New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-15
PORTRAITS AND POSTERS.
THE UNION LEAGUES MONTHLY EXHlBl-
TON.


The Ar, Committee OF the Union League Gun
might almost he suspected of having harbored
humorous scheme in the preparation OF the la'es'
monthly exhibition. In room Is the stdiu a'-
mospherc OF the early American portrait painters
In the other the vivacious. sometimes NOISY, ue
signs OF those clever draughtsmen In France, HnS
land and America who have sought 70 make the
advertising poster a work OF art The RESULTANT
combination is CURIOUS. If not fantastic Oh, we
rasten to add that 1t Is also entirely commendap'e'
Never before has an exhibition at the Union League
possessed greater cahollclty. greater FRESHNESS
never before has a more interesting body Oh p0'
ur"s been hung the walls Indeed 'heie '
been no such suggestive collection shown AZ .'e
cub since Mr. Fuller lent his fine old English pe'
for one Of the monthly displays. MI various
the chairman Of the committee, has worked a'"u-
ously 10 secure adequate representation" VI 90 %,
pioneer portrait painters, and TINS alone "'
give the exhibition character The gathering Va
affiches adds contemporaneous feature WHO" - ."
It's way, Of equal Significance
The first portraits In the collection or forty-sM
here assembled are by John Smybert, VINO "'eu ="
l75l Thomas Suy and Samuel T. Is MORSE WIN
are also represented, both died In l@2. the Ia''e.
artists touch the present generation ana they u9'
have been aware of the stirring Impulses Oh d ne"
they laid down their brushes Inc aruSoe
movement OF the day In America finds IFS root !"
the seventies. Prior TO that time, IN tne pe''o'
which stretches back from Morse TO Smyoe''' w,
possessed a slender school. which IL rareN ieV"eN
In our present most characteristic WORK put
the earlier men are. nevertheless important
I'm our history and occasionally snow that 'he9
are Of more than historical account stuart heeus
no apology beside any OF the men who nave come
later In this country. There are few VINO are "o'
as far behind him in power az they are IN uhe'
He is not seen at mi length In the exhibition NJ
the League. Mr.. Depcws replica OF MS "e''s'
Washington !s not one OF tn" best among Stuart
~ n At
very portal, is pleasantly typical Of Stuarts ee-
gance. ~ his and deicacy. ana IL mas o'9.
Of all. the peculiar distinction for which nearly al
Of the early American portraits are r''"'' N'"'''
The qia,i.y OF reserve. ~ dignity. Is never MSS
ing from the really characteristic work OF our hrst
century in art smyDert had IT. and /. enabled
rim T. carry c.-.an deficiencies II color ana mo1'i-
ling which would otherwise have cost MIN 'luch III
reputation. The portrait by INN IN TINS coli"e''o''
Which represents Ma Mary Flagg recalls the tax
INK .style II Sir Peter LEY and, through TINS ef-
cuns,anco tho Ufe.a-s nesh painting is Vefy nearly
forgiven similarly the portrait - Mr.. Ebenezer
Flag this ,ady's husband. is dsfgured by nara
Opaque color bn, the spirit Of the thing Is deish'
MI. and Won are interested At once IN the Sud
cct- personality. 'est u portra.ture when - not
go be- despisol >my bert was a Scoichmhr VINO
travelled I'm Ia.v before -et,iins In America. put
southern influences ~. not d.scerncd IN his WORK.
