The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-09
rwo PORTRAIT EXHIBITIONS.
Exhibition Of Portraits By Prince Pierre
Troubetzk oy and by Arthur de Ferraris.

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! elsewhere. II a foreign portrait painter
reaps a golden harvest In America, we do
not approach his pictures with unreason-
ing hostility but with cold. clear analysis.
1t Is the quality OF his work and not the fact
of his nationality with which we are con-
oerned; and l feel sure that this just
attitude Of mind is held also by American
painters, the men and women from whose
granaries the golden harvest has been
diverted.
Let US attempt TO estimate the quality
of the Graf smanship displayed in these
portraits by Prince Pierre TroubetEkoy
and Mr.. de Ferraris. The former is the
brother Of Prince Paul, a sculptor Of Mos
COW. whose portrait studies are remark
ably clever. The latter Is little concerned
with traditions Of sculptural composition;
striving to seize a vivid impression Of the
subjects character and dropping his hands
just so soon AS he feels he has attained
his purpose; wherefore the result Is often
little more thar a sketch, but very charm
ing in it's spontaneousness and in it's per-
sonal expression both of the artist and Of
his subject. In Prince Pierre's paintings
one will scarcely find such evidence OF
artistic skill or Of comprehension Of char
tN''As WI hoN' NIA'- eHy oofOh VI NhN
best Russian portraiture; of Repin's force
full realism or of Screws brilliant impress
sionism end mana cement of light.
The most engaging canvas is proba-
bly, tho portrait Of MIR. William NJ. Chase;
the most suggestive bit of portraiture.
the picture of a young man with a cigarette
in his hand. Mr.. Chase is sitting with his
hand to his chin and behind him Is a dec
orative background, involving dull reds
and ~ycllows. We shall all be disposed to
concur Ia the agreeableness Of this picture;
perhaps TO allow il fuller praise as having
In il something of the indefnable quality
of artistry: but the browns and reds OF
the face surely do some violence to Mr..
Chase's complexion, and one misses the
debonai quality OF his external demeanor,
the mingling Of ohica and seriousness: while
rs TO the suggestion OF a character below
the surface-we shall scarcely find il.
just because OF Its dip into the inner mechan-
ism OF a human personality was drawn to
the portrait of a young man, mentioned
above. In this one finds / will not say
exactly character, for he Is at the happy
age when psychological problems are
not yet pressing for solution-but the
possibilities OF character. And, IA is so
touch with the subjects personality begets
n more persuasive fuency OF technique.
Indeed, ] may not be far wrong in con-
sidering this the best-painted portrait in
the eAillbltlOn. lnprp IL more conscious
deftness of brush work in the Chase picture,
but IN this one a more spontaneous sim
plicity, The painting In the other pictures
IL not invariably cOminendable In the lady
on the sofa. neither the charm of fabrics
nor Of flesh is rendered with any gusto,
and In many Of the faces there is no firm
elasticity of modelling or vibrancy OF color.
The portraits by Mr.. de Ferraris are
more assertiye. The faces fssten their
gaze upon US from all around the room:
ladies'. gentlemen and children, each with
IA sharp high light upon the pupil OF the
eve that makes the fiNity of their look
quite unacceptable. The compositions. in
tho case Of the ladies' at any rate, are by
way of being grandioseiy picturesque, in
some with a luxury of ceremonial toilets
and with the elegance of the lines and sur
faces of flesh which they leave exposed. For
Mr.. de Fcrraris essays 10 do what Sargent,
does 80 inimitably, and what Irving Wiles,
Miss Cecilia Beaux and other American
painters can do so handsomely. But let
US observe with what a difference. Among
| these portraits is one of a lady in pearl
gray satin dress, gathered into folds In
Empire fashion upon the breast with a jewel;
she leans one bare arm upon a red book
that lies on n g~old-cOnsOle table, while
her left hand holds an ostrich-feathered
fan upon her lap. In the elements Of the
picture there IL material for ~sumptuous
elegance: and yet the picture is almost
entirely without refinement or luxurious
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and no aesthetic lllurement. And why?
Perhaps, in the first place. because OF care
less or incompetent drawing; in the wrists,
for example. especially that Of the left hand,
there is little II any suggestion Of artiCula-
ton; the arms are precisely as IL they had
been hcwn Ia wood and thinly painted
over, one can almost feel the grain of the
wood beneath the whitlsh color: the neck
and shoulders have not the gloss or warmth
Of paipitating flesh; the face is harshly
Colorcd and the hair which should have
s~oftness and elegant abandon il carved as
il with a jig saw into a litter of tight wisps
against an indiscriminate background that
has the coloring Of an ill-kept palette.
And when we add to this thai, although
the fabric Of the dress IL obviously satin,
II shows none Of its subtleties of color and
tone and that the color of the whole pict-
ure Is neither a symphony OF tone nor
fantasia OF brilliant contrasts, we are APP
preaching the cause of the picture being
so mediocre But there Is yet a deeper
reason. | fnd no trace OF refined appre-
chiffon. much less Of poetical Imagination,
IN the attitude of the painters own mind
toward his subject.
For example, there is a portrait Of a
Young lady sitting sidewayst on a stone
halust in q gown OF white lace over
pinkish mauve. We need no assurance
Of tho originals sweet refinement. Even
the p~erfunctory painting of the flesh parts
and costume or of the dark muddle OF the
BACKGROUND cannot disguise the fact.
But the painters contribution 10 the i'm
I preston il nil. What does he seem to
have felt Of the fragrance and winsome-
ness of gracious Rirlhoody Then urn to
h'S portraits Of children. Think OF Gains
borough and Reynolds, OF Sargent, Chase.
Beaux, Emmett! Compare this picture
Ofa little society miss "cOquettlshly' holding
a lily with Wilton LoChwood's portrait of
another well-born child, now hanging in
the Philadelphia Academy Exhibition.
The hitter breathcs the artless purity and