New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-17
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS.

JosHUAs CLASSICAL ATTEMPTS SOME NEW
DRAWINGS BY AMERICANS MP. FROST.
MR. REMINGTON AND MR. ABBEY
TIE HoLLyER PLAriNoTYPEs-
GArLARps ENGRAviNcs
The most important work Of ari in New-York O.
the present time Is the picture OF 81 Marks Place.
venice." by Turner which hangs I'm the Avery Gal
lery. II Is large painting done IN 100 for MI
Munro. a Scotch collector. sold % the Agne"s In
1873. By them sold to Mr. Kirknan icdgson ana
after his death repurchased by the Mes-'s. Agnew.
who then cod II 70 Mr. James Price, the gentleman
whose collection was sold during the last London
season. not long after hts death. From the Price
collection the picture passed 10 Wallis . Son. the
London dealers. and from them T. was bought ny
Mr. Avery who asks ~ 90 for a. All these matters
of fac, are part OF the Importance OF the picture
They constitute its pedigree. and pedigree h. OF
high value when il H. attached to a work that j.
virtually Old master and that u is desired - pur-
chase for a public museum This Turner ought 20
go a. once to the Metropolitan Museum OF Art TWO
connoisseurs In town have recently offered to con-
tribute 5000 each u this end II cight other public
spirited patrons Of art would come forward WIN
equal generosity. The purchase shold be accom-
pllshed on these grounds without any delay. We
VIII never probably have another chance 20 good
this. The picture IS one q Turner'S finest a.
good any OF the pictures in the National Gallery
equally well preserved and equally typical OF the
great English painter In his mott authoritative
mood mere j. lurnrT IN IN, VI" S'.' -, ~.
leaned by Seymour laden that ls "A refnaFhanif
example Of the painter style. But u - Oiin "
temporary member Of the Museum cclirciloi, ~.
Turner at the Avery Gallery should be- per mhn'htH
footing. a. regards this painter with w mus -,
biated repository Of his productions ire pd'..tns
above IN" ouii'hSs "hch SUR g.lu - -, |.i,.l
ecuted facing the church IN u Turner mas acne
spacious Square seeming % possess 60 No.
greater than Is actually ire case ana Sd'i va.
with the nc'-hborng Campanile are reared ia ,n'
further planes of the canvas "a ,noue tt. a.
mcndOus distance from tho spectator. lh'f' u.
left IN IL To hes. two conflicting lights th"r" Is
added a third the Hare Of fireworks on the lagoon
.b rrni,s ~ fbe SQUARE self The square IL filled
with figures. and thegc are Sather.l aI'unu N,lip"
treat cross and reminding III" spectator that The
scene depicted il thai Of religious FESTIVAL NJ
whole composition j. suffus"d by Turnciiah cOlof.
Turneran light More faithful thah usu3. w. -, M.
veritablc lines % his subject. dcneatlng tlt pullH
ing- indeed with consummate accuracy lNrh"'
ba yef conceived his design in his dreamiest most
imaetnati,e yein Here n anywhere in painting. Is
s"craiion and the poets dream. Venice is evoked
from pigment and canvas a Dy SON, ''
T. IL phantom Venice afiei all hNed III SOM '"' /"
so far "a ts merely architectural clements are clh-
cerned but in its finest qualities Nenice Hys''I
Gus y beautiful ago" WIN pr,s. "a, :. ssems ~
aerial poetic In IL charl tnat Ss .
threaten TO disappear As a matter % fact u j.
recommend il to supporters f the Museum. ID
Gerry wav II is calculated % prov" an inNdiudp."
acquisition 10 that institution II l. or" OF the mos
Iea,.irul Of Turner's conceptions. and u shows his
technique in its best and most reasonable estate
Sir Joshua REYNOLDS was by nature by preies-
tination A portrait painter. His ESSAYS n genre
and in imaginative composition generally are among
his second best productions. But there is picture
at the Rlakesee Gallery which shows that 81
Joshua's second best good as the hrst per
nth -
Death of Dido" and represents that heroine at the
moment when having mortally stabbed herself she
recnes upon her funeral pyre. Leaning over hrF
is woman whose outstretched hands and norr-
fled face shows thai she has discovered the deaih
~ hei mistress too late. on the ef there comes
down from the clouds a plying angel face, one OF
those types when Sir Joshua often worked mp
from his studies Of children. on the right tA-r, j.