which bears straight ~ the tnghSh Ua1i''oh
maintained IN this 90 intry fr many years. stuart
alone ~ the nen VINO followed him had any OF the
technical mastery involved in that tradition bdi
Cop'ey AMI West were worthy OF his time In 'hr
other ingredients % Their style. Take Cop!ey :
Girl with Doves" Lawrence himself could hard-
lv hay. been ashamed Of me grace IN tnc concep-
ton IN. swee;n,ss of the carnations ana IN" trans
,arcncy . much ~ me color. He would nave us
cltln.i the ara Nlng. however. ne would nav" ob-
,..,el that the painting showed executive grasp
This criticism Is r~greifu'ly bui inevitably made
before many pictures In the Leagues exhibition Il
mobiles 1ur's pleasure IN Wests Interesting group
o. ROOM Izarl ana his fellow students AZ Cambridg'
. f-uI,-rsi.v b. mlNe. with the admiration Inspired
hr n. dramatic composition u The Dean %
General Wolfe The lard picture woGid be- charm
Ing U.re % not O- - muddy coor ana rough
handling ln -pir.i In hints OF style Il susSe7'7
. .lie ~ tao ,lla- family groups don" hy R"ynolHS
The nearest parallel 90 K"yLo'ds IN America" arr
e. - course. GAber' stuart Ills Washington 10
/ ff.s c8 lection has been touched upon The fonf
/ ,t.r relics ~ hia brush nov exhibited are I'M
/ remarkable but interesting. There aie some most
Characteristic touches n m" portrait OF MIS- Joanna
/ 90 Nch,i. touches in the modelling OF the nose
+ aal mouth AMI som. 4 the energy and dash that
81. controlled B.. visible IN The warm portrait 81
. william H. GI,. The seated portrait u Alderman
H,,l.u naS an historical value, but Is not NplcaI
/ ~ STUART in h.a happier mood oddly. the h'S'
stuart shown D. hy another man. the lovely mina-
urc after Stuarrs Washington made by william
Birch This is polished ht u work. rotc'ao'r
FOR
I ture- haze TO Offer
Washington figure. here in three other portraits
. one by Charles P,alc POLK is curious. stlihsh
production without much vitality, second 10y Ia
/ warI savage le liauuguiehed by niue more tlau
.uAvi'y and deicacy the ~orkn insnii' ~ carries
no conviction as portra,-aid m. last iH .ai :.
diners perccptb'y rlm Stuart's familiar works
/ diner IN thr formation ~ me jazz and IN the
J mental attitude expressed This Is FAR less lIrl
comm ,nplace ali DO - less interesting, soine
| how Tor mat reason and leaves. In fact very
asce35 r g2s.Sc 4 r ~ cSdr !. .rnsy AMI the
contours are not handled with precision. c''lm ,,
precise method o. handling vas rare among "u'
cary portrait painters u appears win que VIZ
expected force ia the portrait OF 'har.es N'ny}s
fas,lilous modelling. ami Inghlm's portrait OF MIS-
Lunar Reed. with iis highly polished surfaces :,
eon s ana s,r%ne.s - style The average w'
repeat marked by mmaturly %, tcc ln h
AM Si SO sS not S woke esSnded Or enthusiastic
,n nj" nor,raIi OF himself as boy and there Is
effective treatment, ~ light and shade IN M com rrdn
Prison but In none OF hts works is he master lt
the fullest sense OF the word Scarcely one OF ,t
one save Ci6rr, Stuart Yet IT Is possible TO clos'
these remarks on the portraits a. they were ocsui
Tth S OF American art Smybert West coplcy
Peale Jarvis. waldo and frothingham ines cam
plshci and their work to-day IL rich In dua..i',c
OF poise retcence and balance "h'n 'nS "uicl
cent Of our portrait painters are not h'"aSs uu'
T., cultivate They gave n good likeness, Al ruls "a
one In which vitality and individuality "eIr Jv'.''
and they contrived 10 make their sttert appeaii a
persons In whom posterity might WEI, ai,otn ,s,
take an interest This exhibition could moi Gauss
excitement from an exclusively artistic poiinn . .
view but IL Will give pleasure hhn , ~ m a,
cvcrv one who cares to know something more thai
IL generally available about the BEGINNINGS y
pOrtraiture In America ,. lima y,
The committee at the Union League TOOK UNI -,
the forelock in making the collection or olh lort.,
\ similar show L. contemplated by n" Metropo'1,
NIuseum Of Art 1t also placed ITSELF IN ths van ~
covering part OF It's wall space win postrrS., Wv,
have had as get no such formal gathering q. IN ~
sort Mr. Rheais admirable litt.e snow at o oi
I Wunderllch Gallery brought forward MS own wo,,
alone The examples at the League are ny a.
the known men abroad. chcret 'irasset nten
len Ibels and Lautr"c are represelted from "a
and there is some English work by dudley nhlul
Aubrey Beardsley and Wilson steer Mr the a.
Mr. Penned and Mr. Bfaiey up ln ahu, t
American wing and DO with ease ana apty
The show has much gayety and NOT niue -, W wi
artistic Interest The Ing poster Tor the ln ,y.',,
Ronantlqu~" by Grasse is one or IN, most eiie.N