New-York tribune., 1901-11-23
ART EXHIBITIONS.
op.rroN BY ROBERT REID FOR
craTE HOUSE IN BosToN-MINoR
MATTERS IN NEW-ToRk-MR ABB
pEy AND THE CORONATION
AN INFURIATED TAILOR.

rry AND THE CORONATION
AN INFURATED TAILOR.
.a,- feature Of the wing Of the
Al rTo,,se at Boston is stately hail on the Hain
ets'' soo which staircase rises on el'hef siHo'
foc' -uns around this space on three sioes-
j 60 .oDr+b above pillared arches, the wall mas
On me . tara for the reception Of mural decora-
been A. Robert Reid of this city, which mas
ton W " COMPLETED and will be semi-publicly eG-
tus - his studio in East Thirty-third-st-' on
bh'e.. Of December 2, and i, after whlch
tAs-sr be taken to Boston and put IN pia0e,
W. one Of unusual significance 1t is, In lhe
FoiA - distinguished piece of painting Sec
f's, - Illustrates very happy excursion lll'o
ooc' c'r,cb is too seldom cultivated by our ilui d
he4- -s,he fed of American history Inc paint
psin.e- -,o1,,es have not always been 20 blame Tor
ers U IL. of more or less esoteric symbolism In
ne,- productions: they have not often hao '.e ot
iae" 80 10 make those studies in our national
,,ch have been urged upon them' IN seaSoh
H ont Of season, by observers OF contemporary
THAT when the opportunity arises the power
a.,te ar- an essentially American decoration is
!" L,-,ine IS shown by this work OF MI fseio =
o,,a set for him in the Senate staircase
- -be occasion OF James Otss mastery
h ,ent against the Writs OF Assistance III bne
Els 60, Hall Of Boston. in February. l'ol- Inc
ou ou Chamber in which he appeared sun eAsis-
Adams an eye witness Of the event halI
' '.-r later described the apartment as pelns a9
.,,,a as the House OF Commons or the HOUSE
4-ds in Great Britain in proportion, or tha' In
=. S.,+e House in Philadelphia II which the Dec
ito, Of Independence was signed In l4I6 In It's
-. state which is believed TO be the Same 'H
., which Otis found it, it is intimate, almost
ths' - "a, either than official and imposing; room
ooH. osas+ dimensions built with the refined SIM
.av of the Colonial period. On the winter al'et
- - which witnessed the orators memoraoie
,,evenent the cracking fire must nave helPeu
:. make the Council Chamber seem positlVe!s c'oeS
". .b. scene must have had great olgfltS' aiie
bu' .n,z nls tas enforced this in his painting The
M - <aces that side cf the room on winch
,fer.e,ant Governor Hutchinson, as Chle1 JUstice'
- his four fellow judges are grouped Inc ioN
,,.zo--n On which they are seated Is SCI 19f1i--'
=. rail Governor Hutchinson occupies h'sh
,,sea chair on which the British arms are en-
-.s . narrov strip of some dark fabric
&C @-or, INC cornice behind him. so as 10
.r.entuate the weight Of this piece OF furnl'ule
, table is before him, bearing papers gums ai,
,o m He and his colleagues are maenllioen' i1i
,he,r scarlet robes of office, wearing spouess cam
,r,c and mighty per,Ifes- Neither this sec'ioh Oh
- ,-.e mr. ar7y other is teased with accessories
rbe iudges fill their space simply with their per
.onal dignity and the sober gorgeousness VI '4ie1
,ches On the left, we face them, are satneie Gu
,be on1ookers most Of them members OF Ihe iee"4
,ro,ession Some Of these figures stand well WIFI
n the room others pressing through inc ii3i
-, doorway that exists at that corner. ano just
over their shoulders window filled WITH the sillail
names of glass of that time gives US enrupse oi
neighboring gable, larnplit and cleaning coiNiS
through the snowy air. In the foreground ana
.55-ereinp the court in such attitude that ms
.ea+ures e-e seen in sharp profile, stands Otis. He
vas wrote Adams "a fame Of fire, and 1t is IN
this guise that Mr.. Reid has portrayed him
II is q tall and sinewy figure oufvering with pas
xon one hand uplifted tn tense gesture. the race
.ufused with the glow Of intellectual purpose and
oroo he Judges
massive but each has individual character writ
clear upon his features. The listeners huddled III
the BACKGROUND strike different notes OF interest N
their deneanor and in their carriage; but MI Re1o
has admirably expressed the dominant emotion OF
the entire assemblsge, an emotion Of profound ao-
so-rtion in an argument which every one present
realizes is significant of crisis in the history OF
the country The point IS Of the first importance
ternptation that assaiis every artist coInrnelIo
rating an historical IS to produce. nrst OF an
a picturesoue costume study. Costume plays l1s
part in the present work but 1t is subordinated 10
q larger aim TO the production Of living COM
position. This decoration Will naturally appear 10
greater advantage when it occupies the poslnoh Ior
which Il has been painted; when II Is seen al an
elevation amid surfaces of marble, and beneath the
shadow OF lofty and richly coffered ceiling. But
even in its present environment it leaves hne
IMPRESSION it does so primarily through its dra-
matte vitality, but this would go for naught II the
artist had not also distributed his forms and his
Hight and shade. and nodulated his colors, In such
wise as TO construct design in itself balanced and
interesting. The figures. like the background, are
marked by simplicity; they freely drawn and
as boldly modelled. In color the scheme IS. per
haps the gravest and most tudiciously handled
which Mr.. Reid has thus far produced There are
but two salient notes, one apprehended IN the
sumptuous mass of the judges draperies the other
struck IN various keys Of violet where the audience
Is concentrated. The dark form of Otis throwing
Its shadow upon the pale surface Of the wall! occu
pies the centre Of the arrangement, and hts har-
ncnioUsly into its place. The freight felt rather
than seen, il the room. might easily have led to
exsgeeration Of the scarlet tone where the judges
Et, but that unruly element is subdued TO the pur
poses Of constructive whole and the decoration
remains a singuarly symmetrical work of art In
execution il is solid, bit flexible II is stamped
with the style Of an authoritative and Individual
lied painter. Altogether il represents a step for
ward in the mural painting Of America, and Boston
Is 10 be congratulated upon the possession of K.
The season Of exhibitions is not yet in full swing,
nevertheless number OF the galleries offer colec
tons Of sort another In addition TO those
recently discussed in The Tribune may note one
Et the knoeder Gallery, formed of landscapes and
coast scenes by Ir l. 4. Joseph, whose treatment
landscape forms is intelligent and often effective,
lu' whose pictures almost uniformly hurt by
the Keess character of his SKIES. At the Durand-
Anel Galleries paintings by N Gustave Lof-
~-S o1i NltN. II may DC hofeu tHat tlie eeSif-
~ss by Rembrandt lent by Mr., J. P Morgan for
eAoition at the New-York Public Library Will be
acessole to the public In the LenoK Library Build
g on Thanksgiving Day. At the Astor Library
onoing a SERIES Of artistic portraits selected from
e 3 r Avery collection is also view.
= communication from the secretary of the Amer
n1a water Color Society informs that this
@ e me regular exhibition Of that organization will
A.. - pe asd, as heretofore, in February. The open
oeen postponed to Monday. April q, 1902
~ galleries of the American Art Association. in
Madison Square.