New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-14
ART EXHIBITIONS
AMERICAN PAINTINGS AT THE rv.
LEAGUE CLUB

LEAGUE CLUB.
Four or the twenty-five canvass. 4,
January exhibition AT the Union = W.
Club raise an interesting question =,
tistlc terminology. They are described q,
catalogue az panel decorations" Whit w.
suppose means that We are 10 regard ~.
lowering between the conventions OF th.
picture and the mural painting While ...-,
the qualities Of both. In one case this as,,..s
/ ton may be accurate. but II is not an
other, this exhibition proves, ard the conc,r.,.
Is that II would better be used with car. ~
Abbey's Spring" for example, Is not 49,.
from ambiguity by having an excellent nh,..
affixed to II. II remains neither FISH, flesh ~.
fowl, having none of the elements Of An ....,
picture. and being in no sense "decora,io,.
II seems. rather. a. sketch an illustrate.
thrown up TO large size on the canvas Tn.
complaint would make. by the way yhs,h..
an explicit description Of the work had h...
put In the catalogue not. The landscans .,
just A little the wrong side Of the standard ",
Abbey has himself erected In more than m.
fine picture. being empty, dry and without A..
mospherlc quality; and while the woman in N.
composition is well drawn the man Is m,
There IL no body beneath the clothes, the pp.-
sits with outstretched legs that are lamentaN,
wooden. The merit OF the painting les IN n.
Quantness and in its faint suggestion OF pas.
toral charm which Mr.. Abbey. in happier MOOD
might have more fully expressed.
| Mr.. Mowbrays Month Of Roses" Is exac,,,
what a panel decoration" II We correctly Nm.
derstand the form, ought 70 be. The figure, =,
the comeIy naidens grouped against a bach
ground OF leaves and blossoms are too aggre.
sively presented for the work to be counted On
| easel picture. and the design is independent n
| the rough formula OF mural decoration II IN,
| more freedom, Is more casual. more spontan.
| GUS. In short, this would go well into almost
any ROOM falling naturally into almost any
! architectural scheme. The color is bright N.
| draughtsmanship is strong. and the painting W
| the screen OF roses has a delicacy really uref.
pected in Mr.. Mowbray. whose ndubitable r..
| fnement and precision re sometimes disposed
to be a little inelastic. Even in this work \.
| shows in the treatment OF the figures an o.
| casional hardness Of line. -he long Marina"
! by Mr.. Edward Simmons, is brilliantly sue.
cessfu painting in every way II misses moth.
| ing of the vagueness ard mystery an charm
| OF the sea; II Is sympathetic the subtes,
| fragment from an artists sketch book; II is a
! personal. as fresh, as such study would b.
and nothing is subtracted from all this by The
| fact that the bigness Of the canvas makes 4
broad, truly decorative performance. Mr. Sin.
mons has amazing versatility. His mural work
| is very fine his portraits admirable. and a.
| a painter OF the sea he is equally successful
! But hope he will. without delay De-
| tach from the frame in which this painting 10
presented that length Of gilded rope witch run,
| around 1t. culminat~g in dubious knot. Y
| the fat frame needs some relief simple mould.
! ing will give it. The rope is incongruous and OBJ
! noxious. The "Fleur de Lys" OF Mr. Rooer,
Reid is both a decoration and picture: the
| description In the catalogue will stand Also u
| Is a delightful study Of form. and contains much
| good technique. The brushing Of the mass Q,
| flowers Is captivating; so is the Treatment, OF
the head and hands OF the seatc- figure. Ihs
| color scheme on the other hand. would perhaps
be improved IL the dress o, the figure had
little less of the hue OF the heur de ys In H. iss
were whittier and cooler. The result as IL IL iu
harmony. but II is little heavy. in spite Of The
| pervasve light which In itself is most sklfuny
| rendered.
Mr.. Tryon has more space than any one Of hh
fellow landscapsts. sending three pictures. but
| he might better have sent only the "Eve.ins.
| New Bedford Harbor" That sterling piece Of
art and feeling has borne we'll the test Of time
| I
sentiment and mastery in workmanship
"The Apple Orchard" is a good study Of
vibrating tones but 1t has not the clear, w.
| mistakabl, y OF its companion, Just ner-
toned. and the Evening In October" Is alto
gether too panty and obscure. Mr.. J. Francis
| Murphy sends a landscape containing ny
color and very suave In style; Mr. 7ruce Cranes
Winter Night Is full OF air and OF nocturnal
solemnity though the textures OF the painting
are somehow TO hard and conventional. and
there Is a pleasant scene by Mr.. r. ". Var
Boskerck. Tie Old Homestead" These are me
only outdoor pictures that command special no
| tce. Among the figure pieces Mr.. Bells TAP
estry OF Life may be signalized The coneep'
| ton Is interesting, and the execution. so far "
it goes, is adequate. But Mr. Bell should
warned against exhibiting unfinished work
There are passages in the design. In its present
! condition. which leave so bad impression
! that in spite OF our confidence IN the ability o.
! the artist to set them right. 3elievo his re-
pute would be better served II he sent his woh
forth only when he had made II as satisfactory
as possible. Mr.. Curran's IAN Idyl' is not az ~
| idyllic. but on the contrary a rather obvious
| exercise in technique. clever but not autho'i's'
tive or free enough. The Edge OF the pooN
by Mr. Francis C. Jones is likewise pretty ou.
thin Mr.. Douglass Volk's Thoughts OF QUIZ
has no great charm OF execution. but the attrs'
tive head is attractivey modelled and the plc''
ure has sweetness II II has not strength.