The times., 1897-03-21
: ENGLISH ART
The Representative Exhibition at
Fjschef'S,

Is just now on the crest of the wave, and
there is great demand for the works Of
the early English masters, especially the
| great portrait painters such as Reynolds,
! Gainsborough, Lawrence and Romney. 1t
will, therefore, be seen that the demand
is caused by thoroughly appreciative
taste, and not by the mere idle caprice
which brings some men or group into a
| moments undeseryed popularity. There
| has never been a time when pictures 10y
the English masters We're more sought
| after than they are now, and an aristo-
| cratic gentleman by Sir Joshua, one Of
Romneys graceful women, hoiIely VII
| lage scene by MorIand, or mellow land
| scape by Wilson viii fetch a correspond
| ingIy better price.
| The painters who are now so much in
vogue belong to the great period in Eng
| lish art which reached its highest level
| during the middle and the latter part OF
| the eighteenth century, when it's erninence
| was all the more marked on account OF
| the prevailing artificiality in the French
| school, with Vatican and Boucher among
| its chief representatives. The glory Of the
! period does not seem To be due so much
| to the Isolated genius of a few artists
| as TO the high aim OF a large body of
| men, and even in the paintings Of the
| inferior artists OF the time one finds much
OF the same charm that is in the work
| of the leaders.
| Sir Joshua Reynolds is the most Illus
| trious figure of the time, and in til e century
| that has passed since his death the Iudg
! ment Of posterity has not only reaffirned
| his position among the foremost English
artists hut hua ranlph him OF the
| greatest portrait painters that the world
| has seen He cultivated what he himself
called '.the grand style in painting, and
aimed at certain dignity and elegance OF
pose AS a result his portraits have
calm majesty that lifts them at once into
| the very highest plane of art. These special
characteristics or his style made .heir
appearance shortly after his return from
Italy, did also certain richness of
color previously unknown in English art.
He adapted himself with equal ease TO a
wide range of subjects, and could paint
a mans head with force and vigor, and
yet show the most delicate sympathy in
his exquisite portraits of children. The
sweetness and grace which one finds in
his child faces prove beyond doubt that
he had q deep, sincere love OF childhood.
anu iildI Ills manu- W DIS utlt BuitlCu ny Ili6
heart.
When he first launched himself on his
career in London, Reyn olds had two very
able rivals, Gaiusborough and Bomney, and
a little later 0pie competed with him for
public favor The brilliant Sir Thomas
Lawrence had barely obtained recognition
at the time Of sir Joshua's death, and so
had not become serious rival. In Gains
borough. Reyn olds met a fcenan worthy
OF his steel, and IN purely technical hand
ling Gainsborough often surpassed his great
contemporary though his work is less tue
in aim. Tie work OF Romney is rather un-
even in character, but in his portraits OF
women, not generally conceded to he the
best of his productions, there is delicate
and subtle charm. 1t may be truly said
OF the English portrait painters OF this time
that they succeeded through ntCeties OF
gesture and expression in revealing the in
ner personality OF the sitter with direct
ness and trIth that has perhaps not been
edualed before or since.
Aside from Hug8rth, whose genius as a
satiriSt and moralist gives him an abso-
luteIy unique place, the greatest English
artists of the eighteenth century fall for
the most part into two clas the land
scape and the portrait painters. The
landscape artists of the period are no less
famous than the men who devoted their
talents ex clusively to portraiture, but
the growth OF this branch OF art was
somewhat slower.
Richard Wilson, who was born in 1Tf3. is
called the founder OF the English school of
landscape painting, and some years later
John Crome, usually called old CrUne,'
founded the Norwich School. These men
were the forerunners, and fine as many Of
the pictures they have left US are, two
greater men, Constable and Turner, were
destined to bring landscape painting into
itsfuII beauty and power. Both of the paint
ers belong partly TO our own century, and
their influence on its art has been very
great. The Immediate influence of Consta
ble's work was probably greater than Tur
ners. In 1924 several of his pictures
which were exhibited in Paris caused a
great sensation there, and Ro doubt in
directly influenced the painters which a
few years later became known as the Bar
biZOn school
There has been splendid chance for
WaShingtouians to make a comparative
study Of the work of the English masters
in the practically continuous exhibition
that has been held at Fischer's Gallery
ever since January 2S. Nothing So com
prehensive has ever been presented here
before and the educative possibilities that
lie in the study of such collection are
very great At one time or another. since
the beginning of the exhibition, examples
OF nearly all the greatest English masters
of the period have been placed on view.
Durjncr the first week the collection con-
tanned an italian scene, by Wilson, and a
superb view of the River Stour, by Con
stable. In portraiture, Reynolds, Lawrence,
LeIy, Harlow and Johann Zoffany were
represented, and from week to week many
new pictures have been added The mag
nificent Turner, giving a view Of HeideI-
berg from across the Neckar, was the most
important addition since the beginning of
the exhibition.
The collection of pictures now in the
gallery is a particularly interesting one.
To the left Of the doorway as you enter
are landscapes by CrOme and GainSb0ruugh
hanging side by side. The painting by
.'Old Crome' is in the artists best
manner, and has q sincerity of feeling
that is wanting in the more perfunctorily
PAINTED canvas by GainSborough, whose
forte was in iportraiture in spite of the
fact that he devoted considerable study |
to landscape There is also a fine land
scape by Richard Wilson and scenes by
Barker and by Mulready, who is better
known through his genre work. The |
picture of his exhibited here is quite a
well-known work and has been exhibited |
at Burlington House. Near Mulready's |
picture hangs a marine by Jock Wilson, |