New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-06
ART EXHIBITIONS.
THE NETWORK WATER COLOR CLUB
DRAWINGS BY CHARLES kEENE-
TENNYsONIANA-MR. WHISTLER
AGAIN-THE CAeNEGIE
INSTITUTE.

,akes Itself with some. but not too much se'i0
ness: It Is ambitious. but does not NY u W -
,ruch Hence its yearly exhibitions are ol " .no
eic,,ecance but within their modest Hil,'9
AZ oil that exhibitions of modern water-'oiol a.
0o 20 give pleasure to the public. They caH"o' W.
or,ruch The medium Is handled by thou9"'u'
and perhaps for that very reason II fa''' cro.
a master Mr. La Fargo uses H. ""u W " -.
which has provoked high admirahoh' 0"' ~
only painter in the present eXhloiuo" WY -
decp impression. IL does NOT INV" -, mt
mon rspresented are Intellectual IL IS Siii'P''
49, nrovidn charming trlhes, and By virtue OF INA
too, oxci,o no sncctator agrccably but midl!'
49, Nau.yo,k water Color Club Is discreet
enough to remember all TINS IN 'iie io HI,,ia
us collection 1t fills only nan U! u'V ' '.o,c
SPACE at the Fine Arts BuidiHS' anu a, aho,,o
,.,,,h cling that space to n point not 'iiucn 49,
or,r about three hundred ana MY pct
WV ootoIopued OF these considerable mum
30, como from three artists MT. La -" ~ "
,oyo already mentioned. lie sehoS 1t """''
". con,horn Pacific and japanese stuoleS s'o"ine
,n colo, and original In STYLE with those eie'"e'C
80 ,r,oc,notion enrlchng the work which upon an
=. , ,aisn him head and shoulders above MS
,or,norares lie has distinction; nc mas ''c
mote Of power even In pictures o'io0''e :" A.
TIC FANTASIES On oriental Themes Is inc w
,n,,o, no opples 70 one group OF his cohlrlou-
,,ors and The title is apt. The strange INNS
r..i, 1i,osoi Saw Floating in the River severed
-, hooa which Kiosai, the painter, saw when
= obud and took 10 be hairy tortoise IA hu's'''
,o,n action) may be regarded as n study III re'''9i
.. Won like but IL has the fascination OF Il i'''.
- - oo,ic IN It's horror. Al other artist wao SENDS
orouvb material to cover Good oeal Vi wa"
800, A. Albert Hertcr. Like Mr. La Fargo ne
s So, ottracted Ivy oriental themes In some
,ooods he treats them capaDy' NO ~ ->u'V'
ona .he upright panel Of japanese Si'' are po'"
odmirahle II, drawing and color NO "a inc
,,,os " has merits Of design and .! execution
NJ
4, u,ono AMBITIOUS than artistic; the figures hek
re,,ef and the tone is monotonous In TINS ana /"
o,bsr mixtures Mr.. Hertors touch. which is some
times delicate becomes almost niggiing ana seeihS
Anical The use Of elaborate mats maze Oh jap
o,esa fabrics is quaint but eccentric, ard AFTER
rooment or two strikes the eye unfavoraDy' In MS
hroodlv naintad flower pieces Mr.. Herter shows
moro promise than n his minutely executed WORKS
These satisfy occasionally, but do not wear wei
The third painter having what Is pracVcaiiy h.'o
exhibition to himself is Mr.. Howard Russeh hu'iei'
His nastels of coast scenes are fun oil exquisite
messages Of color: they are sincere ana s'ra'sh'-
forward Small and simple. they pretend 10 10
more than the fragmcntary value OF an ar'Is'
notes Nevertheless, they have the FRESHNESS =,
nature in them they are pictorial arusu'' ""a .
