The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27

( SIKH annual National Academy exhibition
in New York and the seventh annual ex
hibtion of the Penn Academy in Phila
delphia | had the pleasure last week of
survey of the years work in art Their,
is the society exhibition yet to come; blu
that will not add materially to one.
knowledge, for the same men, the same
developments, character, and movements
will be present there that were the
marked features of the other two shows
with the probability, it may be added
that there will be less downright bad
work as to craftsmanship at the So
ciety than is apparent in the two earlier
shows. This one may safely presume il
the coming annual of the Society of Amer
lean Artists holds to the fine record al
has made in the past.
l always suspect persons of not having
thoroughly examined an exhibition when
they say with emphasis and confidence
that an exhibition is so much better or
worse than some former one made by the
same institution
Exhibitions always first impress mel
am such provincial and so delighted TO
get TO new one-as being much superior
to any former display; but after going
| logue. and enjoying each picture that at
tracts me as something worth studying.
| make a second round with a catalogue
| and write down my notes on the margins
| OF the pages. These are for the double
| purpose of fixing impressions in my mind
| and that / may at any future time recall
\ my impressions of that particular exhibit
| ton. / ought to add that IN returning
to my hotel / make little marginal pencil
| sketches of those pictures whose line or
| value | wish particularly to remember
To do this in the gallery is always bad
form. The memory sketch, if done at
once, answers every honest purpose. /
| make it point, also, to go to the ex-
hibitions early, and am often the first per-
son to cross the threshold. This enables
one to see the pictures near to or at a
distance, and enc avoids thereby the Jams
which sometimes occur later on, as was
the case last Sunday afternoon at the
Academy. when half an hour before clos
ing time the place was so crowded it was
difficult to move about in the gallery,
while studying pictures was simply impos-
sible. Having, as | have said made my
second tour of the pictures to find some
new names forging TO the front by sheer
force OF merit, while this or that has
been, once my pride, reveals the sad fact
that there is no standing still-one must
go either forward or Backward seat
myself on.a comfortable diyan and think
of the exhibitions that have rolled by
with the years since the time when |, a
smooth-faced youth, first entered an
Academy exhibition, and thought every
canvas masterpiece. It is in this rest
full quarter of an hour that / make com
parisons-and / generally arrive at the
conclusion, as did in this instance, that,
aiken altogether, judged by the best ex-
amples, the exhibition shows progress
Comparisons are not easy to make. nor
safe, but venture this one because was
impressed that there was a more notable
contrast between the Academy and the
Philadelphia exhibition in this than in
any previous year. The New York Acad-
envy is conservative; that at Philadelphia
is radical and prodigally catholic There
is IN the latter show every form of artistic |
vagary imaginable known to modern |
painting, while al the former space seems !
TO be too valuable for any form of expert /
Eiental sketches and tentative art The |
New York show is made mainly of things |
which cost great effort There is conse-
quently tendency to Overprettiness and !
propriety, but much OF that very prettf- |
ness is of gentle and refined kind Well |
drawn, fine in color, and altogether artis-
tic, the rarified atmosphere OF the Phila-
delphia show, where impressionism,
things as are conspicuous at the Academy
in New York would seem as much out of
place as paintings on tea cups; but while
they would suffer by being placed next to
some of the good but screaming things in
Philadelphia ii is no sign that they are
bad because they would not be able to
stand the racket.
Picture hanging is not the perfected art
IT will be later on in the new century
These screamers will be confined TO a
gallery by themselves as will also be the
smooth and delicately executed paintings
and grey, ghostly things will be hung
apart. as will also be those things which
are gorgeous in color and so destructive
to everything hung near them that they
are rarely admitted to general exhibitions
though they are often entirely worthy.
The New York Academy show is a pop
ular exhibition. That al Philadelphia
painters exhibition. Which is best ! am
unable to say. There is much to be
learned in both. In the Philadelphia show
there IS a wilderness of things-over
three times many numbers as are hung
In the New York Academy.
Space permits but a brief reference to
some of the pictures. First of all, it is a
pleasure to write that the Washington
painters are ably represented in both ex-
Mrs Childs large picture,
Summer" which was shown at the Water
]
cupies the centre of a prominent wall in
the Penn Academy, and is surrounded
by many smaller things which show
i off to great advantage 1t is one of the
more refined and impressive things there
Clary Ray also occupies the centre of a
wall in one of the galleries with that
gorgeous red-orange sunset at sea, which
spoke OF as Inness-like when shown at |
he Henderson exhibition last spring. Di-
'ectly opposite Mr.. Rays picture hangs a |
arge Besnard fanked on either side by ,
wo landscapes. the work OF Charles H. |
Davis. Good company, and Mr.. Ray is to ,
,e congratulated. Miss Perrie is repre- ,
ented by her "Old Sea Captain" and Mr..
Neyl by one of his beautiful Warm | I
springs landscapes. At the Philadelphia |
how Miss Ogden, whose excellent work
n sculpture az home is highly esteemed
" the artists, and who ably conducts the
lewly organized modelling classes at the ,
,orcoran school, occupies a prominent
lace in the more than usually excellent
nd extensive display of sculpture at the '
show. {
Her beautifully modelled head OF girl '
8 placed on pedestal next to the display Z
# miniatures, and, relieved by a rich [
of dark red burlap, it is one (
4 the most conspicuous and attractive /
exhibits. Well placed also is her large. I
rtistic, and ingeniously- designed mem !
rial tablet" II is a thoughtful and
Iobly sympathetic embodiment of the
MOTTO ii bears, Servant, Cease Thy La
or" h
At the Academy here in New York Mr. :,
J, c. Messer appears with two large I'm
ortant landscapes. which occupy the line y
n either side of a large female standing [