New-York tribune., 1900-07-22

one OF his studies Of surf on the coast OF Maine,
and the beautiful Summer Night" One recalls
other Wtnslow Homers that ought to have been
sent. The two small South Sea studies by John
Lafarge are scarcely calculated to impress a
stranger with the great gifts Of that dlst1n-
gulshed artist Robert Blum sends two of his
japanese pictures, brilliant things both, but his
later work, and especially his decorative art
should have been illustrated. The list of omis-
sions IS endless. Man after man is not repre-
sented at his best, and some Of our most I'M
portant painters are absent altogether. Mr.
Edward Simmons sends nothing. and this means
serious gap. The absence of work by MT.
Dewing means another. But 1t is a testimony
10 the advanced condition Of American art that
When we have consctentously noted an
the absentees and all the errors OF choice
we can still with cheerful confidence leave
our section TO make its way with the World
suppose the paintings by InnesS might
nave been bettered? Those exhibited, culver
ing with the poetry Of Nature and glorious
IN color, serve TO show. with the works Of Martin
and Wyant that in landscape art we are in the
front rank, Here is perhaps the unique con
trlhutlon of America to the Exposition. our
coUntrymen living and painting in Paris are
least successful when they painting land
scapes. American artists at home win trlunphS
IN this field, It is unnecessary to describe the
works sent by them on this occasion. Most or
them are old friends. we'll known In the eThlbl-
tiOns Of New-York, Boston and Philadelphia 1t
suffces 70 say that the three masters no longer
with US, lnness, Martin and Wyant. nave leIl
followers who WOTthily uphold their standard
here in J. F. Murphy H ". Ranger, c A PiaLt
Leonard Ochtman, r. G. Minor r. w Nhst' n
s. Clifford. C X. Eaton. G. II. BOgart c. H.
Davis and half a dozen others. Landscape art
in America, as these men show has more NE III
II than landsCape art in France. where a master
like Harpignies could not stem the tide OF error
raised on the one hand by confinement to studios
on the other by i'll directed applications or the
impressiOnistic idea, If we have anything 10 pe
proud of in section it is that the landscape
painters make so good a showing; that they G@ls- @
close accurate observation, sympathy, OrlglAa4I!
and technical skill.
With the figure painters the case is different
but on the whole hardly less gratifying Mr..
n 4
woman with a child either side Of her, Is
disfgured by technical pUertities for Wnlch ne
cannot be too severely blamed. But passages
of abominable execution still leave this magic
al work, delicate, imaginative. overtioWIng Win
the rarest beauty. \ nation that could produce
work like this, the foreigner must say IS d
nation to reckon with. Other painters not quite
poetic, not quite so original will still pro
oke the same thought-Mr. Abbey in his
tapestrylike "HamIet'; Miss Cecilia BeauX. IN
her strong and buOyantly painted portraits;
Mr. Brush, in his three family groups, the works
OF kind Of latter day Terburg; Mr. Benson and
Mr. Tarbell and Mr.. Reid. in their examples OF
iTpressiOnism tempered by taste and native
force. The technique OF these painters has not
the peculiar Cdchet on which the hlaepouHu
"Saloner' lays such sUreSs-fOr which let US be
grateful Neither does 1t invariably provide
satisfactory substitute for the Salonier's in
dubitable knaCk and CleVerneSS It has been
indicated how in the case of NJ. Thayer there
are moments in which the technique falls be-
meath contempt The last thing in the
world for US to do would be to conclude that
we might rub along with such technical pro-
fciency as we now have. The balance Is not in
our favor when maEual facility is concerned. In
this respect our section could easily suggest TO
the foreigner that we had not s vet arrived.
Again and again n artist Of interesting abilities
shows that he just falls short Of mastering his
tools. But the technique in time is bound 10
come. and in the mean while the qualities
possess are earnest of our release from the
stereotyped methods which are so in favor on
the Continent.
Take all the American paintings to which cord
ial illusions have already been made. Add 10
them the portraits by Mr.. Chase Mr. Beckwith.
and Mr. Alden Weir; the figure pieces by f. D.
Millet Kenyon Cox. H. 0. Tanner, W. II. Low.
@. W. Maynard and TIL. Robinson; the land
sCapes. marines and miscellaneous things by
the late Robert Eichelberger. F. S. Church,
W. A. Coffin, II. R. Butler c. C. Curran, Max
field Parrish. Albert Sterner. j. De Camp, II. P.
Smell and r. w VOnnOh. Reckon in with these
the miniatures by Miss Hills. Mrs. Fuller and
Mr.. Baer, and that great mass - lT=tra tgre
work for the ruSSazipes from EvhiC! 8udtrioVs
selection has been made. At many POINTS one
finds signs IF technical limitations. But one
finds also some brilliant workmanship, land
scapes that have in them the truth and beauty
Of Nature portraits that are also pictures fig
is usually Interesting One sees that the silly
side Of impTessiouiSm has Worn itself out that
the American school has sanity $ we'll as vigor.
Against undue jubilatiOn il is we'll to take pre-
cautions This show should send an American
home with his critical faculty more active than
ever. France, Belgium. Italy. Holland. Ger
many. all have things 10 say to the student
which should cool his aTdOr and remind him
how far any one country is from bearing away
the palm. But it would he mock mOdesty which
kept an American from the deliberate conclusion
that in this gathering Of pictures from all over
the world the work Of his own school commands
respect and admiration. R. c.