New-York tribune., 1897-01-31
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS.
OPENING OF THE WATER COLOR sHow-PRiNrs
BY ALBERT puRER AT THE oRoILER CLUB
A COLLECTION OF EARLY ENGLISH
PAINrINGs-MR. PENNELLs
LITHOGRAPHs AGAIN
MR. sMILTLE ON

MR. sMILILE ON
FREE ART.
The present week Is full OF new things. The ex-
bibition OF the American Water Color Society opens
to the public tomorrow morning 1T the Academy oI
Design At the Grolier Club there IL coccuoh VI
prints by Albert Durer which II the most compie.e
ever shown In this country. Extended reference 10
this as well as to the Water Color show, may DC
made at another time The Avery Gallery. which
Is at present occupied by Mr. Hopknson smith
water-colors, will be hung next Friiay with some
new "symbollstic paintings by Mr.. i. Marcus
Simons, and with number OF pastcls by MIS- j.
Francis Murphy. A collection OF clever water-coi-
ors and oils made in Holland by Mr.. Walter Har,- ar
son may be seen at the Kackner Gallery Inc
sketches are a trifc monotonous In subject ana
composition but Mr. Harrison has skin IN r'hneiihs TX
the moist atmosphere OF the Low countries. ana me ne
is fritfuy sensitive the pensiye sentiment III the
landscape OF those regions.
Mr. Penners Spanish drawings remain at the
Keppel Gallery until "A week from tomorrow wheh
they will be superseded by an exhibition OF etchihes
by Piranes These old prints ought to make las
cinating display. Piranesi wasj celebrated h""c
lost certain vogue His ctchngs Of the monn-
ments of Roman architecture are profoundly inter
ossnG ahH r n showng number OF his prints Ths
latter are to be followed u may , De "u'e'' ~ "
exhibition of the etchings OF van DycK'
or exhibitions destined TO terminate in auction
sales there are none In prospect, concerning "hlch
there is much to be said AT tfe Fifth Avenue Ar'
Ga .lerics some three hundred paintings ana prhtS
belonging to the estate of the late William Looey
are TO be sold tonight and tomorrow niGht' out
saving a respectable example of George inness;
pleasant Interior by Walter Gay ana brl'an. nr ~ s
nothing in the collection of any consequence. inc
engravings and photographs are often OF popuh,a
are in no way worthy Of detailed notice. The Amer,
lean Art Association dsposes Immediately Oh and I'd
nf
80 on which have formed the stock OK the well
known firm Of Sypher & Co iew pathhit"e this eoec-
iion but the bulk of it is made up OF articies u
household decoration.
The Loos Club has exhibition tomorrow ana
Tuesday a number OF early English PORTRAITS anu
landscapes loaned by Mr. CatholIna Lambert ana MI
George A. fIearn The examples are generally gooa'
and there are one or two which have unusual Vaue'
There Is portrait attributed to John Constable for
example, which affords interesting glimpse Oh INN nm
working with vigor ana pmnbered IN % in the
taogue. Is also striking fragment OF ms art rh
not sF and the
portrait OF Lady Sheffield is not up 70 MS m re-
Characteristic and acceptable mellow canvas h oy
John Opie and fine example OF Sir william bescne!
prove more Interesting than the pictures Ia faci the
Reynolds side of the exhibition Is not haf 80 strons
ought % Ss to be- ,sT hand Fmny tha two
by Richard Wilson are charming ana tne sfhan pr,
by Patrick Nasmytn, JOnn olHidIi i'"h,'e.
is accessible to ladies' bearing cards OF members IL
will be withdraw Wednesday morning.
The painting by the late c. 5. Reinhart. called
Awaiting the Absent" which was the largest and
mos: conspicuous oil in the exhibition at the
American Art Galleries, is going 10 Pittsburg, where
it will hang in the Public Library. Mr.. Andrew Car
negie bought II for that purpose II ,s said that an
effort made to secure it for the Metropoah N.Y.
scum Of Art but there seemed probaDliity nht II
unitll la ted
was abandoned. Then the Corcoran Gallery az wash-
eIn the long neri r, Mr. carnegie obtained it, It per
haps the. best thing that could have nappehed ~
would be gratifying TO see an example or kelnharIs
work in our museum but he was himself Pittsburg
man. and there fitness in a permanent nome
being provided there for one OF his most important
productions.
The libel suit brought against "The Saturday Re-
dew" by Mr. Joseph Pennell. to which reference has
already been made in this place, turns upon point
which is likely to excite some controversy outside
the courts The suit springs from Mr.. PenneVs
of an article by Mr.. Walter Sckert In
The saturday" Mr sickert is a brilliant fol
,isvc writer and critic. lie did not hesitate to
cre ot that @f lie "HPS Thought we'll @ Of the tho
sraphs which Mr Penne!l brought home from
This. however. is not what has irrated Mr.. Pen
,e. He has brought suit, apparently, because Mr
applying the name of Autographs TO drawings not
made on the stone lithograph argues Mr. Sick
ransfcr 1t to the stone is entirely admissible, but
protests this artist the result should be called a
transfer llthograph" not lithograph Apropos OF
his argument, Mr. Frederick Keppcl writes us that
Mr.. Atherton Curtis, n well-known amateur of
TYPOGRAPHY says that Sickert's position is non
ense.' ana that every one nowadays knows and
ecognizes the fact that Autographs are no longer
lone direct on the stone but done for the stone
N prepared paper" 1t remains to>be seen how the
'oint will be settled at the hands of British jury.
At the dinner OF the Fine Arts Federation a
short time ago Mr.. Russell Sturgis alluded the
question of art ard the Custom House. saying |
We. as artists. cannot exist under a protective
system and do business under the free-trade sys- |
en-" In a letter commenting on that remark and
addressed to The Tribune. Mr. George II. Smillie
writes:
Some of the men. who are older and wiser now.
aiscd hue and cry several years ago for Free !
rt." The r a big one, the a big. |
Is their art" being the commonest sort Of a |
hat the spectators chose to launch upon II |
ounded so well that many were induced to sign
las demonstrated that the cry had "much sound |
md little sense Perhaps those of us who had the
ourage OF our convictions and would not sign the |
PETITION may get hearing in the near future.
Under the free art system the country-East and |
%rossi been oqdsd Sro with M b the ShtSP art doa
rs and palmed off foreign art those who !
must follow the fashion and possess pictures from |
ford to buy really good foreign pictures. The |
Illustrators can speak OF hardshps this system has
would be and wlll-be collectors has been vitated
" this meretricious stun and our young painters
ave suffered in purse. II not In reputation
Now ii our next Congress could give us specific
uty of $50 or 500 each imported work below the
alue Of 5000 it would virtually prohibit the intro
n the way of single worthy picture. Our rep
many of those who were loud In favoring Free
rkc fo-ln