New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-24
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS

EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS.
THE NEW DECORATIVE WORK IN THE CRIMINAL
COURTS BUILpINo-GCsTAvE couRBEr-soME
MODERN DUTCH PAINTINGS - THE
PARAN STEVENS COLLECTION
MURAL DECORATION IN
PHILADELPHIA.
There were presented to the city OF New-York
last week three decorative paintings OF when
the significance in local art history must be
recognized very great indeed. They are the
panels painted by Mr. Edward Simmons for the
adornment of the courtroom Of Oyer and Term
liner in the new Criminal Courts Building on Cen
tre-st. They are excellent productions, interest
ing in conception. composed with originality ana
power. and executed with much charm OF color
and felicity of handling. Mr.. Simmons has IDEAS
and he Is an accomplished painter. He designed
for his central panel. to go behind the Judlcia
chair stately figure Of Justice With appropriate
surroundings and accessories, and in each canvas
on either side Of this composition he grouped
three symbolical figures In admirable arrange
ments Of line and light and shade. Altogether he
has proven that the Municipal Art Society was
well advised when its decision was maze III MS
favor and he was selected to paint the first pup
lie decoration in Ncw-York dedicated to a purely
municipal purpose It Is perhaps in this char
acter that his work. in spite OF its intrinsic merits
has most suggestion for the observer 1t Is
pleasure to praise Mr.. Simmons. But II is posi-
lively exciting to recognize in his decorations
the first step in development which promises
endless satisfaction to lovers Of New-York. Inc
Municipal Art Society will not stop at this ini'iai
act Of public spirit and artistic benefcence. me
expectation is that Mr.. Simmons will be folio"eu
by other decorators in the path which the society
has opened in our municipal life. ana that pun
lie buildings generally in New-York VIII niue oy
little take on the civlliZing attributes "hch eey
at present lack. Paris long ago reaiized t'ie hseu
for those attributes and she now transac,s "es
civic affairs in places where IL is u peasuie 40
we'll as a comfort to be. for the officidl ana tns
citizen. New-York will, II is to be hopeo stalu i
In time where Paris stands now. me Nu.iIcipai
Arr Society under whose auspices and through
whose activity the new courthouse oe0oi 80
were secured have given us the pest eaItien. ~
this by starting the work on entlrely ga nc ann
lines Mr. Simmons has done more iot hin STp
porters than paint three interesting pictures ne
has made those pictures part OF inc ~
Of his courtroom part or tne synnsts,yy - 80
architectural scheme, and II the puDhc ever
wishes the Municipal Art Society TO JUSTIFY i's
demand that public decorations shU w. e u
ordered the society has only TO point 10 iS ,he
ENTERPRISE That Is entirely admirable - '
standard there set up is uniformly ma ldinSI
there need be no fear FIR the future OF .nu r al
decoration In the public buildings or the ie'iopo
lis.
Gustave Courbet is commonly accreoi'eo WIN
enough brutality a painter 10 luIhish i0i'"
the s.news OF war for half Il dozen OF the "'os'
impetuous Of independents He Is Csua"y pe
ueyad ~ have carried his independence 80 far
as to have lost all the graces and nan 'he sua''
tics Of nictorlal art. At the Durand-Ruel gallery
m a
form Of a ufe-size nude study painted in mood
of the utmost uroanity and restraint. Inc can
vas is called THE Woman with the Parakeet'
and represents a mature figure lying at 1uii
length on couch amid the drapery that has
inst heen discarded. and playing with bird or
more or less gaudy plumage The woman mas
mass Of dark hair. which is flung picturesquely
about her head and shoulders on the couch she
lies on some white draperies, her black dress
having beer tossed on the floor beside the couch.
A dark tapestry hangs just the other side OF
her where the background is finally closed by
mass Of green foliage This arrangement re-
suits in a glow Of warm flesh tints set amid
evenly sombre tones The scheme Is one OF Cour-
bets simplest and most direct. But the brutal
ity of which we have heard so inucn mas quite
dieaDpeared and the figure detaches Itself from
the dark background with every suotlety or re,
fined and careful modelling. delicate in color ana
as delicate in feeling as the most r0mahtie Hi
pa ,nters might. have made II. Courpet WouIu
ha We sdained the epithet. He came TO celebrity,
such as his contemporaries granted hlih on
wave of rebeous energy, resolved to paint
things as he saw them; an mpressionlst ana
realist in his thoughtful. even taclturn way.
But in this picture. as IN many others whisn
you may find on going through MS Wo.k, .ns
finer side of his nature came out, ana, thoush
there Is still a materialistic element IN the
study rs there bound to be In the work Oh
a painter who would let nothing come between ,s.
fhera
of the work in the personal temper of the thng'
50 10 speak a proof that In the long run ms
Imagination had It's way with The woman ana
the Parakeet." 1t made II Deautlful WORK Ill
spite of the stern realism which brings II close
to the brink of being merely true one me
Durand- Ruel gallery shows. by the way, III al
dition to this considerable production, three or
four Courbets of less Importance but OF muS ,ii
character and strength and an eXtraoroinaruy
fine portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Inc latter
is entitled THE Shepherd Boy and represents
an idyllic urchin. idyllic. but very human ana
genuine. tending a few lambs The composition
is dainty and delightful. The color is In the
finest style of the master. and so also Is the ex-
ecution. A more brilliant Sir Joshua In his minor
field has rarely been brought to this city
At the Holland Art Gallery there have been
assembled some oil paintings and water colors
by Gerke Henkes, Dutch painter Of interiors
and of those canal scenes which are peculiar ID
the Low Countries. His oil paintings are medio-
ere in character sometimes as In NO. D. DIS
tlery" displaying some control over pleasant
effects Of light. but. as rule sickly IN Color
and nerveless In execution. Among his water
colors. the other hand. this artist often mas
something TO say for himself when IL worthy
OF attention. Note Tho Village Council ana
The Morning Paper" studies Of quaint Dutch
types. These have humor In them ana vigor. II
all his work were on the same level MI Gerke
Henkes would be very aSreeanie artist iol a.,
idle half hour In the same gallery is large
interior painted by Israes which has much OF
his accustomed sentiment and picturesquenesS'
but which Is unaccountably panty and crude
The method Of Israels Is one that is easily car
ried to excess. and the present picture oHers
good Illustration OF the harm done TO MS great
gifts by his careless handling OF pigments
At the American Art Galleries there Will be
sold tomorrow night collection OF pictures
which belonged TO the late Paran stevens. In
the nelghborhood OF a hundred works are III
cluded. but only two of these seem 10 us 10