New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-09
ART IN LONDON.
GEORGE H. BoUGHToN DESCRIBES THE
WINTER SEASON OF EXHIBITIONS
THE NEW" CRITICISM

London. November 80
n begins rather early and Is generally 30 timid
.na tentative that II could scarcely have the
-.n.rate honor Of a season" Of its own. and be
.alled the autumn art season. even II they
,oled Tate summer to that. So. when the last
are leaves are shaking from the sooty town
,,s.s and luggage-aden cabs bringing home
.,e summer wanderers and the country folks
.ho come to town for the winter and when the
r,ss of October thicken into the pea-soup fogs
=, November and most OF the street pavements
ors ''up' in the most congested and fashionable
s,rse,s then do we encounter the long files of
.od-eyed sandwich-board men aflame with start
ing bursts OF very positively hued announce
r.nts OF the usual "one-man shows" or of the
openng of the various and now regular winter
ambitions Of the many societies OF art and its
srowing kindred. And there is. too. the in
sy.table spirit of rivalry of helpful sort. but
that only tends to make the shows of greater
interest.
The one winter exhibition that used to be
Looked forward to with something akin to keen
ness was that of the New English Art Club $50
named on dit. because there was so little new or
English or even art about ~. 1t nearly
always interestlng-often neutrality-suspicious. one
liked the art of 1t or not. And those who did like
II liked II bravely and even blindly. They were
mostly young. and rushed into their self-courted
FRAY with all the fury of those who have moth
ing 10 lose and much to win There nice
discrimination about such trihes shades of
right or wrong Their cause absolutely
nure and strong. everything else in the Art world
was summed up in the fragrant word. Rot"
The other side-such as were seriously foolish
enough 10 fight ii out with them-had no kind of
chance whatever They were mostly failures in
the old school. whose moss-grown principles they
strove 10 do battle for BY far the greater num-
her who were interested at all
boxers ready to laugh with either side that won,
T, was by far the most amusing and also the
most safe.
To those who had gore through the schools Of
France. even the older Sc: OF students (many of
whom are now Royal Academicians). the new
part Of art. so wildly claimed was a dear old
familiar tradition, not glaringly fresh even some
thirty years ago There nothing newer in
II than in the white Girl" or the Girl at the
Piano" bought from the walls Of the Royal
Academy by one OF its best members, John Phil
Inns some time in the early sixties These two
works were by the even then famous James
Mcneil Whistler and to show that London was
not quite so obliivous TO their merits as newly
awakened Paris would like TO claim may recall
the fact that not very many years ago l saw
that same lovely white Girl" in the Paris
Salon Ges Refuses" 1t had been blndly turned
out Of the salon proper. and was herded-high
I'D too-with the ignomnous mass OF "crontes"
in the salon of dishonor
Nor was it very long ago that one Of his later
w0rks-the portrait Of Sarasate-was placed in
the salon. so near to the door opening wide 10
the white glare Of the architectural rooms that
the effect OF the low, deep harmonies Of the por-
trait were turned by the sudden transition to al
most inky blackness Paris only seemed TO
awaken TO the merits of this we-known leading
light of the advanced school some two or three
years ago. when 1t purchased the maternal por-
trait for the gallery of the Luxembourg This
delightful picture was well known and appreci-
ated in London. and had been exhibited In the
ROYAL Academy some ten years previously. And
we'll Go remember being laughed at by we'll
Informed American art lover and collector for
urging him to buy IT, if he could. At that time, l
fancy. II could have been bought for deal less
than was offered for 1t when Whistler began to
dawn on the sleepers Of London and Paris not
10 say Of all America. And then 1t was only
few years ago that people began to prattle Of the
new art and the prattle was called the new
criticism."
II was mainly due TO Whistler and his disciples
that the New English Art Club was started
Among the original members We're many young
enthusiasts who had IN them the stuff OF when
real artists are made. But as years-not many
elther-gllded on the more brilliant and the
more promising. even. wee gradually eliminated
either through dissensions among their fiery set
up nv he,ng translated into the charmed circle of
the previously damned and denounced Royal
Academy They seemed t. go IN, however WIN
ont the least struggle. and to get not only 10 Ike
I, hui 10 become its warnest defenders.
There are but few now left TO uphold the nag
~ revolt against what even the youngest ana
ereenest term "the old game" And alas they
find that there is little Of fresh Joy or illumina-
ton in what the newest seem 10 thlhK the new
game" No doubt II is q lite new to theH' ana
that gives their work whatever Of charm or
Amusement II may possess. The New Critic
e,ds {, moro and more difficult TO say any fresh
or paralyzng thing about his protegees. Ana
this year for a change, we remark sNsh' uis-
position TO chide but nothing In the spirit oI
the wholesale and retail Stating winch lIeS
lavish on any one who has risen above the rucK
s,d &c locked upon as something Of an honor TO
his profession.
1ha ,,os, serious desertion from the new artists
no tho very clever scotchmen from Glasgow
v-bo aed in a body and bestowed themselves on
.ho moro amenable Grafton Gallery. These took
with ,baro other indictments weary OF the petty
rusas n. the advanced" who went much 100
far IN the WAYS Of the same tyranny the Ne" 50
warmly denounced among the GA many Vi
these have started the "one-man SHOWS wnoee
lurid placards startle the autumnal promehade.s
OF Rond-st. and Piccadilly. The New Cr''ic at
tached to the Glasgow deserters and the others
turned upon their whilom brethren in Newn ness
s.s =. .,o,, with sarcastic taunts in prose and
verse A very neat little ballade appeared snort
time 400 that asked in the manner OF WHOM
And where Is Jimmy Whistler? say,
Whv did he have a separate snow
He went forth every morning gay
In boots that you had Diacheo' s01
And vet 10 Bond-st. he would 60
unexpected arc