New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-15
ART EXHIBITIONS.
,,rprcAN PICTURES AT THE UNION
league CLUB MR.. HOPKINsoN SMITHS
VENETIAN STUDIES - PORTRAITS
pv Mr. EENDAII
BY MR.. KENDALL.


BY MR.. KENDALL.
=. has been the custom of the art committees OF
-. - ,-r,on League Club TO form ,he monthly ex-
.u,,,ors more or less according to certain prece-
~. peginninc with old masters. they pass 10
Do,,,in~s IN oil by American artists. and from
,.sa 70 water coors. with perhaps collection OF
ssceuaneous Continental productions placed be
zen the two latter displays This month. follow
49, rho usual order. the American artists have
,ns,r chance. They lave well improved IL TWO
-, particularly reappear after considerable ali
.oncc The first IS Mr. Wiuslow Homer. with
.oos, scene animated by single figure For the
azure We have soant admiration. 1t is. in fact.
,s-ocjous but ugly note. the unattractive model
,.,rs all her uncouthness emphasized by the art
,s,.s careless workmanship. But this hsherwoman
as proha bly, introduced merely as an accent. The
oronoeition needed something 10 give II variety.
', needed nothing but Mr.. Homcr's sympathy for
,hs sea and his skin In handling It 70 give 1t vitality
I'd beauty The Light on the Sea- this picture
- called and all its indubitabe charm comes from
INA nood Of white illumination In which the broad
..,.ce ~ tho ocean IS bathed. This side OF the
,,c,rre IS 80 splerd.dly painted that not even the
.roc,oals fcuro in the foreground can quite spoil
-. ma este effect which Mr. Homer was chiefly
aes,rous Of obtaining. The other new American
r,c.ure If importance is Mr. Mowbrays romantic
,,os3,ion The Arhor" study made in that
,.n.se,i, and fragrant world In which this paint
49, figures always move In this instance he mas
wade :he fragrance trifc TOO heavy INC coorS
~. TOO warm they deadly sv eet. Yet here,
,oo n serious defect is powerless TO diminish the
ar,a ~ solid merit. Mr. Mowbray might profit
tir tone down his gorgeous tin,s. but whether
=. d,e. this or not ne Will win high praise for the
rrsce NJ his cesign and the poetic spirit by which
ri perireafcd.
NJ Abbott Thayers latest portrait. Among
riossorns has 2 poetic atmosphere comparable
- mat Of Mr. Mowbray's picture. but the color
% ,.,e is inexcusably false Much can be forgiven
"a palnier who puts such tenderness into his
nork A. his reveals. but at such unnatural tones
60 apnear IN the neck Of the portrait 1t is neces-
sarv 10 d-aw the line Various landscapes on The
walls speak for recent attempts at the nterpreta-
ZION Of natural beauty along the mos, modern lines
g., The work Of Mr.. Twachtman Mr. Davis. Mr..
r.von and Mr. Dewey there are the freshness ana
,-,h % men handling the facts Of nature with az
much science imagination-hut they are almost
,orgo,tsr IN the presence Of pictures which here
Yenresert more than deceased painter II is in
,s-estine 70 turn from the open-air effects OF MY
ru,s,htn,lr who has the latest ideas AT his finger
TINS n the almost academic work of Homer Mar
IN and George Inness. The spacious landscape
~ the former Source Of the Hudson" has no
hirv which none Of the later men can quite Sc
-u-4 and the large early canvas by 1nness pos
sssses q breadth and mellowness which he himself
surpassed I'm mis- more predictions. hut which
the Younger men who surround him have not once
attained The comparison is not invidious 1t is
only pointed ont indicative Of the power when
sometimes dwells in conservative art. The newest
school brilliant though II may he. is not always
the mos, brilliant one man who belonged to it,
hv the way nd who died all too soon Robert A
Tichelherger. may be studied here in marine Of
uncommon beauty This study of Surf and Fog
shows as other Of his pictures have shown. that
he had the makincs Of q remarkable artist in him
The remaining pictures need not be described in
detail II IS sufficient 10 say that both the figure
painters and aniscap ists maintain fair average
50 that the collection a whole is of vitality
and interest.
Nj Hopkinson Smith is sometimes adversely
criticised for his facility We can only say that
r facility Ike his We're commoner tho exhibit
tons would be dverting His water-colors
az the Avery Gallery which repeat the effects
when he has shown in nalf dozen annual dis
PLAYS are works Of undoubted lghtness But in
their Mghtness resides their peculiar claim upon
admiration. They vivid convincing pict-
ures of Venice. Holland and the Orient, and they
show a spontaneity Of handling. dizziness in
composition. which ought 10 silence at once all
trivial arguments against their sketchy character
one thing Mr. Smith invariably does-he puts the
aspect of Venice. say. into his pictures with
persuasive. personal note that, 10 any one who Is
familiar with the city, IS positively captivating
These pictures are not hackneyed though Mr.
Smith has been making them, as We have indi-
Gated. and over again year after year. The
impression he conveys continues 10 be fresh and
artistic the style continues to be elastic and
original We need not particularize. The thirty
nine water-colors are fairly even in quality. and
not one Is without the flavor Of the scene ii rep
resents not one is without the mark of an artist
who enjoys his work and passes his enjoyment on
TO his public. The same gallery contains three
portraits by Mrs Anna Lea Merritt She is a
suaye and careful painter. but not one If dis
tnction and her elaborate canvases leave the spec
lator cold curious weakness seems 10 underle
her work. She portrays face with some skill and
With more feeling and sympathy but her figures
ack force lack character. and in the backgrounds
The workmanship trails off into prettiness. With
al their good qualities these portraits IN
spi5 When Mrs Merritt and Mr.. Smith withdraw
heir exhibitions the Avery Gallery will he hung
February 7-l2) with the originals OF the illustra-
lions made for Senator Lodges story Of the
Revolution" now running in "Scribner's Maya
zine" We have already alluded to these designs.
They are among the finest ever drawn for a
periodical
MI Sergeant Kendall. at the Macbeth Gallery.
shows collection Of about twenty portraits in pas
tel and chalk They will have a special interest.
inasmuch as they OF such Unknown ndividu-
ais as Mr. Choate. Mr.. Elihu Nedder and Captain
Mahan But thew more important exam
pies Of original and striking workmanship. Mr..
Kendall has standpoint Of his own. and method
equally unconventional Not one Of his portraits.
unless Il be the OF Mr.. Nedder, is strong
enough 10 make this exhibition one Of great mo-
ment He has much 70 learn In draughsmanship.
and all along the line he needs TO work with
greater breadth and force. Yet for the individual
ity OF these sketches ne are grateful In its minor
way The exhibition leaves a really delightful i'm
preston.
LAST DAY or THE EXHIBITION.