The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-19

bJGUS llOIA AioA ACCoub lllS IN EThuC0-Wo
have very striking effect of light upon
the distant field, where the peasants are
already toiling. The central figure seems
somehow bit too startling-we do not
know exactly why; 1t may be Technically
right, we only record an impression. In
No. 10, the same artist has effectively
rendered two old volumes, with one
cover little worn and loose,as the bind
ings of such ponderous tones are apt to
become-with green jar, very inter
esting contrast in color.
Perhaps the most pleasing landscapes
in the room are those of Mr.. Charles
Il. Wilson. No. 81. The Duck Pond. is
full OF delicious spring feeling. The
trees are wearing their dress of tender
green, diaphanous, misty. etheEeal-so
| much more full of poetry and pathos
than is theirs In the gorgeous summer
time. We see everything as through
veil, ana the world ia eternally fresh and
young. We look far away under the arch
into beautiful green land. AS the cata-
lcgue note suggest-thouQh we think we
should have "gOt the sense Of the picture
without catalogue"-there is conso-
nance of the natural Zines with those of
architecture. The arch Of the bridge,
the trunks OF the trees and the droop of
their boughs suggest those natural tenn
pies not made with hands where ever
praise and prayer arise without priest.
The picture above it, also by Mr.. Wilson,
carries us off to another world. is it
Spain. or Mexico? No matter; 1t is "for-
eign.' There is flash of..brilliant color
dash OF yellow. 1t somehow suggests
The Spanish Gypsy's dance in the open
square-a "light that fell like melody"
color. the joy of life. Mr. Wilson's large
picture Is perhaps trifie too large. We
have once more world of spring, at
least Of early summer. The COWS may
''hnve great and tranquil thoughts,
but are they not bit too tranquil,
trife too stolid even for COWS? The
water, howeyer-let us be thankful
is watery; and you are not tempted to
say with witty but rather cruel woman
looking upon certain "Marine:"
Peter could have walked upon that
wateri
Mr.. George Mcdonnell exhibits some
cause 1t is not too ambitious. The
Empty Cradle tells its pathetic story
simply and we'll. The quiet tone of color
harm onizes with the feeling; every littlp
detail is carefully portray ed, yet properly
subdued to the main interest. There is,
it may be, no wild despair in the
woman's attitude-only the sense OF
Sara Coleridge said after her mothers
death--"a life so much stiller and more
to herself" Artists Brook gives par
ticularly well the feeling which we have
in Emerson's "Naturs - "The anciently
reported spells of these places crsep upon
US. The stems of pines, hemlocKs and
oaks almost CLEAN like iron on the ex-
cited eye. The incommunioable trees
begin to persuade us to live with them,
and quit our life of solemn trifiss. Here
no history, no church or state inter-
polatas on the divine sky and the i'm
mortal year." No. ~, pastoral scene
is charming representation of some
haunt of ancient peace" in all the sill
very grsenness of spring.
Mrs. Dyers Spring, No. 15, has also
thu genuine spring feeling in the air !;
it makes.the old vile branches wave
"a little; it penetrates inches Of the gray
| wall. 1t brings baok-and this is the
whole of 1T, is it not?-ths pleasure-pa
tue half-languid eagerness that haunt
the days when ''from green underwood
and cover, blossom by blossom the
spring begins.
Mr.. Perry's work is certainly inter
esting and more than clever. Never
having been in Mexico or California, I'VE
cannot bear witness to the truthfulness
of his Representations. But like the
| woman who (without any knowledge of
the language) said she "seemed to I'M
derstand German" one seems to believe
that the ground and sky and, inciden-
tally, the people, look that way. At.any
rate, it ia always in order to answer az
did Ruskin to the woman who said she
never saw such vivid coloring in sun
set as that which Turner used, en-, but
don't you wish you couldl'' The color
in No. SO Is certainly gorgeous and regal
| enough. The "Tropical Night" We have
looked at with a good deal of wonder.
ment "slow rounding into CALM" Does
F. ha 2--vnu III noTfaip1v 6cno civ
the veryEeTecs that we often witness at
night when Mt first all is perfectly OBJ
| SQUIRE and. cue; then, point after point
appears. We recognize tree, rock, the
outlines of a house. No. we are not in
"Noman's Land" after all. Wa are
breathing the warm, heavy air of a
uropic night Mr.. Perry's studies of
GUS.
'Still Life" always seems very still
indeed to US; nobody loves matter with
out some informing spirit. But, of
course, color is good. Ruskin says it is
"holy,'' and Miss Eastman has very
good "soheme of color" IN No. 16. It
may be that here "bar1ows, trays and
romance" Certainly they have ia very
warm, vivid tone that quite melts the
heart Of even the stonisst hater OF
''bric-a-brac and SIGH" "The woods
that bring the sunset down. with purple
lights and mysterious shadows make a
good effect in Miss Eastman's landscape,
No. II. 1t givss - subtle suggestion Of
the wonderful impressionist song of Sid
ney Lanler, "Look off, dear Love, across
the sallow sands" which sung by the
rich eontralto voices that we know, has
such thrilling effect. Indeed, In one
sense, ought not picture and song alike
to give us some OF the same far looking
thoughts? Miss Eastman's bit of sculp-
ture, A Child's Head, has attracted
much attention for its delicacy and
charm.
of Miss Longfellow's four water colors
perhaps we like best Making Port, -"
where the roughness of the waves and
the general bleSzinsss are wildly pic
tured, and where we have that strong
sea- feeling, that sense of life and motion
which are such admirable features of
Miss Longfellow's work.
Mr.. John Barrett's small portrait has
some of the characteristics of the work
of this young artist, who undoub teddy
possesses what seems to be one of the
prime requisites of portrait painter
Che mower to catch and express likeness,
to picture som ething of the human soul
aud all else (howsver good the "brush
work"l Ia often "vanity ana vexation Of