New-York tribune., 1900-01-14
ART IN PHILADELPHIA.
THE EXHIBITION OF THE PENNsYLvA-
MA ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS.

fFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Philadelphia, January Is.
The great merit Of the exhibition which the
Pennsylvania Academy OF the Fine Arts viii
open to the public here Monday next is that
il is not dull. It has been accepted as an axiom
that the artist is known by what he omits Art
1urles win honor largely by their reflections. The
best Of exhibitions is harmed by the Inclusion
Of a quantity Of mediocre work as those held
in New-YOrk often prove. They order these
things differently in Philadelphia where the
annual show at the Academy has for some years
justified those living at a distance n tourneying
TO see it. The latest in the list repeats the good
qualities OF its predecessors. It is the fruit Of
thoroughly liberal policy. There are prizes, Of
course, but they alone could not keep the aver
age high what IS more potent is the discreet
energy OF the managers. who take pains to be
speak important works from far and near Some
of the things shown this year have been seen
before in Paris and London. in Pittsburg and
New York. but their temperance means, as a
rule. that they are, to say, durable works
which the public may well care TO behold more
than once Practically all the pictures. whether
wholly new or not. are Of serious significance
Neither the amateur nor the fantastic expert
mentaIist is allowed to exploit his weakness or
his ecceutricity TO any extent This Is, IN snort
an exhibition Of thoughtful. sincere and capable
painting.
In one respect the dignity of the collection
ia especially noticeable. Portraiture occupies
as usual a very large proportion OF the space
vet there are few of those curious canvases IN
which the pictorial and decorative ambition OF
the artist leads him to elaborate gorgeous BACK
grounds wonderful schemes" Of color, without
arv+bing in the work that touches the per-
soraIity Of the sitter When that KIND OF
portrait appears here it evades the issue by
throwing the accent frankly on the technical
side Mr. Charles HopkinsOn's Girl with a
Monkey" Mr J. ". Alexanders three studies
from feminine rnodels-''The Cafe The Toilet
and The Rose'-and Mr.. Dannats Spanish
tyre Madeline" are in their way portraits;
but the important thing in each case is the
clever disposition Of mass and color, the purely
decorative effect. They are amusing. so far as
thev 90 but they seem shallow beside the por-
traits which help TO make this exhibition what
II Is. deeply interesting By good luck Mr.. Sar-
gent. who moves naturally TO the head Of the
company is represented by one Of the gravesr
and nobIest works he has ever produced, the
portrait Of Miss Thomas, the president OF Bryn
Maws College He can be. when he chooses,
original TO the verge OF audacity- The portrait
Of the late Calvin s. Brice which is also here.
belongs in the category OF his uItra-modern
performances, brilliant piece Of workmanship,
which has its momentary effect. but leaves no
Thomas. on the other hand is one of his stately,
historical paintings. a mastery piece Of tech
nique, and at the same time a remarkable IN
terpretation of character. The painting Of the
face and hands has a thousand subtleties, yet
the portrait has the breadth and simplicity OF
Rembrandt Velazquez- There have been
many comparisons made OF Miss Beaux's work
and Mr.. Sargent's. They may be made again.
Between the Mr.. Brice" and the Miss Thomas
f- DIa OF Raa aIl5fs
double portrait Mother and Daughter" One
makes the com parison only TO find how per
sonal and independent is Miss Beaux's art.
There is a certain kinship between the flowing
brushwork in her canvas and in those of her
great contemporary. But it is the kinship OF
pure strength, not Of style. Miss Beauxis style
is her own, free forcibIe and distinguished.
This portrait has one passage which might pos
sibIy De bettered. The carnations in the face
Of the younger sitter seem a trihe forced, and
II they merely follow fact they DO but point
the observation that art exists TO improve upon
nature. But II is a detail The last impression
received from the portrait is OF original and
mature gifts fusing thought and externals into
artistic unit OF great permanent charm. That
It is a unit, a composition well a q portrait.
shows how worthy Miss Beaux is OF her prox-
unity 10 Mr.. Sargent and. further, how easy it
is 10 combine technique and intellect-when both
are within your reach.
Mr.. George De Forest Brush has always
hitherto exercised this dual gift. and for that
reason mis- large Family Group" one Of the
salient contributions TO the show. is particularly
disappointing. There are certain things in II
which extort the warmest' praise. The faces of
the children are painted with exquisite delicacy
and feeling. There IS happy touch, too. in the
landscape background. But the colors in the
draperies are as III chosen as they ara dead
and there is a more regrettable defect the
glaring discord between the artists concep-
ton and his style He has in earlier works,
smaller in scale and less formal in composition
revived something Of the quiet naturalism Of
Terburg. HIS suave and tender manner OF
painting has fitted perfectly the intimate senti-
ment Of his themes. But here he has attempted
a scheme that, measured by the special quality
which has made his repute, seems huge, cum
brous, alien TO his temperament and altogether
outside his scope. There are good passages. as
has been admitted But Nj Brush was wont TO
paint portraits beautiful from one edge Of the
canvas 10 the other. This is an amorphOus
production that leaves the spectator cold Other
portraits executed a far less spiritual level
but still with Intelligence and skill, touch the
emotions with far greater speed and force, as
for example, those two by which Mr. John
Lavery IS represented "A Roman Lady and "A
FIorenttne Lady" IN the first Of these there is
a faint echo OF Goya; the second is more indi-
viduaI. but both have the beauty Of studies done
with feeling, and. as regards pure workman
ship with absolute authority.
Mr.. Lavery by the way. is one Of the foreign
contingent, concerning which II may be said
that everything It sends happens to be interest
ing though little that it sends is Of extraor-
binary significance. The only European who
axcfras rJ-rsserved admiration fs ThaulOW whose