New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-13
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS.
A NOTE ON THE HALsTED sALE-ME HoPhiNeoN
SMITHS wATER-CoLoRs OF VENICE
AND HoLLAND-MoNET AT FULL
LENGTH-PERIODICALs.

! AND HOLLAND-MoNET AT FULL
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
In the absence OF any new exhibition to announce
this week there is no more pressing TOPIC ior o'c
cussion than certain features attending the term.
nation Of a show which has already been re''e"eu
in The Tribune. A greater DISAPPOINTMENT 'han
! the Issue of Mr. R. II. Halsted's sale at the Amer-
can Art Galleries last Wednesday night has never
been recorded in New-York. His collection OF iaho-
scapes by the late George Inness was composed OF
twenty well-selected works Of the master. one Oh
them the superb storm on the Delaware pro-
duct OF the painters most mature PERIOD brought
the sum of $3.50 That the highest price OF
the evening Three other paintings sold Tor some
thing over s2O0q each and the remainder feii peio"
$780, two Of them fetching S'5 ana s'So respect.
lively Altogether the collection realized soi'Soo'
This doubtless was anything but a gratihcation 70
! Mr. Halsted Certainly the admirers OF lnness IN
general must feel mortified and indignant that art
go rich and fine as his should be appreciated 80
little when put to the test OF the picture ma. nc"
Yet there is explanation OF the matter WHICH, y"
the whole, carries conviction. The failure OF the
sale to bring worthy prices was Doubtless que 20
the near approach of the auction arranged D. ."e
estate Of the PAINTER Up at the Fine Arts BUILDING
there are no less than 2i0 landscapes, some hhsheo
pictures, some studies, but all typical anu an iu''
deserving the interest OF the COLLECTOR N"o""s
that this great collection soon to be dsperseo'
s,udv ~ Il MANY an amateur must have felt that
the Hasted pictures might be left In allegiance. ana
competition Jagged forthwith III Is easy W a."
stain from bidding on a painting when you hio"
that large number of works from tire same oruSh
are soon to be at your disposal and what the Hal
sted sale suffered from was a lack OF eager COM
| petitlon The situation should be clearly UNDER
stood 1t would absurd for the public TO get the
impression that painting like the storm on ihs
Delaware" is worth not more than Wv when d
canvas by Corot Rousseau easily feicnes three
times that sum- Figures have an unconfortaoie
way of sticking In the mind and 1t needs to be
forcibly stated that the figures Of the Hasted sale
are entirely misleading The pictures sofa are
worth infinitely more than paid for them
on Wednesday night. and the public should remem-
Der this in its attitude toward the dispersal OF the
collection now view uptown. People snould go
TO that sale ready and willing recognize the value
OF what they seek II the affair Of last week Is re-
peated IL will be disgrace TO the spirit ana JuuS
ment Of American connoisseurshp. We are NOT
willing TO believe that at this stage OF our de'eiop
ment the old prejudice against the native the oid
infatuation the foreigner. Is TO rebound to our
discredt The taste that can lead a man to pay
$4,000 for picture like Breton's commune ants,
an even larger for Rosa Bonheurs ifofse
Fair" similarly regal prices for the works OF Meis-
sonier or Met. and then offer few thousands
for the work of American landscapis who IS
the equal of any of these painters. and, with one
exception their superior. a taste which should Do
acknowledged with shame
II is a pleasure 10 welcome the annual exhibition
of Mr.. Hopk!I son Smiths waier-colors. His show
the Avery Gallery is becoming a regular feature
of the yearly art season. and it is good that TINS
should be His latest group of t~oscore PANT
ings. divided between Venetian and Dutch themes
leaves him more firmly established than ever upon
the foundation Of artistic feeling and thorough
workmanship which has been discerned at the bot
tom of his reputation. His art has gained HIS
greys richer, more transparent and more Sill
very The delicate tints of the old brick walls OF
Venice are more exqusitey hit off than ever in
pictures like No 4. "A Side Canal" wherein he gets
very close to the admirable ideal which has always
been felt In his work All through the present series
Of watercolors his familiar standard OF picturesque
ness Of deftness of quiet cooristc charm, has been
mainta tanned. and there is just such an increase in
sodity. in depth recorded in this place last
| year. Turning Dutch subjects, Mr.. Smith has
lost not any of his Italian effectiveness and he has
| added 10 the significance OF his work In making
It wider IN scope. Tine substantial beauty Of Dutch
atmosphere of Dutch clouds and canals is not often
reproduced with such felicity find illustrated
by Mr. Smith In Nos. ). l. ~ or. for that matter
any one Of the nine views OF Holland which are on
the walls. Description is not necessary upon this
occasion. Il has frequently been spent upon the
artist who more before the public
and justice is done TO his work in alluding TO the
strengthening 1t has undergone since it last
in the celebration of less familiar scenes than those
he has heretofore attacked The exhibition closes
January 49, when Il gives place TO forty or nifty
japanese subjects painted by Mr. Theodore Wores
NJ DurandR uel has never wayered In his i'm
pressionistic faith and at his gallery uptown
there are several evidences OF this at the present
moment He has not only brought forward the
clever NJ. Mauffra. a painting In tho
style of Monet with attractive streak OF indi-
hos caI
prehensve exhibition of Monet himself The large
inner room is hung with less than forty OF his
landscapes dating all the way from 1864 10 1895.
and those who have not already made themselves
well acquainted with the noted mpressonist can
get here very satisfactory idea of what he has
done. IL must be admitted that he has gone con-
slstently to work prove the validity Of his theory
The earliest work the walls the Route boisee'
OF 1864 is suggestive OF Courbet in certain blunt
and GOODNESS. Yet even there the point OF view
OF Monet is pretty definitely stated. and the breadth.
the synthetic method OF the work. preiigures oosi-
ously the pictorial conception which he has de-
veoped since that performance The distinct
growth Of Monet has been in his treatment OF hght
and air. but here. too. he has persevered In one I'M
more unity and evenness than would ordinarily be
expected OF revolutionist The logic and the
It is not easy to focus every one Of his designs:
and If he is lacking In envy one direction lis y Is
He shows always the selective GIT when - re-
Elected in the symmetrical outlines OF 40 = nd ~
As a rule there is a tendency In Monet 10 seize a
more casual episode more irregular scheme OK
grouping Whether balanced or not in design, how
ever he Is always surely poised In matters OF at
mospheric analysis. and there Is delight IN inc
warmth and tenderness OF some of the pictures
here displayed At times he Is full. rich ana mel,
low as in No. 49, "Enet du Soir sur la Seine.
More frequently he gets the q1iverins tones OF NO;
~ "AIeue Giverny' or No: Automne
Civerny' In a winter scene. such as No river
a Vetheuil' the delicacy OF his touch modifeS the
b,eakness OF the theme in the most captivating
limo he
iiah, naIntatng TO his canvas. Invariably he has
life in ali that keen appreciation OF sunshine ard
lis wizardy implies. Textures sometimes suner az
HE hands because OF TOO summary handling OF
them. but this defect falls into the background
Monet is not yet established beyond the shadow OF
n doubt upon the lofty pinnacle of fame to which