New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-01
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER Topic

nv ,o,,S 7 rv1s RpOWN-MORE or MIR Du
u.rR,rn,s DRAWINGS MINoR SHOWS
TRI-MBuLL,s PORTRAIT OF
HAMILTON IN A NEW
ENGRAVING.
Tho latest Of the monthly exhibitions al tne
I,otos Club brings forward an unusual co''ec''o'.
or n,ctures They are all old masters, some VI
,bem dating from the earliest period OF itahah
o,t others from a time late as that OF Iispoio
and Canaletto. and others from the age Oh Du'e
with the Inscriptions Of the catalogue II Is oi'"cu''
70 agree We are not convinced. Tor example
that Botticelli painted the Madonna given -
him. nor is the Correggio quite what we thi"H
Correggio could have made 1t. And s'fnia'
Judgment might be passed upon many o'ne'
paintings hung Yet there are some 'hte'eS'i"e
things In the little gathering OF antiques wiz"
the club has made for the delectation Vi us
friends Bottice may not nave pain'e' "'
Hearn's large circular panel. but at least soi'e
clever artist near to him in point OF tiine p'o-
duced the smooth and gra ,eful design. ana IN re-
membering the great Madonnas by the "dS'e' ~
Florence he remembered something Oh tne,'
snr,t This Is an excellent picture IN its "a!'
and that after all is something at tlme "nen
old masters are rare In the marKeL tnd' ~
their echoes command welcome ihere Is dn
onpn Oft
GOOD and q curious hunting scene attributed 10
Durer has some beautiful color and some attracl,
i've points OF polished minute drawing we WIN
not particularize further. save IN ausioh ~ NV.
largo Claude an attractive and plausible paint
ing The exhibition will be open to-norro" a,,u
Tuesday 1t offers pleasant half-hour. IN spi.e
Of any doubts which may arise as 10 the a"'"V"
ticity Of this or that work
The personality OF John Lewis Brown mas oeeh
to some extent disguised by his name l"a'
name has seemed 10 declare an Ehghsn"'""
ratber than a native Of Bordeaux. There has
heen no ambiguity about his work 1t has Deen
Erencb in every respect But it has rested more
or less I'm the same obscurity wnlch mas a.
tsched to the painter himself because OF his UNI
sxnected name II has been known here and
there and highly appreciated But. on the "ho'e'
Browns fame has been limited. few connois-
seurs have known him and bought him, among
them NJ Durand- Ruel Through the latter we
have occasionally seen paintings by Brown III
this CITY but the show which is now open al 1he
Durand-R uel gallery is the first to detach the
PAINTER from all other impressionsts ana give MIN
a chance by himself AS an impressionst ne was
always less audacious than his Fellows. perhaps
that made him less successful Try as ne might
he could not paint the horse In notion or IN re-
rose for that matter as Degas has painted him
But II is doubtful II Brown would have cared 10
achieve the elusive. transient note OF Degas
He liked solidity, after all, as though IN vinoi-
cation Of the Engshman to whom he owed MS
name and his work has the substantial cnarac-
ter which in most inpressionsm Is dehperateiy
avoided Browns impressionsm meant chiefly
atmosphere and movement These two things
he possesses in practically all his pictures. and
when YOU get them combined, as in No. ., Be
fore the Start" you find him on high plane
Jockeys In luminous field. The action OF horses
and riders Is superbly caught And they move
In ouivering air The forest study called "Chas-
seur en- Foret" Is extraordinarily beautiful in
the warm melowness Of the deep woods that II
preserves and there are other pictures like La
Voiture Embourbe and "Chasseurs Ecossais,
which show how we'll Brown could join 10 ms
decacy In matters OF light and air an uncom-
monty vigorous and masculine style OF handling
He models his animals with notable force. ana
even in his most spirited moments ne Keeps a
vigIant eye on the details OF structure whlch
mean so much to a picture of leaping horses see
the large "Oficier Attaque par des Pandours,
with its three dramatic figures. There Is rush
OF energy manifested in this impressive canvas
but II wears aspect OF veracity which the
closest examination cannot change since ne
could paint pictures as good as TINS since he
had color vvacity OF mood. technical cleverness
and could win the admiration OF men hard 10
please, why did Brown die five years ago COM
paratively unknown painter: why Is ne sun
q
ably because his style when all is said in praise
that can be said. is neither Drumming over with
character nor touched by the magic element OF
charm He initiated no one else. But 1t Is doubt
full II any one would care To paint him. Initiate
him. follow him. When you have admired his
truth. his ability. his pictorial tact. you ma
that YOU cannot grant him also the mysterious
art OF pleasing you by something quite artless
and indefnabe. His style. We repeat is not
striking one; he lacks distinction. If ne has
in pictures like the "Chasseur Ell Foret We
have mentioned or the piquant LEGION dEquita-
ton" And in the presence Of these works while
Won NAV not find him a great artist you admire
him cordially and remember him with pleasure.
About one hundred drawings by Mr. Du Maui
rier have been hung at the Wunderllch gallery.
They are chiefly the originals Of which repro
ductions have been seen in Punch" and 'Har
pers" They were charming in the periodicals.
They are more charming they appear in this
exhibition. showing the decacy and strength
of Mr. Du Maurier's pen work very clearly and
effectively He has never been one OF the ire
sistible draughtsmen a designer in whose line
An indehnable fascination has dwet. making
each passage Of the drawing a delight by itself.
But he has always been among the masters.
that Is, ne has made his art the supple and alb
solutely obedent slave OF his humor, interpret
ing with peculiar directness and originality the
Ideas that have teemed within his brain. 1t
Is over his ideas quite as much as his technical
characteristics that one fingers in the present
instance. Mr. Du Maurier is accomplished
craftsman, and that is Interesting, but he is
exquistey funny. and that. We must confess. is.
under the circumstances, quite as interesting a
fact In No. 1906 Social Agonies, there Is strik-
ingy clever management of line and light and
shade there Is delicious expression, but II is
in the combination of picture and text that most
art Is shown. The legend runs follows:
Ia hl He he 20 n
yourself. | heard Miss Brown ask you whether
you liked Botticelli."
We'll where is the fun? I said 1 preferred
Chianti."
''Ha ha. That's the Joke-Botticei isn't
wine. you Juggins. Botticellrs a cheese
Art criticism may deal with these works. but
before a drawing like this. with a tag like this.
IL is useless to refer to more than the light
forward character OF Mr.. Du Maurier's work.