New-York tribune., 1902-01-25
ART EXHIBITIONS
TIE HANFoRD CoLLEcTIoN-MR. BLAKE
LOCK AT THE LoTos CLUB-PAINT-
INGs BY MR.. HoRATIo WALKER
OTHER ONE MAN SHOWS.

OTHER ONE MAN SHOWS.
TIE collection Of stIty-one pictures belonging 10
Mrs. P. c. Hsnford Of Chicago, which may be seen
at the American Art Galleries until its removal TO
Mendessolp Hall next Thursday. to be sold there
IN the evening at auction leaves q mixed impress
sion. II contains ancient and modern works Of un-
doubted interest which nevertheless fail in several
instances. 10 give altogether satisfactory ac-
count OF the artists whose figure in the cata-
logue II is the old story Of great regulations lend
.ng weight work intrinsicalIy OF the highest
value. Perhaps the most striking illustration of
the point IN this collection is offered by the 'Por-
trait OF Philip II OF SPAIN" catalogued replica
ot the portrait by Titan az Naples Replica 1t
may be. Many an old painting that beguil-
ing designation Yet we fail to discern in this can
vas the masterful touch and the living color which
we would fain expect in a duplicate made not by
some pupil contemporary copyist but by the
great artist himself. The flesh tnts are inert and
dull; the whole work wants vigor and distinction.
On the other side of the room hang two more
paintings for which the names attached TO them
tscitly make great claims, an Immaculate Con-
ception" by Murillo and a portrait OF man, The
Accountant by Rembrandt. The first of these is
toerable specimen Of the conventional design and
ssccharine spirit which there is disrespect in
attributing TO the celebrated Spaniard. COM
psratively few Of his religious compositions did he
rise that level which so many historians
10 think all his work done. He was. in truth,
an incurabe sentimentalist, who put great talents
at the service OF pretty rather than beautiful
IDEAL. He did much work in perfunctory mood.
and the present example supplies admirable
case in point. In the feeble drawing and in the
tepid cooraton. it is characteristic Of great
Of painting that issued from his studio.
The Rembrandt has certain good qualities which
make certain bad the regrettable Loose
" and yet vigorously painted. it pleasantly reminds
US OF that later period in the painters life when
his method was constantly gaining in freedom and
IN breadth. But there is nothing here OF that
glorious tone sornbre yet luminous which marks
the Rembrandt OF the indubitable masterpieces.
The color is everywhere muddy and without quail |
ity and especially around the face takes on de- |
plorably hot and bricky Ii is not the red of
a rudy complexion. but the red of mere paint A |
disappointing picture this. If there is old mas
fer here which excites something Ike admiration |
I, &c the Portrait OF an Ecclesiastc. which Is
capital piece of sixteenth century work whether IL
be Holbein's, the catalogue says, or as seems |
more likely the product Of some clever follower /
The small panels given to Adrian Van Ostade Jan |
steen, the younger Teniers. and Pieter Van sInge-
Isndt are passable specimens of Dutch painting
though none Of them can pretend to high rank
The wooded Landscape" given TO Ruysdael is
wholly unconvincing work by tnat MASTER
and is indeed a quite commonplace performance
..--ha rree- IN Anchor Ground" attributed to Van
,5A velde and the river scene attributed TO Van
Coyen likewise leave US cold more iaForaoie
impression IS conveyed by the cavaliers on
72oas in Holland" which, If without the exquisite
,f Albert C1vp 10 whom il is ascribed, is never
,beless an agreeable souvenir Of old Dutch land
scape Taken as a whole, the group OF OLD masters
in this collection IS we have said not without
interest; but at the same time II Is "i'i0u' '
memorable significance
Tr,+. the modern painters Mrs. Hanford was
mora fortunate perhaps because she was less
ambitious and sought out men Ike Pasini Charie-
mont Tito Less, Cervera, Schreyer, Melssonier
De Neuvills and the members Of the Baroizon
m on |
with the giants Of the past There are divers ex-
ceieut anecdottc pictures here. and there are some
coed landscapes. The two small pictures oy
I1aubigny are both admirable, so likewise are
Rousseaus Marsh in Spring" and the upright
panel by Corot, Landscape and Equestrian Fig
IRE" lovely in color for all that IT is in a less
lyric key than associate with most OF tIe
painters works and fascinatingly decorative IN
design. The large Landscape with Cattie' DS
Troyon lust falls short OF being a first rate eX-
rnnIe The composition is unusually happy
ene and the landscape sentiment In the scene Is
Eynpa1heticaiiy rendered but there is lar less
than usual Of Troyon's strength In the treatment OF
the cattle and the color is sadly deficient in
srilliance and quality. Miet is represented by an
Interesting drawing THE Weary Shepherdess'
and there are respectable canvases by DlaZ anu
Dupre. The Love Message" by Isabey, is one OF
the daintiest and most appealing works by that
painter ever shown here. One capital surprise Is
offered by the exhibition in the shape Of a small
outdoor study Soldiers Breakfast, by Petteh-
kofen an artist who rarely achieves an effect SO
rrtistic as that which may be observed In this
painting.
In one Of its upper rooms the American Art As
sociation displays two other collections, one mace
% Of Oriental porcelains and art objects, OF good
quality and the other composed Of drawings by
Albert E sterner the well known illustrator Mr..
Eterner has ability and a style Of his own. The
miscellaneous sketches here and the series OF a.
iustrations drawn for Mrs. Wards Eleanor" show
that he puts thought as well ceverness into his
designs. His compositions have dramatic force
and his figures possess character He has won
much popularity in the pages OF the periodicals.
and we are sure that many readers will welcome
shis opportunity 10 obtain original drawing by
him.
An exhibition the Lotos Club Of some forty
paintings by Mr.. r. A Biakeock suggests that the
one man show is not always the most helpful thing
in the world for the artist who makes it, An oc-
rssionaI painting by him, encountered along with
scores OF works by other in some large gallery
Is not uuwelcoue. Though not especially eloquent
OF the truth and beauty Of nature, ii has quality
its own that is grateful TO the the quality
os rch though not especially varied color handled
with more or less poetic feeling. When We see
forty OF Mr. Blakelock's pictures at once, however
the merely sensuous charm of his color is revealed
and Il becomes rnonotonous and oppressive. There
something appalling in the spectacle here offered
Of a laboring devotedly In the presence of
beautiful landscapes and almost never communi-
eating 70 his work the freshness. the sweet airs
and artess llUminations Of nature These paint
irgs might have been executed in dim cavern |
fer all that they suggest of the life Of the open air
Sheer color is all very well. and there have been
painters-like Monticello. whose art Mr.. Bakeock
recalls more than once. and especially in The
Capttve"-who have almost persuaded us that IL
ran by itself make beautiful picture Mr.. Blake