The times., 1899-06-25
Versatility in Criticism.

Hunt.
Versatility in Criticism.
There is much praise. The same thing in
substance is repeated in half dozen diff
ferent ways. which, it is well known about
every editorial room. goes a long way
toward padding out a column; and it is so
gratifying to the young artist.
There are some. startling statemen. S
for instance: "Mr.e-- is never afraid of
reality" and these "A courteous d;sre-
gard for ordinary treatment, 'Extempora-
neous perfection in art is morally impos
sible; no instances have yet ap-
peared of artists who, as it were, in
stinctively painted good pictures.
The following bit is very compliment
tary, but the most active translator in this
instance. the shotgun, seems to have been
entirely overlooked. What could be more
graphic than shooting rabbits, and trans
fering them to the more quiet repose of
the canvas"
They are like translations of bits
of nature from the haunts of game Of all
kinds to the more quiet repose of the
canvas. Here, under the manipuia-
ton of brush and pigment, grow easily
recognizable presentments of the ten
ants OF wood and field and barnyard,
whether in their wild or domesticated
state"
This reference to Pelham sounds as
though the writer of the article might be
making game" OF the artist. and it may be
so; but as one thinks back how things like
this used to delight him in his youth, it
is clearly very much in earnest.
''The artist in the selection of his sub
ject must have asked himself the question,
as Pelham did of his valet before dressing,
Shall we gently please. or sublimely as
t-lsO IL. la
tive, for this, his most ambitious, and Ger
tainly most successful, production, artis-
tically considered, has very much Impress
ed those who have seen it,
The new school of interpreters who have
given up trying to paint every leaf on the
tree, will find this interesting. One rarely
sees today a defence In print of this dead
school. 1t is not a little pathetic, too, that
its only defenders are writers more full Of
enthusiasm than knowledge of art.
The Closing Strokes.
"a distinguished art critic describes
painters as ranged into two great classes
one aiming at the development of the ex-
quisite truths of specific form the other
casting all these aside TO attain those par
ticular truths which may trick the spec
tator into a belief of reality. The first
class, If they have TO paint tree, are in
tent upon giving the exquisite designs OF
intersecting undulations in It's boughs, the
grace of its LEAKAGE, and all those quail
ties which make 1t lovely or affecting Of
its kind. The second efIdeavor only to
make you believe that you are looking at
wood. They are totally regardless of
truths and beauties of form; stump is as
good as a trunk for all their purposes, SO
they can only deceiv. the eye into the
supposition that it is stump and not
canvas. To which of these classes a paint
er of the picture We are discussing be-
longs may be told by the practiced eye in
few minutes look at any of his produc-
tons.
The closing paragraph Is nice little
stroke of business which is not the least
provincial part of the article:
LAS to the future disposition of "A Day S
Hunt we cannot speak with any definite
ness. Negotiations are in progress. how
ever which look to its exhibition in the
foremost of the metropolitan galleries.
There is also talk of its probable purchase
by a well-known citizen of R, in
which event there will no doubt be an
opportunity afforded for its exhibition tenn
porarily at least in some suitable place in
this city,
JAMES HENRY MOSER.