New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-30

Blum II IL necessary TO turn 10 his temperament
much more than to the masters whom he may
have regarded with delight and emulatei with ar
dor. The sincerity Of his work It's intrinsic beauty.
the spontaneous charm which has distinguished
II since he first came 70 New-York and was intro
duc-d TO the public through his illustrative designs
for Scribn~rs Monthly. has assured FOR him al
ways the attention and the respect due to an orig
!rai alcnt Lee, II be granted that his earlier pen
drawings were based tho style Of Fortuny. with
something In them also OF Martin Rico, that MS
first Venetian studies were made with brush that
the example Of the great Spaniarl often seemed 10
strengthen and direct. An admission IKE this can
easily be made by artist whose work on the
whole. s his own. whose maturity Is colorel by no
force outside himself save nature.
Just as the art Of Mr.. Blum seems 10 begin win
himself starting from racial source and from
no accidents OF early environment. so tho material
facts - his throw side lights on his inspira-
ton. but do nothing to eucidatc the formation OF
his sy;c. II IL that In Philadelphia ne saw
Fortuny's work. the japanese art at the FAIR.
and was excited by both experiences. But he could
not hav fashioned himncf out OF hand on "A model
compacted OF Spanish and Oriental tendencies and
on the Journeys which he soon after made to Venice
and Spain he appears 10 have worked ont MS
own problems. not TO have subjected himself 10
any specific discipline to any Academic masters
He had received elementary instruction In Pha-
dolpha for a short time In the seventies. but no
other city appears TO have offered him any school
ing of an artistic sort lie went to school In Europe
instead, painting In Venice In Holland. In spain,
hut most OF all In Venice Year after year he has
returned to the congerial atmosphere of the Con-
tinent Here he has figured In exhibitions more
or less not frequently. and for long time II
seemed as though he TO be chiefly known as
An illustrator. The pictures he made few years
ago first for Sir Edward Arnod's "Japon;ca' and
then for his own articles the East frat
seen IN "Scribners." and not many readers ~
tina: periodical were probably aware that II a
pa,nter as well draughtsman who had
dom that people who knew the galleries well began
IN forget that he had once delighted them with his
numerous contributions to the Pastel Clubs
hbitions The loneliness OF his color rarely
met Blu, In 1893 he was made full Academician
and the oil paintings which were brought forward
at about that time. the oils and water colors which
began TO come In their original form 10 show the
full Significance OF the Magazine reproductions re-
tabished him In the memory OF his Ncw-York
public That public could never have really for
gotten him. His absence was always realized in
certain quarters and persistenty regretted. for
n mcnnt that the current exhibitions were de-
prived OF Just that much gayety Just that much
blithe and fascinating vfvacity.
The vtvacity Of Mr.. Blum 10 what fixes him firmly
IN American art II would make him dstin-
suished were II not tempered ~ that feeling to
which 30 have already alluded He was dass:ed BY