New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-19
LONDON PICTURES.
WINTER wATER-COIORS OLD AND
NEW MASTERS-A STiAKESPEARIAN
REVIVAL.


winds are blowing bitterly. there is no more
comfortable place for an afternoons loung'nR
than the water-Color Gallery. In Pail Mall II
In a spacious and weIl-lIghted room. where one
may revel In warmth and iuxuriance OF color:
end when the iounger has been free 10 dream
awhile Of gray castles and crumbng abbeys ~
English moorlands In midsummer verdur" ana
Venetian gondolas In scarlet and yellow. ne JOINS
the busting crowd in the street and presses "n
rapidly toward Piccsdiily with a bright ana
CHEEKY face and with vague sense of rise
IN temperature and a general clearing ~ the
London fog. II is n tranquil hour which may ne
passed there on the most disagrecable 81 Lon
don days. for the traditions ~ the early mas
ters Of English water -coIors are preserved nv
the Royal Society. and cheerfulness ~ spir"
and warmth Of color are dominant character
istcs OF the school
originality is not wanting. as q single gtnre
at Mr. Albert Goodwin's work viii suff1ce 70
disclose lie In n coorist who IL not AFRAID 70
try daring experiments. even n he he hastily
accused ~ attempting To reproduce Tnrneresque
effects His Portsmouth. wars Aiarms' - An
ambitious picture Of an embarkaton 81 troops
al night II Is rich In color and spirited In
acticn-a dramatic portrayal Of a blood stirring
scene. Less successful. but equally daring. 10
the same artists Twilight In the Red Sea"
with blue mountains skies and water illumined
by a few streaks Of svery light. which are
caught up and reflected near and far. There
arr nne examples Of water painting In Mr.
Napier Hemys series ~ marines. Possibly no
single picture In so remarkable for breadth ~
atmosphere and for mastery Of the subtleties
Of mist his ''Wreckers" Of last years exhibit
ton: but there IL which reproduoes the
tragic pathos Of the sea. II Is a picture ~ an
empty boat sinking in the storm-swept sea
with a flock OF gulls lowering around II and
great waves behind II breaking over rock
bound coast. Other artists paint marines be-
there Is a market for them and IL In .
profitable line ~ work in England. but Mr.
Henry loves the ocean for its own sake, and its
poetic mysteries are revealed 10 him.
Sir Edward Poynter. the president OF the
Royal Academy. has small bur Lively bit -
landscape entitled "A Wild Garden in Surrey"
1t is a tangIe Of trees with contrasted foliage
in dark and light greens and reds. painted with
dellcacy Of touch and refinement Of feeling Sir
Francis Powell matches ii in directness Of style
In Fields in Essex luminous in color and
simple in treatment. Mr. Herbert N. Marshall
has several admirable sketches ~ Holland
scenery. notably Nymegen and Dordrecht: but
his finest study is Riverside London from the
Tower Bridge. with glimpses OF ST Pauls dome
the Monument and shipping through q
murky atmosphere. The scenic effects Of Lon
don are dull and prosiac but they not with
out beauty for those who like Turner can learn
the secrets OF half-lights In misty skies and
Mr.. Marshall has remarkable talent for this
kind Of work There are good landscapes by
Mr.. Thorne Waite and Mr H. w Macbeth sev.
eral idyllic English home scenes by Mrs illing-
ham. with beautifully painted foliage and now-
ers. and fine examples Of Miss Montalba's highly
finished art. No collection ~ m)iern English
water-coors would he complete without these
nor without a series OF Mr.. Marks's bird PICTURES
with exquisiteiy painted plumage.
Mr. Alma Tadema has a drawing OF a rosu,sh
girl bending forward In a graceful pose with los
parted for the exclamation. Nobody asked you.
sir" This is unusual study for him for al
though he loves a good story more than most
men he seldom introduces comical elements into
his art The pleasantly is. however an incident
The main motive Of the work Is the artists skill
In reproducing surfaces and textures ard In this
respect this little sketch is perfect The girrs
red dress. the fur robe IN. marble floor and
all the accessories including the vase %
pink flowers in recess of the wall. are paint
ed as only he can paint them Mr. Herkomer has
strong portrait Of the present Archdruid Of
Wales. which IL more successful than his theat-
rical study Of the Crucihxon exhibited last wear
and Mr.. +. r. Hughes gives fresh evidence In
The Shrew Katrina" that ne In improving stead
lily as colorst. As a draughtsman he has nj.
ways shown great power. especially I'm facial ex
preston. Sir Edward Burne-Jones who ,s the
most industrious art worker In England has
series OF drawings and studies which increase
the value ~ this collection One ia a s,uav ~.
siren in chalk. others are designs for ,apestrv
and metal work and there are examples ~ his
new method ~ using gold color in drawings
There is more evidence OF vitality ~ energy
In this winter exhibition OF drawings and
water-coiors than there was in the spring show.
although that exhibition labored under the dis
advantage OF direct comparison with the Guild
hall collection of masterpieces by Turner De
Whit. Copey. Fielding. David Cox and Rossetti
The grand style Of these masters Of the English
school cannot be rvalled by workers OF the
present day; but the water-color artists are
working earnestly. II they are not thinking deem.
~. and they are improving their technique and
oe'eopihg ther resources as toorists. COM
petitiVe test similar TO that If the Gudhau
loan collection is now provided in oils at the
galleries OF Messrs. Thomas Agnew a Soma
where twenty masterpieces Of the English
school are on exhibition for a charitable pur-
pose. There are four Gainsboroughs Sir Joshua
Reynoldss Duchess Of MARLBOROUGH and Count
ess Talbot. Hogarth's Peg Wellington a mas
terly child portrait by Romney Constable's
Salisbury Cathedral. Turner's Approach :,
Venice and "Mortlake Terrace. Bonington.s
Grand Canal. Venice and great works by
Opie. Hoppner and other masters. An hour In
this gallery units one for appreclative enjoy
ment OF miscellaneous collections Of current art
work. and even OF so good an exhibition OF the
Dutch school as Is to be seen In the French Gal.
leres In Pail Mall
There are. however. two religious pictures now
exhibition in London which can challenr.