New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-18
ART EXHIBITIONS.
PICTURES By JEAN FRANCOIS RAFFA-
ELI - FOUR IMPORTANT PAINT
1NGs-NorEs FROM ENG
LAND AND FRANCE

ELI was held at the American Art Galleries Re-
'e""' He came 10 America to serve the inter-
naonai jury OF the art exhibition at Pittsburg and
he mas taken advantage OF the visit to show fifty
UT sixty OF his paintings. portraits and colored
prints at the Durand-Ruel gallery In this city In
q genial and interesting preface 10 the catalogue
ne reiers TO change which he says has come
over his art. as II has come over bis view OF life
Inc pictures he exhibited IN 1926 represented long
period or struggle and sadness. Since he has won
success he has been happier. AT this period" he
says / paint the portraits of young girls the
portraits OF children, flowers the sunlight all
Things pleasing" Turning to study the pictures In
the light Of these confessions we find the evidences
OF change less tangible than we expect them TO be-
some or the old motives. drawn from the shabber
side OF Partisan life still represented but
II they were not. even II had 10 reckon with
nothing save the portraits. the flower pieces and
the sparkling street scenes. should feel
strained to protest that. after ALL NJ. Raffaen IS
interesting to-day IN just about the same measure
and manner in 1895 His thoughts may be
brighter. His artistic method. his style. every
thing that goes TO make his art original we cannot
consider 10 be IN any way changed
One proof OF this arises from a comparison Of
THE Lfeless Trees" for example. with any of the
paintings In which Partisan thoroughfares and
buildings are depleted say the Rue de Heider'
or st. Etienne du Mont" The first a respectable
piece OF work. but. the whole unworthy OF the
artist The others are as good as they are charac-
teristic; they are specimens OF the true Rafaeln
The reason lies the surface. His sentiment is
urban to-day. as It always was. and when, under
the influence Of the more lyrical emotions which
we infer from his preface, he attacks a purely
pastoral theme its escapes him. The Life
less Trees" though 1t may have been painted with
in few rods Of the Partisan barriers, is an at
tempt at the Interpretation Of nature unadorned
In his best works. in the works which 10
come with perfect from his brush and to
his best feeling. nature the aspect
Of the city than OF the open country II is curious
TO observe the tenacity Of this urban note in NJ
Raffaellis art. The Little Street at Levallos,"
THE Argenteuil Avenue" and The Sunlit Road"
all owe something Of their merit 10 the artists
skilful handling Of foliage, but the atmosphere by
which they are distinguished the inspiration be-
hind them. we identify as coming straight
from long communings with Paris and with Paris
alone. OF course. this adherence Of the artist to
his first love need not be incompatible with broad
developments in his work. but NJ. Rafaellrs devo-
ton to Paris, and his way of painting IT. mean
everything. We synpathize with him when he
w1dens his scope. and would be very glad II we
could recognize merit in the works to which he
so pleasantly refers but II there is merit in his
three portraits or in his three flower pieces-and
We do not deny its existence in the largest mem
Der OF the first trio-it is not very potent, It
not do away with that of effort and heav-
ness which all OF these canvases convey. The por-
traits not bad. but many other painters could
have executed them with equal success The flower
pieces are spoiled by the thick impaste
But nobody can beat NJ RafYaellI on his own
ground, in the expression OF the Partisan atmos-
phere. What said OF him at sis best in 1895
may justly be said of him. we think to-day. We do
not go to him for beauty. for charm, but for OBJ
servation Of contemporary life for prosaic truths
put in individual and artistic His
pictures OF scenes in which architecture is sug
gestively handled, generalized. made pictorial.
q he n DerfeC-
ton when the Introduction Of moving vehicles and
human figures in the foreground revves on the
canvas the variety. the animation the very sounds
of the city. Absolute perfection is missed because
the touch is not always exquistely precise. Too
many lines appear. The artist seems sometimes TO
be feeling his way when he ought 10 know
actly what he wants TO say and how TO say It.
In No 30 La Place de la Trnite," the architect
ure is too loosely rendered But In nine cases out
Of ten NJ. Raffaeln is very captivating. His street
scenes full OF light and air; his skies fresh;
his trees alive. He leaves a lasting impress
sion OF the etchings and drypoints printed in
color which form part of the exhibition. 1t is TO
be said that they represent an interesting ex-
pertinent. and occasionally have strength Of line
and decacy Of color They all full Of character.
They do not seem TO us. however, very notable
productions.
Four paintings Of unusual significance are on
exhibition at the Knoeder gallery. Three of these,
having been purchased Dy MT. A M bytl5, u
Pittsburg will remain view for not more
than fortnight They by Gainsborough,
Turner and Daubgny. The fourth picture Is by
Corot- The Gainsborough. portrait Of isabella,
wife OF David Kinoch." is Of rare beauty. The
head on which the heavy hair IS piled in a por-
teitous mass is inclosed IN oval The lady's
tawny bodice sets the key which is deepened In the
background but is throughout rich and mellow.
In workmanship 1t is one Of the finest Gains
boroughs ever seen here. The flesh is firmly painted
and save In slight passage, just beneath the
chin It is remarkably pure All the details are
modelled with that feathery lghtness which the
artist used even IN his bodest moments. The
picture Of 1.-The Wreckers" by Turner, Is one OF
those designs in which by the sheer power OF his
genius he triumphed over artihciafty There Is
something suggestive Of trckery in the division OF
the composition into two parts: on one side an
intensely gloomy sky, on the other steep hill
crowned with lofty towers and bathed In rainbow
light The contrast is forced just little beyond
the limits of nature. Needless TO say, however
this is a sumptuous piece OF color solitude the
landscape by Daubgny, is broadly painted. but
unless very closely examined seems one OF the
least synthetic Of his works Both In compost
tion and I'm execution It labored The line
formed by the slope OF the land on the left down
10 the water in the foreground and up again on
the right Is annoyance 10 the eye In It's
pensive tenderness on the other hand, TINS Is an
impressive picture. The emotion Of the hour IS
eloouentlv proclaimed The foreground with It's
few ouivering rushes, is especially fine. Though
not one Of Daubignys most felicitous things II
is a work OF value The big painting by Corot'
ia Danse des Nymphes," Is noble masterpiece.
A thick wood. which fills nearly half the upright
canvas and is continued briefly on the other SIDE
looks down on a narrow clearing. through which
golden sky is visible. The dancers move against
this luminous background. The color Is subdued'
save for the brave glow in the distant heavens
The design is itself poetic and the whole scene
vibrates with Corots imaginative quality.
Tho original drawings by Mr.. c. d. Gibson Tor
his two books 1.-THE Education Of Mr.. Pipp" and
'cTn Fgvpt' are on exhibition at the Keppel Gal
,er, Roth collections have been discussed in The