New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-23

| transcendent mystery. 1t 10 fascinating quail
ity this. and II has something in 1t so profound.
| so penetrating that we tempted to call 1t
sublime. 1t IS modern because 1t Is so complex,
so eloquent Of the most pathetic incertitude; be-
cause only modern could be drenched in subtle
ly subtle. in feeling 50 poignant with the burden
of many-sdcd life 1t is on this Interpretation Of
his imaginative strain that we will pause to ana
lyze the modern character Of his masterpiece.
In the great work by which he will doubtless
BE- chiefly remembered In his series Of Illus
trations to the "Rubaiyai Of Omar Khayyam,
Mr. Vedder had before him several inviting
points of departure. There was the material
istic side Of Omar's Pantheist.c litany. Offering
an opportunity for the most vigorous exercise
Of the artists robust. plastic. conception OF
form There was the Persian poets vast store
Of gnom!c wisdom and with it his thousand
facets of Oriental imagery. giving the designer
cause for the most lavish employment OF his
symbolical fancy and his peculiar decorative
taste Feeling these and other appeals. MT
Vedder was yet constrained TO do the bidding
Of his nature and to provide his poet with an
accompaniment that revives most Of all the dim
! forebodings the impuslve questionings. the in
articulate cries which make his poems more
modern than anything we have In modern verse.
Read the seventeen qu9tra.n:
sent my soul through the invisible
Some letter II that after-fe to spell:
And by-and-by my soul return'd to me-
And answered. Il myself am Heavn ana hell.
That Is a modern thought. II ever there was
one old as the hills. II You like: older thah
Omar himself. but somehow In It's eternal tru'h
as directly applicable TO the man ana NINA o.
to-day as though written out OF modern
heart 1t is the great interrogation. the query
that has made it's own Sphinx. In that last act
and In Mr. VeGGer's sugge stion Of II in all MS
work above ali in his Omar drawings there
might seem 10 be a contradiction Of that "hlch
has been stated above his realism upon the
supernatural plane most favorable to his genius
There is really no contradiction. 1t is a mistake
IN suppose that realistic ideality means IDEAL
,stic Transparency Mr.. Vedder's supra mundane
figures and visions do not tell what they have u
tell In a flash But though YOU may be puzzled
bv the face Of one Of his chara ciers. you realize
that character Enthusiastically you feel the touch
Of his hand YOU see the shining OF his eyes
YOU note the CULVER OF his robe as though
yeritable wind blew II athwart your arm You
meet the symbolic men and women IN actna
contact and you question them. unavaHhsN
perhaps but as you would sn actual peihg III
the world al hand That IS severe test. ana
IN the creation Of images which convince you
OF their vitality while they battle your inquiries
AZ 10 their full meaning Mr. Nedder has at
tainod a level on which ne has few companions.
With extraordinary insight into the spirit OF
Omar's quatralns he hangs about them exactly
the SAVIOR Of rose leaves and grave Clothes
which they themselves exhale. he meets his
ne, truly half way and tells much as he
tells. as much and no more. 1t Is great ART
MAT Is informed by such inasterly reticence as
this and II somehow seems the greater when
Mr. V.aler's temptations are considered lhere
IS much that ~ plastic In his genius. there Is
much IN his art which speaks OF pressing De
eir. % mn, into concrete form the waywarc,
fugitive. impulses ~ his Imagination. NJ me
time II must have been wellnigh Irresistible the
tendency t. civ" the Persiaas imagery crisp
outline 2 snarn vivid existence upon the page
Hnt t. have done that would have been 10 nave
h exalted the artists modern cleverness ana 70
have GishOnorcd his modern sympathles. 10 nave
turned an Interpreter u Omar Into n common
tator upon him. Like musician who can be
,.ir,u,s0 but declines the virtuoso's right or
projecting himself into his composers music.
Mr. vedder simply makes pictorial what omar
makes vocal he carries his original no iurther'
save I'm the sense that 10 most readers an ap,
peal Is more authoritative wh.h co'NeSeu
through pictorial address TO the eye man
when made within the limits OF me pr ,,i
word II ne gives 10 the quatrains In addition
10 this heightened authority certain unity
which for some readers they had not before pos
sass.d II ie less because u illustrative eloquence
and .xac,itule than because 81 the symmetry
= linear design tho organic compile teness ol
pictorial effect which this artist owes 10 MS
decorative as we'll az to his imaginative power
/ Mr. Velder is always a designer II IL ur-
ughtful illustration " the contrasts permissible
I'm a great artistic indy idullity that in his most
nohulous moments he draws his vagrant threads
together and w .aves them into 4 perfect plcto-
rial whole That Is because ne Is nebulous from
choice and because his temperament IL so IN
cllrcd but not becaus" he cannot help himself,
not because his material is puzZiing NM TN
4 the contrary. he may hove obscur" f"elings cor
responding To the obscure expressions III some oi
his faces the mysterious swirl which runs
.trlu FifUG mn
% mystical and as undecided streak In Mr..
Vcdder's own thoughts: but once ne has maze
/ NJ his mind t. express the ineXpresslpe III d
symbol that symbol takes positive shape In MS
mind and on his canvas or paper Thus the
Omar Illustrations thus for that matter all MS
drawings and painted pictures. are Of renarKa-
bic quality simply examples Of the art OF
nlling space with form. varied. plant ana yet
entirely well balanced. The Omar pictures are
| incxhaustlblc In attitudes In graces or line. III
| beauties ~ swinging movement and statueslue
,.posc But with al their variety they are fine
Is composed and underneath the fuX ana relux
Of life which they 20 subuy suggest In their
animation their ceaseless curves. there Is felt
the immohility Of design I'm its hnality, an I'M
mobility reminiscent OF plastic art There Is
great deal # the sculptor about Mr.. Nedder
His modelling his contours. awake lively recol-
l,ctions Of antique bass-reliefs. and II lends
special note If piquant beauty To his designs
that throughout their warm poetic lyricism
throughout the romantic atmosphere in which
they are saturated. there is maintained the dig
nifty and sweep Of a Greek tradition. the large
ness Of Greek lines. the nobility OF Greek form
Words like these imply "A deep admiration for
the art Of Mr.. Vedder. and such an admiration
| II undoubtedly inspires. Conceptions Ike his
interpenetrated by the imaginative charm which
belongs to him. and eloquent OF poetry, OF
feeling. Of "A soaring ideal. II would be indeed
hard to consider coldly. Yet when all OF Mr. !
Nedder's virtues have been praised there re-
mains n defect which his most fervent we'll
wishera could more pass IN silence than they
could ignore. In the presence of the loneliness
Of color this artist has seemed to remain not
insoneble perhaps. but certainly unnsplred
His landscape work. admirable In other respects
IL yet lamentably lacking In richness and fui-
ness Of tone His flesh tnts are uniformly dis
appointng His work is at its best In mono |
chrome. That seems mourn full conclusion but !
Mr. Vedder's best Is 50 very fine that the alb |
sencc Of color ch rm is not long bewailed. 1t is
not for sensuous delight that you go To his paint
A--1 L.. rnnl lZ. N hnl