New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-09
artists are thinking deeply as well as working
earnestly. The inspiration Of originality and OF

artists are thinking deeply as well as working
earnestly. The inspiration OF originality ana Oh
vitality Of energy Is lacking.
There are two rival societies In water-c0lOrs-
the Institute in Piccadilly and the old Royal IN
Pail Mall. The Institute Ia the larger exhibition,
and consequently corresponds to the Academy;
but the old society Is the more vigorous and less
conventional BODY. and IL ordinarily held IN
higher esteem by artists. There Is competition
between them this year mainly IN duiness ana
prosac qualities The walls OF both galleries are
lined high and low with commonplace work The
Pail Mall show, apart from being the smaller.
and consequently the less fatguing exhibition
contains half a dozen works or conspicuous merit
which are worth looking at second time when
the rounds of the gallery have been made. There
are hardly any pictures at the Institute. apart
from the sketches by old masters, OF when as
much may be said
Mr.. Clausen's Earth and Sky Is one Of these
works. 1t Is bare brown upland. without foil
age or anything but a farm hand with his horse
and above 1t is an expanse Of sky banked high
with solid clouds II cannot be called beautiful
picture. for II Is nothing but bleak hillside en-
veloped with atmosphere: but IL deals with ele-
mental things In nature. and has a solemn seri-
BUSINESS Of It's own. There Is a small portrait OF
Mr.. Watts by Professor Herkomer which is also
conspcuousy good In purity Of flesh tones. Sir
John Gilbert has two costume pictures THE
Standard Bearer" and Cedric which are paint
ed In n commanding style with harmonious
scheme of color Mr. r.. w. Allan and Mr.. Napier
Henry compete theoretically with each other In
sea pictures with strong. effective water paint
Ing Miss Montalba's "Our Fleet in Venice Is
painted with the Subdued pearly grays Wnlcn Sne
invariably finds in the lagoons, and with charac-
teristic distinction OF style
There is another picture which may be men
toned because 1t piquee curiosity by It's dashing
style and inspires a desire for companion piece
by the same hand II Is Mr.. Arthur Melville's
Spanish Bull Fight" with excited crowd
looking on in a blaze OF sunlight. There Is
pcador attacking a bull In the lower edge Of the
picture. but it is meagre glimpse. which might
easily have been dispensed with and the ring
kept entirely empty In reality the bullfght Is
left out, and the excited movement and frenz" OF
the audience are alone revealed 1t is a good
drawing. broad in effects, spirited in action and
vivid in cooring Of one Of the most animated
spectacles which ever be seen. Mr. Melville
s under obligations to the public to make a sec
ond drawing and to leave out the audience rather
than the real fight in the ring. He Is an impress
sionist with the courage of audacty but there
Is picturesque power in his work. even when he
leaves a large portion OF his paper tinted with
thin wash.
The loss Of Mr. Alfred Hunt. who was the mas
ter artist OF the society, is apparent when the re-
mainder Of the collection is critically examined.
Mr.. Albert Goodwin with hia Turneresque eff
fects, Is versatile but uneven: Mr.. Hughes has
fallen off from his high level OF last year. and
Mr.. Herbert Marshall Mr. Brewtnall. Mr.. Mac
beth. Mr.. Marks and their associates indus
trious but their work does not reveal either
fresh thought or vigor OF method Mr.. Melvilles
daring drawing with its reckless botches and
startling Impressionist effects commands atten-
ton among these commonplace drawings famil-
lar in subject and style His Spanish Bull
Fight" will he remembered when every other
water-color Of the year has been forgotten.
I F