New-York tribune., 1902-01-19
ART IN PHILADELPHIA.

A
Philadelphia January IS
The annual exhibition the Academy in this
city has become one Of the most important of
the events interesting 10 painters and TO lovers
Of art This IS due to very simple fact. The
rnanagement is never content with the mere
sending out OF circulars. which may or may not
move the recipients 10 contribute. The best
men everywhere are persistently urged to take
part IN the affair; often a particular picture is
the object Of a rigorous campaign, one obstacle
after another in the way Of its coming 10 Phila-
delphia being laboriously removed Therefore.
the show is usually worth seeing. and when the
galleries are opened TO The public next Monday
morning the experience Of past years will be
repeated, whoever sees the collection will rec
ouulend II 10 his friends and though some Of
the latter may live in New-York. II they are
wise they viii take the trouble TO make the
journey 20 Philadelphia.
Il is true that there are numbers Of pictures
here which are thoroughly familiar, but that
does not make the exhibition any the less agree
able for most Of the works that have been
shown before are OF a quality that justiies their
temperance. Indeed. il is very pleasant to
welcome once more these well tested produc-
tions. On the very threshold are OF Mr..
Dewing's exquisite panels. perfect examples Of
that consummate delicacy Of his which trans
forms the simplest of compositions into thing
OF curiously penetrating charm Here once
more also is Mr.. Winslow Homers magnificent
marine, on the Coast of Maine; here is Mr..
Ryders delightfully."- original and picturesque
-'siegfried"; here is Mr. Abbey's "Penance of
Eleanor; here are. indeed. more paintings by
Horatio Walker, John La Fargo, Robert Reid,
Carl MelcheTs. Kenyon Cox and half a dozen
others than il is possible TO discuss again at
.his moment. though il must be confessed that
L. = o7i
especially IN the presence Of the beautiful port
rair by Whistler. The Andalusienne" which
was shown at the Wunderlich Gallery. in New
York only the other day. II IS a good policy
which admits these numerous works from pre-
vious exhibitions. without reference TO the dates
which they may bear. and one which might
proftably be adopted elsewhere II would be
good II We could see in some one Of the forth
coming exhibitions IN New-York the captivating
little sketch Of children on the seashore by Mr
Sargent: The superb marine by Mr. Edward
simmons: the Midsummer Twilight" by Mr-
". l. Metcalf. so happy in design and so full
OF subtle feeling for lovely scene, and several
other pictures in the same class.
The new pictures also include examples which
II is 10 be hoped viii be contributed 70 New
York shows. Miss Beauxs Portrait OF Mrs
Phelps Stokes" Is one OF The best things she has
done brilliantly clever, and with solid merit be-
Meath the cIeverress. The portraits. Of course,
III great deal Of the space, and among them
are some strikingly interesting performances
M- John ". alexander has q three-quarter
length Of a man, which marks an advance IN his
arr possessing more seriousness than VIZ have
always found n his amazingly facile painting
Afr Chase sends MS Portrait Of L. F. RoOs."
a work in his more eedate vein. and offers also
n his Portrait Of Miss D." an Illustration OF
The vivaciously decorative motive which he has
50 often and effectively cultivated This
canvas is in lire with many others here. includ-
ing rne Whistler mentioned above in the pres
ervation OF an essentially pictorial quality.
There are some portraits IN which the character
r The sitter is obviously the chief point OF In
te-esr. The Donald G. Mitchell" Of Mr.
1IeIchers: the John La Fargo" OF Mr. Wilton
Lockwood: the sketchy &c. NJ Williamson" G,
Mr.. Sargent. and the John D Rockefeller" of
Nr. Eastman Johnson. are particularly TO be
noted in this category. But the kind OF portrait
that seems 10 get itself more often painted is
the kind provided by those artists who, If they
can. like Mr.. Chase, produce q straightforward
statement OF facts can also make the facts q
groundwork for arrangements of form and color
Interesting in themselves. There is a portrait
by Nj. John Lavery, a full length Of a woman
in black, which, in its far less mastery way
discloses much the same idea that influences
ure with such technical skill that the identity
Of the subject becomes a matter of secondary
importance. This is accomplished piece of
work Observed side by side with the Whistler
i reveals the enormous difference between
talent and genius. but II enforces once more
too the old proposition that talent can never
theless 20 very far
Il gives an abundance Of work in this ex-
hibition like The Picture Hat Of Mr.. Edmund
c Tarbel, which may not be great but is in
dubitably artistic and pleasing. Half the charm
OF this winning production comes from the
plquancy Of the design and from the fluent
handling; but half Of il comes also from the
buoyance Of the artists spirit. which has COM
municated genuine vitality 10 his work The
decorative portraits here are always success
ful when the decorative impulse is made SUBJ
siciaTy 10 keen feeling for actual life Artistic
values are soon lessened when the painter puts
the human aspect Of his sitter too much In the
background Witness the experience OF Mr.
Maurer, who has recently been attracting atten-
ton by his skilful studies OF interiors with
figures. Much has been expected OF him. but
IL is plain from the newer work which he shows
here that he is drawing perilouslv near TO that
arid atmosphere OF mere paint and canvas which
is the worst into which an artist can fall That
there is such thing however as going TO the
opposite extreme and becoming quite as in
effective the most hidebound painter Of ar
rangenents' is shown by the double nortrat+
10 which the place Of honor in the main gal
Iery has been assigned
Mr. George De Forest Brush The nain+e- -
this portrait Mrs Goodwin and Sister" has
all along wreaked himself on the suaveIy search
ing deineation Of the features of his sitrers
Carrying this to excess in the por-rai+ inc.