The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-11

Danish Painter of Murine Pictures.
There is at Veerhof's just now "a
most interesting picture exhibition. The
beautiful. little gallery is filled with
some twenty-five canvases by George
Inness, jr. One cannot help experience
ing a. thrill Of delight--in the pres
euce of these poetic interpretations of ma
ture so very like the work OF his distin-
guished father, who is coming to be re-
garded the greatest of modern land
scapists This close resemblance in sub
ject and technique between the work Of
father and son. while perhaps natural
enough, is a positive misfortune to the son.
II seems to be an unwritten Law that how
ever close student a man may be of his
master, his work must not resemble the
master so closely as 10 be mistaken for
that Of the teacher. The excellence Of the
work may be undOubted, but nevertheless
little value attaches to the pupils work
beyond what might be credited to
good copy. Several Of thescauvases here
shown might easily be accepted as the
work Of the elder lnness. This is very
high praise, but one cannot but regret that
it should mean so little. 1t is much the
same as that famous incident of the now
almost forgotten Trouilebert. whose work
so closely resembed Corot that the salon
jury accepted one of his pictures. believing
II to be an original CorOt. A CODY or close
imitation Of any master is the yellow
dog OF art It has no standing whateI er.
George lnness, jr.. has demonstrated his
mastery over his material and Il only re-
mains for him to take firm stand against
the tide OF oblivion to win a place by the
side Of his great father Mr. Inness. jr,
is fortunate in possessing every possible
advantage in his pursuit Of art, and he will
win II he will but remember that nature
remains full Of wide tracts, where the de-
termined man will find new messages quite
as original and lovely as have ever been
told. There is large picture in the col
lection called Crossing Of a Meadow at
shutdown, man leading two Jersey
cows.
It is beautifully treated, fine in color.
though not as easy in the drawing as a
work Of that Importance should be
George Inness, jr., has given evidence
Of individual possibilities in this picture
as he did years ago in his Man on Horse
back in the Surf II is probable that if
his energies were turned entirely in this
directiOn-landscape with animals-he
would win a commanding place in the art
Of his time for one can imagine nothing
more attractive than animals painted with
the sentiment color. quality. and tone
which always marked the landscape work
of the elder Inness.
New simmons
The Seats Of the Mighty is the title
Of new painting by Marcus Simmons
which is now on exhibition at the Fischer
gallery. This artist paints impossible.
unwholesome, and sometimes unlovely
spectacular landscapes in manner which
is audacity itself. At times these Sim
mons landscapes reach a condition beyond
anything the great Turner ever did. even
in his most Eighty and eccentric moments
The present picture, however. is more
than interesting. The writer believes in
absolutely limitless liberty in the field Of
art endeavOr. There is no law to hem in
the pioneer. Originality is so precious
that the man who launches out in new and
uneXplored directions VIII find friends 20
encourage him. Those academic yard
sticks which one makes such haste to apply
to all conventional art are withheld with
much kindness and patience when il is ap-
parent that the artist is earnestly proceed
ing on some voyage Of discovery. Up to
the present one could gather little from
the Simmons pictures beyond a distressing
sense Of the truth Of the old adage. Fools /.
rush IN where angels fear to tread" The
Seats OF the Mighty is not without some
Simmons discords OF an eye-splitting va
riety. and it is incOmprehensible why. hav-
ing so nearly produced a great imaginative /
landscape. the artist should insist on GER ]
tain crudities in the sky and elsewhere +
which one would suppose a man Of his OBJ .
yious ability would not have left and called .
finished. A painters signature Oh a can /
vas Is always Supposed to mean that it is 7
finished. The Seats of the Mighty" OBJ /
jectively is a romantic subject. the objec- /
tive matter OF which is conceived with a !
grandeur and maguifcence quite equal to
Gustave DCre. whom the composition Z
strongly suggests. Perched on a precipi- /
tous berg is a castle OF extraordinary pro-
portions. which looms like the spired bulk
Of some Gothic minister against a sky of I
red and gold. There are towers and bat
,iements in all that infinite variety which /
belonged to the architecture of a domicfIe .
and fortress Of medieval times
There is also mystery about the forms
which impart extraordinary massiveness
to the pile. Filing out Of a noble gate
way over drawbridge and down a high
walled winding approach is a procession
)f brilliant knights and ladies'. There is
Nv N''alit bui but = imagination nils in /
The space from memories of such scenes
n Old historic tales read in years long
gone by. The composition is in the high
'st sense poetic II transcends any mere
y theatrical representation Of such
.cene. To realize how far and how SPLEEN
Idly Simmons has realized in this dream
Il romanticism the combined strength
nd magnihcence Of this whole period OF /
astles and knights in armOr one has only
o recall the timid and altogether made
uate pictures in the COrcoran Gallery .
The Knights Departure and Return"
y Thomas Cole. Mr.. simmons has in
lis picture given undoubted evidence of !
lis imaginative power and genius The /
alues and contrasts are arranged in his
imposition with simplicity and skill. but a
q the matter of color he Is not sensitive a
lie persists in being theatrical and cheap a
hen reasonable restraint humble re- {
earch and observation in the great G
rhool Of out Of doors would make him S
Iaster Of an. lifted distinction. Mr. I
immons would a1 well to remember that {
AZURE never violates cne's sense Of har-
lony and fitness. and that art which .
,orns its mundane origin is never good.
The Moran Pictures.
Mr. John V. Sears in the philadelphia i
yening Telegraph" makes this very in a
resting comment on the Moran ooller- l.
on of marines, illustrating the marine =
Istory Of the United States The pic
Tres were widely admired here. where
OH D., III