New-York tribune., 1896-12-06
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS.
THE QUESTION or AN AUTUMN ACADEMY-Cl.UB
ENTERPRIsE-TwO OLD MAsTERs--A LETTER
OF GAINsBORoUGHs-so MINOR
MATTEEs-THE NEW PHOTOGRAPHS

Academy might presumably boast OF possessing
major significance but the generous number
OF pictures the walls is powerless 10 counter
act the depressing atmosphere produced by much
pervasvc mediocrity. other exhibitions similar IN
scale. but more satisfactory In character. are "a
yet unannounced. and unless some important auc-
tion sales take place il the near future 1t Will be
necessary TO wait for the spring collections NJ the
Academy and the Fine Arts Building before arts-
tic stimulus in abundance Is accessible. The fact
gives rise to a question which IS respectfully SUBJ
mitted TO the artists who have the regular big eXh-
bitons In charge Since season after season we re-
ceive unmistakab ble proof OF the impossbility OF
display OF new American pictures that SHAH De
at once extensive and artistic. why not frankly
accept the inevitable and keep the larger galleries
closed until more favorable times? II good pictures
are painted and their authors must have an audience
the galleries Of the dealers are always avail
able. These small galleries, too have Increased In
number. they generally we'll lighted ana tnsy
are visited constantly by the people VINO puy "orKS @
OF 1t would be far wiser. ana IN the iols lu',,
far more profitable 10 use their obvious advantages
instead Of filling the Academy with work tnai ,.i mas
no sane reason for being. and that only throws dis
credit upon the institution which brings II i%ortn, %
We aware that there would be- strong opposi,o.
in some quarters a dscontinuance or the autumn
show but II 1t Is once clearly grasped tnat tnere s
tnuance. the dissenting voices VIII silence them-
selves.
The first Of the clubs TO introduce an exhibition
this year was the Lotos which assembled last
week a capital group OF American pictures Ihe'
were all from the well-known collection OF MT VIII
lam T. Evans an amateur whose ndefatigaole
LOYALTY to our native school must give him deep
satisfaction now as ne sees how well his paintings
wear Most Of those at the Lotos Club have been
shown before but they were none the less appreci-
ated by the public. The Alpha Delta PM tluo
follows the I.otos and hung yesterday COLLECTION
of American pictures which will be visible 10 men,
bers and their masculine friends until Wednesday
ko
from until o'clock The gallery OF the Grolier
Club presents this week highly instructive u.s.
play OF American Autographs made by the Prangs'
of Boston. for catalogue Of the walters porce-
lains in Baltimore. We say Instructive because
the plates exhibited throw suggestive nght on t'e
condition of lithography in this country me max
ers of these specimens at the Groer club have
eaualIed the French in the finish and distinction
NJ their work Not merely the forms and colors Of
th,. porcealns are reproduced which means mnch
ton but the texture. the Individuality of the jary
and other objects. The catalogue OF tne !ate ~.
several Years. the text being in hands OF
learned sentemen who nave pursued The Ts. nla
have been produced with the same loving dellner.-
snd ,bnv stand as yeritable masterpieces OF repro
ductive art
Tho tvo clubs whose art exhibitions have hither-
TO been the most important of their kind IN New
York have not yet done anything TO SIGNIFY ina
they propose to freshen their laurels Possibly III"
Manhattan will repeat the one extraordinary eN-
nibtion with which 1t eclipsed all rivals not iohs
since but nothing has been said on the subject
and 10 all arpearances nothing has been done
Neither has the Union League started It's &C.
customed series of monthly exhibitions. These
were always among the most interesting events OF
the art season in Ncw-York Last winter thes
showed signs OF coming to a conclusion ana no"
they seem to be on the verge Of permanent disap-
Tb.ra M pyhilfiOn November,
none is announced for this month. and report ras
IL that II the annual elections do not produce
committee in January there will be no pictures
s6Ssbe at n m he 'hs dab To drop this aH U
expensive. and bring. OF course not tne sign,
Thousands they help along the cause Of art, they
are no small enhancement OF the clubs dignity
T. 10 be- hoped that every effort will be made to
have them resumed. They are worth making some
sacrifice for.
Two old masters one OF them somewhat modern
old master. are represented uptown at this time
hv noble examples They are Van Dyck and Gains
borough The first may be studied az the Durand-
Ruel gallery. in a stately full-iength portrait
Of the Count ID DAlligre, parsonage whom the
artist pain ted in full armor, and yet left remark
ably tangible personality. n man TO remember for
the sake OF his carriage and face and hands
not merely for his gorgeous panopy. The head Is
royally modelled and has tie suavity. the pre-
cision which belong TO Van Dyck at his best.
We have mentioned the hands. TheN nave the
psychological value which IS rare enough IN PFC
,orial art once in 500 pictures you VIII see
nard with the individuality and strength OF this
,,,i.o,oa warriors Since the big Spinoa canvas
v.as shown here--and then unanimously taken
,.cf n t,urope TO be sold-there has been no such
.xanlple OF the great Fleming as this one al 'he
disposal OF our connoisseurs The Oh desire Is
revived 10 see some public-spirted amateur P"t
,lt. Nm. work into the Metropolitan Museum OF
-. NM. "A
70 which we refer. Ciainsboroughs picture az the
q, H. rv of Mr. Ochine. Is not museum picture pul
ought to 90 into one Of those snnalI conrc'Ions nm
Air Fuller's for example, where the mas,eiS n, ar
meant 70 be lived with. meant TO be a part OF one
daily experience. II is paSstorsal Saoie Habe in
mother With her children one OF them a pa pioe IN ~,
her aims resting at the roadside whi.e a,,rny tne
donkey that has brought them on tn@ir 1opncGS
against trees but there is a glimpse OF larger
landscape beyond and the aesls' iSn, on and the
uoetrv of nature being deity fused Ihe ic cotor
Is tvn and and most open most synthetic; The work
comes from the collection or a nephe" Win 81 % =,
T. 'tl, l,bevay Mr. Oehme sows one or Two other
nsriv English pictures, including beautliui iaho-
scapc by Constaoie
7, i pertinent TO refer in this place 10 some
letters of Gainsboroughs which nave atey seen .'e
I,ch, of nubic print for the first time. lie painted
.,9 ,or,raits OF the Earl OF Dartmouth and his
,f. aud the one OF the lady seems 10 nave peeh
returned TO him as unsatisfactory. Gainsooroushs
correspondence on the subject does not make 'he
Cause Of the rejection wholly clear. but the chei
lisucultv would seem 20 have sprung from the
fact that Lady Dartmouth had worn ia'c!
dress and this argues the painter hau causeu
.t, ,o go wrong The likeness was not obvious
- ,,s natrons and they said lie writes from |
Esa th in Ill. as follows: -
Nothing can be more absurd than NE i~ooi,sn ~
custom OF painters dressing p"ople me ,naar
nouches and expecting the likeness TO APPEAR;
ii9d a picture voice action etc. to MAKE , tsel
hlx. fht4
,onJ he sufficient TO conceal person; but only a |
',ce confined 10 view. and not "A muscle 10 |
,'ove 10 say Here am" falls very hard upon |
Ihc moor PAINTER who perhaps IL not w!thih d /
mile of the truth in painting the .ace ony. m, fou,
orJshiu | am sure. will be sensible OF the eiects
# dress thus far but | defy any but painter yt
,ome sagaclty tand such, YOU see. am l. my Io'u,
~ h. we'll aware of the different effects which one
,art OF "A picture has upon another, ana now me
.ye may bc cheated ~ TO the appearance ol sn'