New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-08
MANY VISIT THE PORTRAIT SHOW.
NETWORK ARTISTS EXPRESS OPINIONS ON THE
WORK EXHIBITED.

WORK EXHIBITED.
The Portrait Show continues to attract crowds
OF visitors day and evening the galleries Of the
National Academy OF Design. The friends OF the
Orthopadic Hospital. for the benefit of which this
exhibition Of portraits is held delighted to know
that the show Is great artistically socially
and financially. The exhibition will close about
the middle OF the month and after all expenses are
paid the hospital will undoubtedly receive hand
some m.
While all the members OF the various committees
have faithfully devoted their time and energies
the exhibition. great measure of its success has
been due to Charles T. Barney. president Of the
Art Commission. who is chairman Of the Executive
and Artists committees Mrs John Hobart War
rem. chairman of the Ladies' Committee, and Fred
erick Gore King. the assistant secretary OF the
exhibition.
The artists Of New-York have naturally taken a
keen interest In the Portrait Show. and some ex-
pressions OF opinion were obtained by a Tribune
reporter yesterday.
"Sargent's 'Wertheimsr'" said Thomas w.
Wood president of the National Academy Of De-
sign. "is capital likeness and is full Of character
I saw the picture at the Royal Academy last sum-
mer. Sargent shows marked improvement on his
past work 1t is better now than at the last Por
trait Show. In 1895 In the south gallery Mrs.
Beckwith' looks finely. This portrait by Carroll
Beckwith is of the pest pictures in the exhibit
ton. ] find Ia this Portrait Show that the Ameri-
cans hold their better than the Europeans
am afraid that when the Europeans come over mere
they do not do their best. They paint for money
of course. and of their portraits are poor In
comparison with what do. Certainly,
1t is not gratifying to see foreigners come TO this
country and get enormous prices for work which
can be done well by American artists. Ameri-
cans. however do not stand faithfully by thelr
artists. the English do"
Although this Portrait Show" remarked j. car
roll Beckwith a prominent member Of the Artists
Committee of the exhibition, lacks the element OF
novelty that the first Portrait Show possessed IL
is in my opinion much more deserving Of the
careful and serious attention OF the Pubic l's
educational side be made much more useful as
II shows varied examples of each painter, hung In
such manner clearly 10 emphasize MS various
kinds of brushwork and expressions OF tempera-
ment The standard in this portrait exhibition Is
higher than that Of either of its predecessors be-
cause most of the painters of distinction are rep
resented by several examples. as compared with
the other exhibitions. This Portrait Show is a
distinct ana Is 10 ,b be wOpsa Of
together giving suicie1t nulpei d OF i dpny
are the Americans exceedingly well represented
but the best-known foreigners who have visited
have produced here. Such portraits by Mr.. Vinton
of Thomas G. Appleton. Bonnats portrait OF eX
Dr., Rainsford. BENJAMIN Constants portrait OF
William K. Thompson. Sargents Wertheimer ana
Carolus Duran's Johnston Livingston show the
best male portraiture that is being produced in our
time The number If fine portraits OF women s, Is
much larger this year than at the former Portraii
Shows This exhibition should be visited and
studied. it is not probable that for a number OF
years excellent collection OF portraits Will DC
brought together in this country, ,,, D,,o
at is TO be regretted" said Frederick Dielnan
that praiseworthy as is the object for which the
collection gathered in the choice Of the = ma a
ciai considerations. and that the artistic quality
particularly of the American department, has been
somewhat lowered. Counting Sargent as an Amerl-
can surely Americans carry off the honors OF the
exhibition. There is nothing else TO my mind, in
Sargent's portrait of Wertheimer, the London art
dealer l think it is a wholesome thing. and should
be beneficial, that the work of our American por-
trait painters is put direct rivalry with that OF
the men from. abroad 1t is only a matter of won
quently on being painted by the latter when the
proof is clearly put before them that men of their
and dc ,Ts as ,hem e ha
Frenchrnen and Italians rarely paint Ameri-
can woman but there seems to be something e *
she is invested by them. Daghan-Bouveret Is en-
trely SINCERE and his portraits are "a, admirable Il
head of his | have this side. Stunning
thing is the head Of Gladstone by William Mcclure
George W. Maynard expressed his admiration
for the work Of Frank Fowler william Thorne,
Frederic p. Vinton. Cecilia Beaux and Sargent
painters as do" MIR. Maynard went on to say, II
see no reason why they should = make as good
showing at this exhibition as artists OF any
critcise the foreigners. think however; that the
American portrait painters have painted as good
foreign artists Some Of the foreigners have paint
ed excellent portraits in this country: but never
any better than has been done by the Americans.
Committee. expressed the opinion that the present
exhibition is in some ways the best Of the Portrait
art showing as It does the great advance made
by American painters. who now easily hold
their own with those Of any other country-a fact
most gratifying TO all Americans