New-York tribune., 1896-02-05
MORE AMERICAN ART.
ruE EXHIBITION OF MR.. HASSAMS
PAINTINGS


Among all the faculties Of a painter there is not
one more valuable than that Of interesting the pub
IT. without reference to the merits or dement's Of
hs work concerned. 1t is peculiar faculty, difi-
cuIt 10 define. but never difficult to recognize. A
~hole school Will have IL sometimes, In the case
=, the French Similarly entire school will some-
,,mes be without IT, as In the case Of the English
mill short time ago. The artist who has II is
~ be congratulated though 1t may not invari-
.bly sell his pictures for him. Chide Hassam
makes this last observation especially opposite.
Many OF his pictures which have grown more than
familiar now hung in the exhibition which he
"a 10 close at the American Art Galleries with an
.uc,ion sale. There 200 numbers in the cata-
,osne and in many instances they represent paint
rcs executed several years ago. But though he
NAV not have sold all his work. Mr.. Hassam must
have enjoyed H. And he has been interesting
o.,ner one whose art has rarely failed to deserve
.udy His very defects have been of sort to ar
,,st attention. His impressonism has gone 70
rsat lengths but 1t has never quite alienated the
srst believers in his capacity. They have been
.omewhat puzzled by his later work. but then. for
ha, matter, they puzzled by his earlier pro-
asctions. too: their interest mixed with kind
asuspense
The present exhibition increases the interest. 1t
ought to end the suspense, but curiously 1t does
,othing OF the sort Trace the explanation all
through Mr. Hassams work. from No. 100. La Rue
Ronaparte." done about ten years ago. TO any one
~ the numerous mpressionstic studies made In
the open air with the equipment that this painter
hears to-day First and last, his difficulty seems TO
have been that ne could not fnd himself; that even
though he loved method. ne could not move about
within its limits as though he were at home. This
n the remarkable thing about Mr.. Hassam; this Is
Why he has been exceedingly interesting. Watch
ere OF the artistic development in New-York during
recent years have been positively excited by his
promise of great things to come. The painting men
TONED Just now. La Rue Bonaparte" made deep
impression when 1t introduced Mr.. Hassam to this
city for the first time in any important work. 1t
was shown at the American Art Galleries, perhaps.
IN lss or 1850. 1t commanded attention at once as
the performance of a man who had possibly been
enchanted by Beraud's treatment OF street scenes
and who would go on suggesting that Frenchman IN
his work: but 1t was plain also that Mr. Hassam
Rad something to say that was his own 1t came OUT
In the atmosphere of the canvas, which did not
group itself with the machne-made compositions
OF the Salon. but evinced fresh feeling and
sens!tiveness 10 the actual color and movement OF
the scene quite equal to that of Beraud himself
Mr. Hassam even went beyond the master he re-
called. The work had very genuine tone. and TO
this day 1t has vitality This. because the painter
obviously owed his good qualities TO close study
~ mature His spontaneity. his sincerity have served
hin we'll But they have not brought him out OF
the state Of indecison in which he stood ten years
ago n spite Of the vitality in his art In 50 far "a
stands to-day where he stood at the beginning lie
has progressed in number Of ways Technically
ne is stronger Compare the smooth podding work
manshp Of La Rue Bonaparte' or the nnicky
brush of No 2o5 "On the Way 10 the Grand PriX'
with the rapid and clever method OF those pas'e.s
which hang in the first room upstairs. From the
early work to the later there has been transition
from pa!nst taking and unremarkabe technique 10
technique more free and accomplished But our
comparison has been between oil painting ana pas
tells and in that lies the secret OF Mr. Hassams slow
development. as painter. AS an oil painter ne mas
no: mastered his medium. This Is serious asseT-
ton but careful examination of the exhibition does
not shake its force AT no time IN MS career uoes
Mr. Hassam seem to have brought 10 the thick i'm
nas,o he has employed the Rowing brush ana the
distinguished tone which would make his masses OF
paint units Of pictorial charm Lattery ne mas en-
deavored 10 make sunlight. atmosphere prihs ABOUT
his release from the material bondage In when MS
heavjness in matters connected with his medium
has kent him fast a little has been accomplished,
and sometimes. in picture ike NO oV' Ni"'e4
Midnight" the painters intense sympathy 4o'
subtle atmospheric effect has loosened the whoie
sah,ic of his art made him for the nonce the happy
master of his materials. Then the inspiration has
heen list and instead OF the vaporous charm oil the
night scene we have mentioned, he oilers the haIo.
panty quality Of No l@. DUSK. CeI Ceiitiai a.,
Wssf' a proauction which would be really deIlsht-
t so true II 10 the topOs! aphicdI ieatues OF te
scene II the artist had not gwen 70 ever! p~ssaee
OF local color gritty Opaque character "t'e1'! 4N
Gus ~ W. mo Hassam had executed his Dusk Central
pax West" In pastel or in water-coloI' ne wouid
have made II good picture Ihat az any i&to' -
the judgment provoked by anS ,g n y,Ges OF the
nictures executed In lighter mediums. Ihs!e 10
I'D c.eyerness of execution The water-eoor studies
OF garden flowers, like No l', HonynOcAs ~: ~
e. 9i.ilies No. 81 Study Of Poppies, are Wholly
Gelirhtful They vivid and they are pictuIesq1e,
spirited wcll-handled pictures Yet II IL not IN 'ie
cas, likely that Mir hassam WIN turn ,a al.oee.ler ~
work IKE this and abandon his oils. Inc latteT ne
uses with fire perseverance panths D's pict,rles
attractiye. like No. l76. white Moonlight Isle OF
shoals" and elaborate canyases Ike no 20, wv WI
light over the CITY,. which may 0ecasiona,,iy , have ave
a certain atmospheric truth-as THIS one hasIDut
often PASSES S M hG and as
has been indicated above tantamzauoh M When hei,
VIII he make up his nn9 m Ihi s ne cq nont u Ts TASTE in
respect to his material He paints street scenes WhSn
he does not paint landscapes ana In IT Ills
coropositions are we'll chosen ana wen worked V1.,
The advanced heois , OF veaq Ss go w have no taken
hir, FAR away from nature or kept him away from
her for @ any oi snsin sshoSis 81 % With its
ness in spite Of Its fGrcns o, the soy tbat Mr
Hassam can claim to have so9ay M mueeT nnSd. 1i d
get Them together under one STANDARD, unaer tle
s,irnns Of one clearly grasped idea. one definitely
trained style Then he will convince i1s pSDc t me te
done MS 10 have achieved this conviction ALREADY
is undoubtedly ,rHe IN tnas oaS s brieht enter
D'i1Ji of nictures. But the permanent
voie Of this work is stiil. We believe IN ooeo, anu
u would be very gratifying 70 Know tnat A!oeL ~ Iae
-" a.bich heefns at the American ART TaIic,ies
,o.m1oryow night, Mr. Hassam would start win a
clean slate and prove that ne hot inr,ey y e,jmS
r.hot he wants but has mastered the arr Oh setiHs
n wbat IN he seems to want is kind Of art which
is emnently worth having an arr iuii narns Oh
mo,sneous feeling and lingiEg over its per n
=. nodeTn streets and parks all the glamour wn,ch
yss wi, hin the reach OF modern temPeia.ihon,.
,sa ~, nodern ideas about light and atmosphere
In painted pictures
COME NEW MURAL DECORATIONS.
The most conspicuous movement IN A"e''.d" q"
,us, now is that which aims at creating schoo Oh
,rrrai ,s,n,ng in America. II IL receiving encour-
asement In every direction. through pubic eh'e'