a distant view OF the sea and Of beautiful SKY:
The design is dramatic. we'll Ia anced and execute
with much of the nuency and force which belonged
IN The master The color is Characteristic too. IS
pec!aly in the sky alluded d just now. IN ne heal
clouds Because the work lacks h accustomed
grace and Is the whole far less mellow ana mar
monious in color than - expected oI MN al ~
hes because finally. the work is lacking as al Ms
efforts of the kind are lacking IN vitality anl ~ tne
peculiar cachet u his genus thls tdhes path pe'U"
the highest Of Sir JOshuas paintings. But as W.
have said IS ar EXTRAORDINARY se'onb pes cas
and even brilliant performance one turns from De-
fects like the ahado~ on the bosom 9i Dao 20 I'm Sr
sumpiuous key IN "hlch sne anu ne - 80 ",
actors In the drama are represented ana one con
cludes that Reynolds was in gooi VEN Wnen Ne
painted the thing. however far removed ne may
have from the absolute felicity OF his portraits
teresting Van Dyck a Romney Of exce.ent dna-
ity and a considerable number % works 10y an r.
Mods il the principal work shown. II will remain
view tor week longer
The American illustrator canno; complain OF beins
neglected at the present moment He il in evidence
at three different galleries uptown At the Keppe
gallery. where NJ. Glbson's drawings were recently
shown and whore Mr.. George Wharton Edwards Is
before very long to display his Illustrations 20
the "Epithalamlum" OF spenser the walls are COW
cred by Mr. Frosts sketches for the now edition OF
Uncle Remus" They are delicious. No other worl
wi. To- Technically they exhibit the fine maturity
of Mr. Frost's art. his tact in the handing % In'
his hneness In matters OF color. his skill IN makin-
his pen as eloquent as brush and in giving 10 black
and white designs no soidity and the variety ~
paintings in OIL But technique Is soon forgotten in
the contemplation Of these drawings. They are ttn
Harris is merely Interpreted sympathetcaiiy hoy
his illustrator. 1t IS enriched These animal iar's
ways would have been the case had Nh. frost
P BTe a b TN as WI" human a. Mr. Harris coad have
asked. he has made even the Tar BABY s"htr'l-
thing The negro types in this collection are good
but never among slcn models will Mr.. Frost -'lr-
pass. II he equals the sublime veracy OF that dee
with the Tar BABY. while Brer Fox lies dissolved 10
mirtn on ,he highway. Turn % the picture ontitlei
drawing Brer Rabbit Is pouring the hot water 10
upon Brer Wolf. The family Of I'rer Rabbit j. GATH
cred anyiOusy around the chest in which Brer WOLF
Is confined. anxious yet bursting with delight Their
costumes are irresistible. Their attitudes are in
descrb Die The drawing j. mastery. and so j. that
Of other illustration IN the set. But the ony
thing be said OF the work WhO.e is that ID j.
scrcamngly fuuny. the most brilliant piece Of boz
charact RIA ion which has been done in the
history Of American ert
\. The American Art Galleries. where much space
IS at present occupied by porcelans Jades. ename,s
ard Other Oriental treasures. besides the Smith co..
lection of Jewels and fans there are hung num-
Der Of paintings and drawing by Frederic Rem
ington. The eight or ten paintings are OF various
values. The Arab Fantasia" Is good in its repre-
sentation Of movement Coming 70 the RoIeo' il
attractive for a similar reason and because 10
tains good landscape painting Ia addition 10
It's c,ever,y drawn figures The Fall % the Cow
boy" is interesting than either o. the others.
But Mr. Remngtons work in color is always "A