New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-16

palntcd with incompatible sickness But tnat
Is the conventional performance. The baby
child painted a. Mr. Sargent has painted ner IN
his Miss Goclet." as Miss Beaux mas painted
her In the picture We reproduce ana IN several
others il one Of the infrequent blessings OF the
galleries. 49,,
There Is. t. give her further value to Ameri-
can art cheerful lack of sentimentallty IN
Miss Teaux's paintings. She has sentiment,
of course. Her work is vitalized by an emotion
al impetus by a sympathy which Is felt as quick
IS as the surface brillancy of her studies. but
IL Is sane and sweet emotion. Wholesome tact
ful and never spoiled by that preoccupation
with a decorative or anecdotc effect which Is
often too auring for the portrait painter 10 re-
sist She has been called an impressionist. but
the cpithet is less justified by the spontaneity OF
her manner than by the character Of her point OF
view She paints slightly as an impressionist
might but she IS a farer parallel TO him ana
raises his principle 10 higher power In her
feeling in her quick sensitiveness 10 the I'M.
aginative. spiritual significance OF her model
and her accurate rendering II what she mas seen
in that momen,ary process OF insight mus ner
children for all that they stand IN such piclur-
esuucly wrought designs. are never composed,
there Is nothing sophisticated. nothing artihciai
I'm their effect. They are instead the most ar, =,
less nowerlikc interpretations or NE. shaii
breathing personalities which excite the interest
of the spectator with freedom from any of the
expedients Of technique that makes MISS beaux
an object of the very heartiest admiration. Per-
haps the admiration Is triiie less uncon-
strained on turning to her portraits OF women.
but that Is because the occasion Is then less eX-
citing The spell of feminine grace is profound.
but the witchery OF a woman Is more complex
than the wtchery Of a child, ana Miss Beaux
has to think longer. to work with less nre. per-
haps. than when she Is following In gust OF
inspiration the delicate outlines OF her favorite
sitters And yet her work among older types
has been remarkably strong. richer In power and
originality than three-fourths the canvases done
I'm the same field from year TO year by her col
leagues at home and abroad In the first place.
she has been completely emancpated from the
miner and dressmaker. There are no conces-
sions I'm her portraits to those gorgeous gowns
which in SO many instances seem to have been
the sole reason for a portraits being she I'M
derstands texture as has been stated above and
in painting 1t she remembers 100; now run OF
beauty how desirable. the purely decorative
note is easily proved to be. But In her por-
traits Of women as In her portraits OF children
II il the character with which she is chiefly
occupied with the character as seen in sensu-
Gus effect of Color line and pictorial novelty
This conviction remains with the scrutiny or
even her most sketchy production. Look at
the Portrait of a Boy" which Is given In this
place from a drawing by the artist herself
1t is slight to the point OF tenuity but II has sub
stance. 1t gives an impression, IL mirrors per
sonality Therein lies the key to Miss Beaux 8
strength 10 the distinction which promises more
and more to belong to her as her art develops.
II has already reached stage OF rare superior
ity it Is even now possible TO speak or Miss
Reaux with a frank appraisement Of her merits
as so considerable that her defects or needless
ness and too rapid workmanship seem trivial
and pOWerleSS 10 retaru ner career one 49, III
fact one OF the most progressive painters In
America and what she does must arouse the
lvelies interest even when II falls to crafty by
the symmetry which Is essential TO great art
Absolute symmetry Miss Beaux has not yet
proved To be wholly within her grasp. She comes
near it in the child walking with Its nurse. when
we reproduce and in all her designs there Is
naturalness n charm, which leaves no great dis
lance between her art II is now and as II Is Ike
" to be at It's elimination. But she Is at present
SO trimming over with energy. with vivaclty, with
sl...s 49, nj
often OF impulse than OF deep pondering. In
that there Is a very small weakness ana very
great strength. II throws us back upon the con-
spcuous facts OF Miss Bcauxs portraits. their re-
fined realism, their Imagination. their poetic
grasp OF character which ordinarily eludes the
analyst their beauty and their individuality.