The sun., 1901-04-09
THE EXHIBITION or THE SOCIETY or
AMERICAN ARTISTS.



attempt was made TO exhaust the recital OF
good pictures A conspicuously good one,
! reserved until this occasion, is The Breeze
1 by Louis Loeb representing hilltop OF grass
/ and rocks with clump Of trees and groups OF
| figures pic,ur, of considerable size. that
| beckons from "A distance and holds one long
! Its composition Is more than usually decora-
! tive. with q handsome distribution OF ample
forms and spaces and very attractive clarlty
OF color Simply ns pattern OF color ana
form II would be beautiful adornment for
n hall, set right in the panelling OF marble or
I wood II is no less charming at close range.
vividly conveying the suggestion Of altitude
and it, accompanying 10Y Of spaciousnesS.
/ clear, buoyant air and its stimulating effect
upon ones own spirit The groups Of figures
! echo this feeling sitting in the shade strolllng
by one. and twos or bounding spontaneously
! In some simple frolic. How delightfully."-
I they spot the scene with bright animation,
and with what freedom and assurance Of
effect they are painted Mr. Loeb presented
| last year The Temple Of the Winds, much
| larger canvas rather too sweet in color
| little loose In composition and with more
| suggestion than realization OF purpose. But
| the present canvas represents marked I'M
provement In each Of these tn e. particulars
andis one OF the most individual contributions
yet made by an American artist in the field OF
| decorative painting II should establish
| its authors confidence in himself and then
| with that assurance will follow further SIM
plcity and breadth OF method; the over
elaboration OF certain parts OF the picture, as
for example the foliage Of trees. being the
| only feature crticisable.
| Another picture which has a distant cou-
| eI, ia "Tha Hill aide bv
| Harry Van der Weyden; a sloping summit
| crowned with trees occupying half the can
vas, the remainder being sky with balloon
like cloud II Is an effective contrast OF
substantial mass Of form. patterned against
volumnous space: exhil ,ratingly suggestive
of breezy air. fr extending vision and OF
depth below: the last not seen but brought
to our consciousness by the size and ncarness
Of tho cloud ve-y possibly 1t was painted
with no Immediately decorative intention
! vet IL has tho quality, eminently calculated
for decorative effect. 4 arresting and en-
joyable pattern 1t is perhaps. Just the
lack of this quality which detracts from the
orn,ment1l characte- OF samuel Isham's slarge
canvas, A Fairy Tale, for the confused color
of the background Of foliage, the limited
definition ia the drawing of the leaves and its
fawn seem to lessen the value Of these figures
and 10 leave the whole design without pre-
dominating feature. Tho intention appears
10 have been 10 reach certain suggestion
Of tapestry effect, but even in weaving the
intelligibitv Of tho pattern and the contrast
between features of primary and Of sub
sidlary interest count for excellence In COM
position Discornibe also ia the desire 10
,.,., s..r h,tt tal 70
decoration But necd fatness exclude some
sense Of distance, one Of the chief sources of
enjoyment in pictorial art? The old Italian
decorators In their landscape backgrounds
admitted IL, so also do Puvis de Chavannes
and John Ia Fargo 1t il not distance per Sc
that makes a hole in the wall"-the bugbear
| Of the conscientious decorator-but some
inappropriateness in the way Of represent
! ing IT, The painter Of landscape. pure and
simple. tries 10 make you believe that the
vertical plane of hiS canvas ~ horizontal
ono. the clever decorator by eliminating
| subtle distinctions Of value and fixing your
attention and Imagination on certain simple
| differences of gradation. brings the hori-
zontal plane up 70 vertical position. 4
least he makes YOU feel that he does, and
waile tho eve and the fancy can range far
| there - sun Il ltlllll'l'I VI wv wan b'hihb
An admirable sample Of this IL Kenyon
CoK's The AnnlnoiatOn." which. what
over the intention NAV have been, is decora-
ton in miniature. While FRANKLY importing
an Italian feeling into the picture by his So
lection Of loEgia with llndscaHe beyond,
Mr. cox has gwen a fresh note Of purity
ani fragranre u the beautiful story. re-
fnrmcnt most exquistely reverental Much
,ry|v "A VAQf EiftNfl nj
means. Is apprcciable in the La Verge an
Roster" of Mis- sadie Waters There is an
appeal tenderly plaintivc in the youthfuness
Of the maiden mother Offering an unripened
breast I, her babe in tho dainty traccres Of
ornament upon her thron" and the cool,
springlike purity Of the garden, all Of which
are eyI rcss,d In delicate tones Of passonless
G .lor Tho excessive precision of detail be-
IT'S the sentiment Of the mbe.t and it, evi-
den, purpose Of serving "a an altarploce In
some small chapel Another group Of mother
and bany with an older child at her knee by
Rrvs7n Burroughs appears less satisfactory,
ono nlissc, in this "Motncrhood" its author =
skill in the decorative management Of land
srapc TsIallv he arrangeS it in fat expnnscs.
very eyrrtiyolv here il il more modelled u
| conform with the substantial masses Of the
| figures and these are a Little gross in tyne
| and sentimental In feeling. an impression in
creased By q rather sugary sweetness in the
color scheme
II was mentioned in tho previous notice
how many Young men had mai their mark
I'm this exhibition Another ~ these Is G.
Gardner Symons. who among several pic'-
urcs has shown two snow pieces silence
and Fle,ting slight" ana i Block the Roads
and Fields With SNOW" They are painted
with a vigor and diroctnnss that hcspeak
clear and accurat" vision, and the impulse Of
an ardent Imagination In tho former. es-
peciallv, there is an intensity Of stiffness OK
| pres -ed that is quite profound Robert Henri
again. In A sub oct quite different, has reached
delightful yivaciou.noss Of impression. Tho
Riyrr Bank" being alivo with the pleasant
animation of housrhoats, small craft and
figures II j. Just the lack Of animation that
troubles ono in The llil" hvJ FranCi, Muir
phy. n picture correct enough In drawing and
values. but, so far a. ones self il concerned,
without a hint Of the invigoration Of air or
busy movement and life in the vegetation
Itisnn nirc.s souudie>s hEl, from which one
turns with relief 10 tho one aboyc II hv Henry
prcllwitz The Gale Is only a smart breeze
linden with sIeety rain that rufNns the surface
Of the sea and confuscs II in gr mist but wc
can feel the rcf7cShmcn' Of air and moisture