The sun., 1900-12-16
Arr NOTrs,
". o.. Dsdses ps,ntiss The vnlor tsasss
tisb Exhibition An Altered prize,


present appealing to those following art and
Interested In it, Developments 4. that ot cncd
yesterday 6t the American Art Galleries. whore
ias paintings. drawings and coloted llluatrn-
| tons are cataloeued a. tie tccont work oi
| william dc lcftvlch Dodge. -Four of the
| galleries are occupied by Mr bodgo's WORK
| lie does not hesitate to exhibit h. versatility
| To- tho eNtont signiNed IN the simultaneous
| showing Of enormous canvsSes painted for
| the salon. illustrations In black and white
| and examples that fairly tumble over each
| other OF his WORK IA a follower Of tho plsin
arisIss.
The large Gallery A OF the American Art
| Association surely never appeared 50 COM
modIous as in this exhibition of Mr.. DodGes.
| SpacI pus cinva,es that could Hdorn no mean
| gallery mount at either hand. Greek iu-
diligence and spanish intrepidity on tho
| American Main are pictured In n prodigalIty
| OF pigment that only a large Imagination
could have conceived. The nightmare of
| war and the sensrous cntioement of nynirhs
! at evening caperings in the groves bla2on
| the painters workman ship In the rem nin-
| ing wall-room not occupied by royalty at the
| bath MIR Dodges residence in Paris and
his Clevorncss are to he seen everywhe o.
So is his draughtsman ship. In tho second
gallery the good black and-white drawings
probably Will not dishearten American Illus
traitors living at home. The last two galleries
are distinguished by the open air paintings
and all tho Interesting productions of the
creditabls strife to attain Monet.
Mr. Dodge met early successes bv his
cleverness. which is as noticeable now as his
distinctly decorative quality. Ills perth
nacity and scientific effort are everySh here
apparent. Failure has no terror for him.
n all
premature ruins. Because In "Noonrse"
(5>. the skv turns out to resemble some
dimmed flight Of particularly nehuious
met eors that Is no reason for Withholding
the production. II persistent effort toward
we'll defined ambitions means ultimate sue
cess Mr.. Dodge's future Is one of reassuring
promise. One Of the stepping stones. how
ever, will needs be IN ability to draw, which
the present exhibition does not show him
To possess. except at odd moments, one
Of the revelations of that time, too. Will ho
not indeed nece-saril; more flesh, but more
flesh of Lass Reconsideration quality.
Among those larger works, in tho eJhi-
bition OF which here the snnsuine may.
perhaps, perceive encouragement In their
Efforts toward an american Salon" one Of
the best Is the Evening Dance" 100. The
central figure among the nude women In the
wood Ia gracefully and confidently drawn
little Of MIR Dodgp's figure work l. not con-
ndently drawn. but not usually with SO good
results-and the quality of tho flesh IL iifelike
in contrast with that Of the numerous figures
In vGriOus other compositions. which In
evitably suggest paste or a painted imitation
OF IT, For the contortcd attitude OF n hard
worked woman lying on tho ground two
explanations suggest themselves. ono.
Jasirs TO improve upon NJ Henner in n cho sen
field: the other, that France, too. which has
everything. has those anatomically peculiar
women Characteristic ~ a certain African
tribe. who must he seated against an acoliylty
to enable them to arise to an erect position
unaided. From its place in the exhibition,
together with certain marked elements, OF
style. one is justified In the presumption that
this PAINTING Is the work OF the exhibitor
although il is signed William Leftwich Dodge
he ennohlug article having apparently
been di>dainrd b. MIR. Dodge at the date Of
the painting. 1898. Another OF his better
works In figure painting. in which there are
true resh tones. ia La Sente Ivrees" teD.
In the much less ambitious "sicsta.- to.
In drawing, In modelling and in the quality |
OF the flesh. taken together. many will fnd |
Mr.. Dodge at lis best, although in resplen- |
dent moments he reaches higher In other |
examples. In the companion work az. |
Music Lesson" he shows again what he can |
do In drawing the recumbent figure. In the |
" Portrait Of Mr. s.. 1927. the head and fea-
lures. the figure and the hands are carefully |
modelled and finished. The face and att-
tn e are full OF expression Details are car
ried 10 the last marking OF a snakeskin or
gator skin jncket-it can be nothing else
than this novelty in which tine intellectual
sitter Is clad
La Novice" us) presents the coming nun
m footpath OF Monets garden. beside the
lilies. the verdure. the foliage and the flowers
Of many colors in the atmosphere Of a delight
ful day surrounding her; and whether she
Or they make the other the more beautiful |
5 In the eye Of he who sees Ii Is something |
10 paint in Monets garden. 1t Is a good deal
10 gras2 at Monets science OF color 1t were |
more To see To with his eyes. granted that
lund and color box were adequate. All |
,rouud are the outdoor paintings with Mr.. |
Dodge's more and less successful efforts at
he representation OF persons and objects
n the mystiiying lights OF the open air One
,ainter plasters on colors with a nife and pro-
iuces the atmospheric blend he assays to
ranscribe. Another sees tie violent clashes
II strong natural contrasts and in blotches
4 crude color equally severe aims to depict
hem. calling the result an open-air painting
|
ts charm Of study. and place Mr.. Dodge as
r elects. or at "Orpheus singing" ito turtle
lizard. rabbits, a squirrel and a frog. teu.
One Of Mr.. Dodse's ambitious and mo 81
eculiar paintings the Portrait OF Mother
nd Child" t5o,. few persons. perhaps. will
esent being told is an effect at dusk. rather
han in some curious freak of moonlight
modifying the artificial lights that shine
non the mother and child on balcony.
ne painting. with many good points in the
'ork isltkely to leave on. questioning A little
arther along on the same wall one may see
Baby ,65l. the antithess OF tho compo- ,
tions in the first gallery. the Last Days
{ Tennchttlan. In the conquest o' Mexico ,
Y Cortez 1927: The Eighth Olympiad,
ith it's Greek pleasure scene 1881; and tho /
ymbolio and Internal War" tos) | I
In the upper gallery there IL shown In con- s
ecton with Mr.. DodScs exhibition the col
cticn Of beautiful and wonderful butter | q
les which the Denton brothers OF wellesley,