New-York tribune., 1900-03-17
ART EXHIBITIONS
THE TEN AMERICAN PAINTERS.

Dewng is the absentee His art hoxs~.
has recently been illustrated pretty nearly a, ,,r
length in an exhibition Of his own. His nine co
leagues bring together collection Of twsn,v
eight paintings. These have been well hung a.
leave. the whole. interesting i1npress,o,
They serve the good purpose of putting the ar,,..
TO a severe test I'm the best way There iz nonA =,
the confusion which belongs almost Of necessity "a
the large and miscellaneous exhibition. Each ma,
can say what he has to say without interrupt,on
If we may use the figure. and having had exarrlv
the same opportunity year ago the task OF as,I
mating his advance retrogression IA sirnpliaaa
II might be said that such task is not altogether
necessary that the intrinsic value OF each pcturs
has alone to be considered But on the other hand
the result of an exhibition like this Il m
evitabIy 70 interest the observer IN the artistic
personalities involved In its preparation The
temptation is irresistible 10 study the pictures with
some reference to their predecessors
In the case Of Mr. Chllde Hassam. for exarnol.
II Is very pleasant TO recognize certain Increase
of authority He has ranged often in the pas.
from good work bad that we cannot feel quite
sure of him But there is uncommon per-
formancc and promise in the work he shows this
occasion. We have especially In mind the small
gloucester" in which panoramic motive is de-
lghtfuIIy handled. The diverse elements In ths
composition seen from height. are thrown into
perspective that Is not only correct. but truit-
fuI of A pictorial impression, and the light which
floods the scene is rendered with unimpeachabIs
accuracy. In this picture Mr. Hassam seems At
last to the master Of those mpressionistc ideas
over which he has inadeQuately fumbled for
long a period The September IS less successful
The nude figure is stifiy seated and there Is rot
the ghost of a graceful line in the laboriously
modelled contours. The flesh tints are unhealthy
and disagreeable But here. too, there are encour-
aging elements. the design is truly decorative and
in filling his background with blue and whits
sky with foliage here and there. the artist on
the right track He nearly beautiful
effect Again in the Improvisation the color Is
muddy, but there admirable passages IN the
work as in the treatment OF the head and shou-
ders of the woman at the piano. and the sunny
landscape Of which the window beside which she
is sitting gives a glimpse In a word. Mr.. Has
sam Is still uneven, but makes unusually seri-
appeal in his three paintings Mr.. J. H.
Twachtman. who Ike him, has been sorely hand-
capped by inability TO practise impressonism with
a degree of skill equal to his enthusiasm. has not
made perceptlbIe progress One OF his four pict-
ures The Brook in Winter" has the merit Of
truth and is without a touch OF ioveliness bu,
even in this his best exhibit. Mr. Twachtmans art
has not much weight. "HemlOck Pool" My
House and Niagara ruthlessly expose his ln-
tatiors which would to come from paucity o,
feeling and technical habit that is stil tentatiys
and weak From these thin and obscurely painted
landscapes cannot but infer narrow outlook
on nature, a blurred vision of her beauties and
stereotyped Interpretation OF her secrets Mr,
Twachtman lends vitality 10 his WORK oy virtue OF
a somewhat individualized manner, but there Is
power in his brush.
Mr. Simmons has power. unforced and well
trained. and though there are only hints of II IN
his two marines, Dirty Weather" and After
noon," both small sketches, il comes out TO dns
purpose in both his portraits. particularly in that
of a white haired gentleman whose name Is not
given. The "A III. Sayre" is good; its companion
is brilliant, with workmanship at once strong and
delicate which forces attention that might other
wise wander. The first glance discovers IN his
canvas nothing more than conventional portrait
of the straightforward. solid sort. but careful
scrutiny ends in the warmest admiration for the
exquisite. searching treatment of the difficult sur
faces in the face of the model Mr.. Joseph De-
camp also sends portrait OF man. his sole cor
tribution TO the show 1t is accomplished piece
of work so far 1T goes but it stops short the
line which divides commonplace from distinction.
Mr.. Willard Metcalfs nude study is in much the
same category The recumbent figure is placed
against good background. The best part Of the
painting indeed lies in the clever Of the
colors and textures of the cushions and draperies
With his skill in this direction and in the
ment of the light falling from a window the
models head. Mr.. Metcalrs claim upon our al
miration ends. The figure is not attractive in tas
first place. and of the legs displays abou, as
ugly piece of foreshortening IL has been cur
fortune TO in long time We regret this
painting. Mr.. Metcalf has tn capacity for better
work. Mr.. Robert Reid is his best technically
in The Water Sprite. which illustrates perfectly
the movement of tumbing water. and is filed with
sunlight and both 10 technique and other ss-
ments in the large Autumn. The latter picture
is brilliant production. ablaze with sunny Light
rich and harmonious in color. charming in design.
and with the sylvan note cultivated BY this artist
authoritatively expressed The three women in tns
scene form well balanced group without falling
into artificial attitudes. Their lines supple s1i
flowing. The whole scheme is sumptuous. beauti-
ft and ham IaA v-ith
bravery of color and it's generous scale this paint
ing holds prominent place in the gallery. and Il
bears well the test of its conspicuity,
Five pictures contributed by Mr.. z. c. Tar
bell The best in the group is The Mirror"
capital study of a feminine model. with such coed
modelling about the head and with such good
brushwork all over the canvas that the right hand
with its bad drawing, seems needlessly eunssd
Mr. Tarbel's color ought 10 gain In quality. IN
THE Mirror it is too panty. It is also in the
Head" decorative panel fiuently executed CUT
spoilt by the deafness Of the dark tones against
which the bright checked model is painted. With
more subtlety and with greater transparency IN
the darks. with purer carnations in the face. ths
would be a work of Importance. As IL Is Sir Tar
bell mas much unmistakable ability. he WORKS
with much spirit. there is so much taste IN his
art that his deficiencies fan swiftly into the back
ground The three outdoor studies he shows. MY
Family" Child With a Boat and summer
Idyn." all very clever things. with atmos-
phere. spOntanety and flavor OF originality
which alone goes far 10 make him Of the mos'
suggestive of the Ten. Mr.. Benson Is now artistic
and almost mediocre. The Early Morning
with its rufied water and distant OF trees. .
tender enough In landscape sentiment 70 atone for
the poorly handled ducks winging their way across
the scene. but the smaller panel Wild r0"s
Aighting.' Is Hfeless and dun His large Deco
rativc Figure" also contains good work and bad
The red drapery forces the note IN the generA
scheme OF color. and the silhouette OF the facs
might have been rendered with precision