altogether stand for some or the lalf''e' ""if''
moments .,. NJ q
Out among the less copious contributors MI '"
VI. Clements stands conspicuous. In uneS i pas ~
has moro than once made little sensation throush
his vivid color and Spontaneous style l" ,"'
studies Of COWBOYS rounding up cattle branding
them and otherwise amusing themselves WIN 'ne
unr,,lv belsts he has delighted action his coor Is
good and he lends spirited note 10 MS Sluc Va ~
wall Few other hgure painters come ou' SO c'eu-
itably Mr. Blumenschein is one Of the few' tho"sh
his picture of IN Indian camp surprised Is ihoie
Interesting in intention than i'm fuhImeh' MISS
Raldwn's portrait Of a child Go 80 begins DE Sus
costing Bodni and Sargent and ENDS by eN"acF
liz
cjous and sure The color unfortunately j. lIhP"e
md carelessly handled. The heads by Mrs sears
Mr. Earle and Mr.. Burt will be noticed Ihey are
acceptable. though not particularly ne" OF oiisN''i
Mr.. Ashe study of a young lazy IN Tus'ic s'"'
is breezy and therefore commends itself. ANNA
ton even when unaccompan!ed by other merits
Is often welcome because OF its sgnlhcaiion or
vitality Miss McChesnoy. Mr.. Keller. Miss Huser'
Miss Shepley and Mr. Pepper send sketches whlch
NAV be slgnalizcd. and there is study by Mr. Ed
wards OF the shop OF Dutch sabot-maker with
q mother amusing her child. which has more so
lid,ty and n more delicate graduation OF tone IN ~
than he Invariably imparts to his essays IN the
came field. After these the most important produc-
tons are TO be found among the landscapes. MT
Iatbrop Mr. Frederick b. Williams. Mr. Ben Fos
ter and Mr.. Charles Warren Eaton form the sTnall
company Of artists who add to the facts OF land
scape which they accurately render. a strain o.
sentiment at once individual and poetic. They
have color and atmosphere. they have selectlve
taste leading them TO the production or good com
positions and they look at their subjects WIN sym
pathetic eyes Mr. Smell has the same merits IN MS
sea pieces. pictures with glowing tone mellowed
by subtle and refined handling. Here and there an
unfamiliar hand appears, sometimes fruitfully. as
In the case OF Mr.. Alexander Brownie, whose single
sketch is charming; sometimes quite untruItiuN
as in the case of MIR. Harvey Ellis Mr.. Merritt Post
Mr.. Grippe, Mr. Gchrist and Mr. Conan are rep
resented 20 good effect. The remaining painters
,e .a0 hoy
with which we began. /, Is good collection along
ordinary lines 1t opens 70 the public to-day and
continues until November 90
At the Keppel Gallery collection of two hun
dre1 sketches drawings and etchings by the late
Charles Keene illustrates the art Of man who
for many wears OF the main supports Of
Punch" His life work was done for that periodical
Through It's pages he amused thousands and sorl-
ousy delighted a few others who were ready to per
ceive the artistic merits OF his designs Those
merits consisted of firm expressive line subtle
and minute when the Interpretation OF The subtler
mnuiia OF character REQUIRED. but rule Wig
orously direct and possessed Of all the elements Of
artistic greatness save beauty. Beauty, ii Is true
was not altogether his aim. lie satisfied If he
gave point to his anecdote II he made his figures
live To make them objects OF beauty In them
selves was impJ s!ble and 10 DestOW beauties OF
style upon them was AT any rate futile II it was
not impossible for Kecne. His defect was one
shared by all the famous draughtsmcn Of Punch"
IL Is curious fact. and one which. by the way
Few partisans OF the men in question will ever adj
nit that from John Leech down the Punch" men
nave been masters Of drawing and carica,ure with
Out being masters OF beauty. Il IA the fashion
say that that does not count. The testimony OF the
ages. however is that without beauty art does not
survive. any more than literature without splrtu-
anty can live forever. Kecne missed grace missed
.saoeIness' missed charm, and Il keeps him one Of
INC minor men Of English ART in spite Of all the
manifold excelierces Of his WORK When you get
shh!lse OF these rare qualities IN some OF his
.n,y idhoscd9es II comes kind OF rich sur
p.se, pIoEohing regret that it should be 20 un-
. .! Ml. Joseph Penncl sapently informs us
ia Hhtene was the greatest English artist since
aathosaith IL Is not necessary accept such an
OF d,ctuIn 10 realize that Koene was master