost his reason. The story
is painful one. but the room Is there fact OF
accomplished art and Americans have peculiar
interest in Il at this time. when the Boston Library
dccorai@ il viii be highly exciting to see What
isance in tme from the PeacocK i Room 'I his
experiment. of SO many years ago. Like or unlike
that performance. the new work is certain to be a
work OF distinction.
It Is by hi. distinction that M Whistler exsites
Ais every touch. lie is not always as enchanting
may seem to say So he is always the master Turn
20 his etchings Go carefully up and down the gal
AMONG the Venetian plates there are some less
5eautfn Than Others among the later etchings
the "Rault." which belong to Paris and the years
there long ago But in every instance you will find
Nth of f0PRs e eee hat he
wants and how 10 get IT, When In the Ruskin
trial. he was asked II he demanded 200 gu,neas for
he Fireworks at cremorne" Mr.. Whistler OBJ
served that he asked II FOR the knowledge Of life
time" II Is such a knowledge which you get In
ni- paintings. and in his etched plates The lat
st sY point Of View '% mary n sS be- ssd
skill! must be admitted. and not mere technicians
skin. either. but the aptitude OF a man for whom
linear felicity Is interpretative magic source
OF sensuous charm. thing in which you delight
,ylt /, of he
ing just that subject for representation. As mat
ter OF fact such question never occurs to the sym
athletic student OF Mr. Whstlers art. for the lat
Ter is really remarkable for selective tact In his
designs as he Is in the linear phase of each one
OF them. To take up his plates one by one Is no
more possible than TO review his painted works IN
chronological order. But the generalization TO De
ne has carried simplicity Of design. power OF teen.
nIque refinement and distinction Of style TO limit
reached by no other OF his time. and that he has
put his high abilities a painter at the serWSa
OF an original and elevated conception Of beauty p