The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24
WATER COLOR PAINTERS
Some Great Pictures Shown in the
Academy Exhibition.
Five Weli-known GnIieries-wfI-
liam II. Evans and MIR. Pothast the
winner of "tbe Evans Prize of
Si00'-aIany Fine Works in Fig
urc and Landscape A Protest.

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The present exhibition of the American
Water Color Society demonstrates that the
! small water color is the normal water
colcr Commercial reasons and a desire
to make an impression in the great an.
null exhibition Inspires many an excellent
but unwisely ambitious painter to launch
out and do large pictures that he never
/ should have begun. And the show, while
| perhaps made more impressive at first
glance by these contributions is dragged
down by their inferior quality. The
smaller pictures are handicapped by these
large neighbors for the former may only
reveal their real value at close range. 1t
were far better to place pictures of uni
form size and tone together in galleries
or on a wall by themselves.
This would take away somewhat from
the fine decorative effect often obtained by
centring large pictures on the line, but
there should be q higher purpose in the
arrangement of easel pictures than their
merely decorative effect.
In the thirty-fourth annual show at the
Academy. which is the most important an
null exhibition of water colors held in
this country, there are number of large
pic 'ures of conspicuous excellence which
are quite equal in every way to any of
the smaller work shown.
For artistic quality and pictorial excel
lencs these rival oil and in some instances,
like Mr.. PothGst's prize picture, seem
Phenomenal in the breadth and beauty of
their technique and successful rendering
of nature. One looks only for such re-
suits in oil. This is also true of Mr.. Her.
ters' Gloria" an extraordinarily large
water color wrought out with infinite pa
thence and skill. wonder in its way; bat
these are exceptional. Large pictures of
less distinguished excellence should not
under any circumstances be shown, for
ii does not make pleasant impression to
fiLd smaller pictures surprising larger
ones in any high-class exhibition.
There is no excuse for the large water
color if its artistic quality does not equal
ct should surpass) the best work by the
artist whose name ii bears. Even in the
presence of the fine large pictures men
toned ! very much doubt whether the
large picture should be undertaken in
water color. 1t is trespassing on field
that properly belongs to oil and pastel.
and is enormously more difficult The
peculiar qualities which are the result
OF manipulation of the paper surface one
is apt to loose if the picture is to be seen
at distance. To these qualities of tex
ture and quality water colorists must
ever look for that high esteem in which
their charming medium is held. Ibis
reason alone is quite enough for not ex-
ceeding the haif-sheet size adopted by
most of the able men. From tits size
to the tiniest miniature the medium
seems most appropriate. Murphy,
Holmes, Lathrop, and Farrer are mas.
tiers in landscape of this method which
stops at the limitations set by the ma
terial. Whether a picture be artistic
natural, and true is another matter. l
speak of the purely technical aspect of
the art of water color.
The William 7. Evans prize Of $500,
which through the generosity of this ge-
NAL collector Of American pictures, has
for thirteen years been awarded annually
to the best water color in the Exhibition
of the American Water Color Society was
awarded this year to Mr.. Edward H. Poth-
ast's charmingly rendered mysterious
moonlight night effect. girl in white ON
a moonlight piazza sits musing. her head in
profile relieved strongly against the orange
light of an open door At the farther end
of the vine-covered porch dim and shad-
owy like the moonlit landscape beyond, sits
a smoking. II is all so true. in draw
ing, values and story SO simple so indefi-
nate that with its exquisite color scheme
1t is easily the best eligible offered this
year and a great credit TO American art.
In an enjoyable chat with Mr.. Evans on
the opening night he expressed mis- satis-
faction with the award, and discussing the
prize picture with Mr. Pothast | made the
remark that man could not suggest
figure with such perfection Of drawing if
he were not able to draw ii perfectly in
daylight. To which he replied: "Oh. I
painted 1t from the figure by daylight and
afterward made it mysterious only with
the greatest difficulty" Thereby hangs a
tale
These ambitious, half-eddcated figure
painters. who are determined to do
poetic mysterious things in the hope that
the drawing never will be missed
New York is full of them-would be poets
who should master daylight before they
try moonlights.
Among the other moonlights and twi-
lights suggestive and true are the pic
lures of Charles Warren Eaton, whose
Whispering Pines hanging next to Mr.
Pothast's great picture. is a fine water
color full OF sentiment Horatio Walker
shows wood choppers and an old French
Canadian farmer. Mr.. Walker is one of
fellows in any collection of pictures, and
before these stunning water colors it
must impress the layman who likes to
think a water-color painter a specialist
as he reflects that the place OF honor in
the last Academy exhibition was occupied
by a large oil painting oxen Flowing at
Daybreak" by Horatio Walker.
There are excellent pictures in the ex-
hibitioI. by J. G.. Brown. f. s. Church. the
Morans. Henry. Ross Turner. Champney,
Smile. Shlrtleff REIN. Palmer and F.
Hopkinson Smith. and other famous men,
but nothing from them distinctly new or
in advance of previous examples of their
work shown at the Academy. Granville
Smith comes forward with a figure beau
tiful in low reds that is very progressive
and notable, which IL not of that supe-
rior craftsmanship which marks Albert
Sterner's portrait OF a young girl is NOV
ing that way. and It is progress that de-
series an encouraging word. The Stern
er Lortrait referred TO with A. j. Kellar's
"Tbe Sisters" Albert Herter's Gloria -
and the Pothast prize picture are of that
order OF figure pictures which. with some
others equally good. if not so large or i'm |
portant. must place this exhibition high |
in the critical estimation of connoisseurs |
In the landscape field, c. Harry Eaton |
breaks away from midsummer effects, |
which were growing familiar and with |
out losing thereby, offers something |
representing a later season-somewhat |
Dutch in rendering, 1t is still individual |
and one of the most entirely artistic ana |
pa like landscapes ever shown in an |
exhibition of the society. Ne..r by is |
flor The Rain nv Arthur Parton a |