The times., 1897-04-02

who are familiar with that oung artists
! previous work experience something very
| like disappointment.
| The queen is clothed in q mantle Of
| embroidered green and gold. her head
! crowned with jeweled coronet, and the
/ hair, braided with pearls, falls heayil 3
! across the breast: but despite the large
| simplicity Of the conception there is about
! it neither the mysterious attraction OF
| idealisn, nor vet the frank and open
| charm OF reality. The face lacks the
| tragic power and pathos which one as
| sociates with ATthur's beautiful, guilty,
| rePentant queen, and while there are strik-
| ing merits of color and dra wing, one per
| ceives shanowness OF values-tEe shade
J OF the mantle scarcely varying in tone, and
: thus producing little impression of round
| ness in the figure beneath
Far more justly representative of the
| artist S vigorous talent is little portrait Of
| herself, delightfully."- fresh In color and
| with quality OF striking individuality and
Il delicate charm.
Stilla third head, which whileIess excellent
in drawing, vividIy presents a young woman
in q Normandy cap of sheer muslin, is
especially noticeable for some fresh. charm
ing blue trees painted with the utmost
transparency
The conception OF ''Karma," by William
Coffin, depicts the angel Of judgment in
a heavy, loose garment Of red, which
falls unswervingly to the feet, also serv-
ing as a background to the head. One
closed hand is held against the breast,
while from the other some dead leaves
of autumn have fallen to the ground, and
q mysterious glimpse OF dark, straight
trunked, slender trees convey something
OF the effect of old tapestry for background
Needless to say, the idea is an ambitious
one, and it is not surprising that the young
artist has not altogether arrived as the
French say.
The painting of the face and OF both the
weIl-5lrawn hands is exceptionally fresh
and simple. but in the crude color OF the
drapery one sees lack of that harmonious
half-tone so needfuI in the management OF
textures The black of shadow and the
red Of high light seem almost to be put IN
in pine color, and indicate that the artist,
having spent his time and energies upon
the composition and the painting OF flesh
tones had little left for the equally subtle
problem of the draperes Nevertheless.
signifies talent and cleverneSs. and some
thing OF that underlying aspiration
which is much more than mere clevcrneSS
Alice Archer SewaIl's decorative panels
in pastel with their vibrating sense Of
harmony and their surprising individuality
have been for several years a marked
feature in Washington exhibitions. and
this year the artist, who is also two
thirds poet. has surpassed herself Hither-
to her choirs of child musicians have
possessed many charms. This year her
work has a larger, firTner touch. and,
together With quaint baby faces. are some
weird countenances belonging to a more
bizarre type the gTotesque and fanci-
fuI standing shoulder to shoulder with
the beautiful and the ideal, and all COM
bining to form the artistic and eminently
decorative.
The coloring OF this panel is rich as that of
q Mosaic, and there is the attraction or
vague atmosphere, which appears to be
vibrating with the musical notes of the
various Instruments A portrait Of rerself
in oils is piece ofpainting which contrasts
surprisingly with the decoration. but which
also possesses force and uniQueness, rs