The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-28
Yates PORTRAITS
Close Of the Exhibition at Art
League.
REVIEW OF THE ARTISTS WORK
Difference in Conditions of
London and Honolulu.
Artistic Effect First Consideration.
Will Visit California and
Japan.

The exhibition of Fred Yates paint
ings at the rooms of the KiIohana A It
League closed last night. Yesterday
afternoon the rooms were open to The
general public for two hours, and
many people availed themselves of the
opportunity to view the painters great
works. In the evening. from TO 10,
there was a reception to the members
and friends of the league, and at times
it was difficult to get a really good
view of the portraits, owing to the
crowded condition of the rooms.
But once before has the league ten
dered a reception to a nonresident
artist, and never in the history of the
league have such artistic portraits
been exhibited in Honolulu, for as an
artist, no one of Mr.. Yates standing in
his profession has ever visited the ISL
ands, and it is doubtful if in years 10
ccme the people of Honolulu will have
an opportunity to see in one collection
or at one time such capital work IS
was shown during this exhibition.
AS there is no criterion. or in other
words, in the absence here of an es
tablished tribunal where works of art
may be submitted and judgment pass
ed upon them by competent critics, the
artist must needs depend upon Mrs.
Doe or Mrs. Roe. whose husbands
portrait he has painted. to say wheth
er or not it is good; artistic effects are
not considered even when the likeness
is good.
As a rule unless each individual hair
stands as the good wife, not the artist,
sees it. the picture is condemned. The
relatives are prone to overlook the fact
that in his whole life the artist sees
his subject only while he is in the
studio; at the best he can only paint
his own impression. Ruskin has said:
1.-The greatest thing a man can do in
this world is to see a thing and tell in
a plain way what he SEES
Mr.. Yates heart and soul are wrapt
in his profession, and his first aim is 10
secure a likeness, but with as much
artistic effect in light and shade and
color as is possible to get; he never
sacrifices one for the other, though
with the true instinct of the artist he
should give preference to effect. His
paintings vary as with every artist,
for he is not a machine: his best work
Is WHeH ln6 inspiration IL tight IL
some of his sketchy portraits he dc
cCmplished better tone effect than IN
his more careful work, an accident, /
perhaps, but lucky one, for he Sc
cured a tone, which, as a rule, comes !
only with the age of the portrait.
In England Mr.. Yates standing in I
the profession is the envy OF older art
lists, and yet he began painting only !
10 years ago. He attributes much of /
his success in London to the fact that !
they judge art there for arts sake and /.
preference is oftenest given TO he (
paintings broadly handled, and where I
bold color effects predominant. Pol /
ished portraits have no place with the |
connoisseur in London; he wants that |
which shows art in its broadcast sense. |
And that is what this artist has shown
the people of Honolulu.
Mr.. Yates was not readable TO the
men during the exhibition
last night, for every moment of his
time was occupied by visitors, but aft
er the excitement was over, and as he
sat resting at the hotel, he was will
ing TO talk.
Yes, I feel at home much more
when 1 have a large canvas under my
brush. 1 think this shows in both the
portraits of Judge Hartwell and of
Mrs. Rice. 1t is not that they occu-
pied more time, nor taxed a sitter's
patience, for l frequently have painted
my best canvases in II to 16 hours.
and neither of these large canvases
occupied more time.
The portrait of Judge Hartwell rep
resents what l saw daily at his house
for two or three weeks. I did not
hurry to commence the portrait. but
the impression was strong upon me
On his return from the office. one
might. any afternoon. see him looking
pensively out into the landscape. he
evening drawing ina fit subject for
any painter.
1T was with difficulty I persuaded /
him TO sit to me.
After his portrait the doors of Ho- /
nolulu seemed open to me; Mrs. Rice's /