The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-18

| the whole thing IS artistic and fe-likt
near by. Interest attaches to it in the
second place because. seen from 4 dis
lance, it has faded, washed-out. uninvit-
ing look which sets one to thinking
whether 1t is wise to send such picture
TO an exhibition where tn re is but one
large gallery. A small room filed with
pictures rs excellent and sincere. but deli
cate in contrasts of value in light and
shadow as this Morse portrait could not
but be very attractive place to the in
telligent student connoisseur. The
Morse portrait is practically lost in this
large gallery. where Mr. Thompson gazes
at the visitor like a young prince by
Valesquez might do drawing him magnet
like toward 1t from the remotest corner of
the gallery-grOwing more real and fine as
he gets near to it. When close enough to
touch the glass. behold! No longer reality
in any part. but chalk strokes of such
force and brilliancy that he is lost in ad-
miration of this young woman painters
artistic perception and executive power.
There are three other excellent pastels
here, two by Mrs. Gothold. Her contribu-
tions TO the club exhibitions are always so
good that one looks forward to them with
the certainty that they will be entertain
ing and instructive The third by Mr.
kronberg. also of New York, is a small
nude, but is very charming in color.
| The splendor of these fine pastels brings
the Water Color Club face to face with
an important problem. Its very existence
| is threatened. The time has arrived when
| the pastelistS have grown strong enough
to stand alone, and they should at cnce
| proceed to do so. They ought to organ
ize and hold their exhibition in February
| at the height of the season and midway
between the exhibitions of the other two
local organizations. The Water Color Club
m ,har hn NJ
| ton Artists (oiD in April-or the Society
| of Washington Artists SHOULD hold n Iastel
| exhibition. AS matters now stand the
| pastelists exhibit at both seasons, ard
while they materially help in making both
, exhibitions important and attractive they
do untold injury to the water colors and
oils, which were never intended to COM
pete with them. The leading New York
exhibitions will not permit this incon-
gruous competition of methods. 1t would
be much less open to objection IL the work
in the two mediums could be separated,
confined to different galleries, but now
that all exhibitions must be held in this
one large gallery the artists should take
steps to stop this unwise competition of
methods.
The most important collective exhibit
shown this year is the twelve examples
of the work of Mr.. W. II. Holmes the So
ciety's president. They lose materially by
not having been placed in group by
themselves, as was done in the club ex-
DitiOn two years ago. Scattered as they
are throughout the entire exhibition, one
gets no comprehensive impression of the
charming method OF which this artist is
an acknowledged master. However, no
lover of true water color, pure and sim |
pie, can go from one example to another of |
his work shown without finding new en-
ynNtS Il
the method is, there is never repetition, |
for each is new impression from nature,
full of the freshness of out of doors that !
stimulates one like a breat tn of mountain |
air.
As a specimen OF the incompatible
heights which this master at times
reaches one should see his .'Spring.iine,'
a simple composition of an apple orchard
in full bloom painted from {. point some-
what above the trees. This picture is
painted in that sensitive artistic spirit
in which only poets work. The air is
heavy with the odor of apple blossoms
and through that violet haze the spring
Sits divnely. Possessing all the
fine decorative quality which belongs to
the best art of Japan and SPAIN this |
water color goes a note further for it Is |
tender and true to nature in n subtler
way than Is known to those brilliant
schools. Nothing could be more consurn-
mate than the colorful sugge5tiveness of
that passage in this picture where the
sky and ground meet. The brush ap-
parently flew over the paper while Provi-
dence carried the dripping color into lit
tie circling eddies here and there and
left them where they would do the most
good The effect is Incompatible. Frank
ly confess to never having seen ~ht OF
water color which brought me 20 hift;bly
and completely to my knees. AftsJ ten
years trying to paint in the Holmes nan
ler, am ready TO abandon my a.nb lion
IN that particular technical E.recti, and
corfine myself to the sponstng, scr7 ing |
and rubbing out Dutch SCHOOL, wiiei {. if |
)ne cannot get n picture to LOOK like ma r.
.ure or express his idea with one stroke of
he brush as Holmes does it, ae caI try
he Dutch method. for in that almost moth |
ng is denied him who has ,owledse and
patience.
To those who know, 1t IS clear why ore
ices so little water color IN The great ex-
iibi.ions nowadays done in this capri.ious
method. 1t is plainly because talent only
makes hopeless failures at It, and ycni- 4
Uses, gifted as Holmes, are few an,. far
between.
year ago l called Mr.. Holmes ,,tten-
ion in the studio to winter picture I
lad just received from Mr. Warner in Q
for one OF mine. Mr.. Holmes I
studied 1t carefully for some moments, n
hen, turning to me, said simply: HE is
genius That is all there is to it,"
replied. He is a genius Mr. Warner a
s one of the league boys" who is still c
covering about the twentes. His pictures I,
re cordially welcomed at the great New
FORK exhibitions. and 1t IL his sterl;- =
Qualities which command the admiral. i
u the leading New York men who do not 3
now whether he is twenty or fifty years a
# age. Real excellence cannot be bot
led by any opposition on juries or else
'here, Absolute artistic merit wins with
ut logrolling or advertising.
Mr.. Warmers work shown this year ,
s one of the surprises, his misty little II
marsh bit is so fine. as is also the birch c
rec study. The latter, by the way, is D
Mounted in birch bark mat--aa amusing II
oyish freak that he will sonlo day smile
yer. Good art needs no such cheap and C.
atchy adjunct to interest these who's b
God opinion is worth striving for Il
ure the mat is good in tone, bu o.
quail to gold or straw board, and one 5 C,
ttention should never be tempted from tt
o excellent picture by aly attractive il
rick in the framing. a
Miss Perrie sends two fire water colOrs. ;.
blacksmith at work and i small land ~
cape. 1t is regretted by all that her
xhibit is not larger and more represent a
alive at this important exhibition, for g
he is the acknowledged leader OF the
oman water color painters here, posi- !,
ion won by sheer merit, as those who a
ecall her repeated successes in New York | r.
iust remember. +,
Mr. Carl Weller, the clubs treasurer. tt
) represented by some very strong fc
hings among which is a GEORGETOWN al | ~