The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-06
PAINTINGS BY MISS CECILIA
BEAUX.

A collection OF paintings by Miss Ceoilis
Beaux, representing three OF her latest
portraits as well as her work during several
wears mast, Ia on exhibition at Durand
Ruel's Galleries.
They are attracting already great deal
OF attention, and justly 30. for Mas beaux
is a very remarkable painter. There IL no
lady among the painters Of the day In any
country, at least so far as could be judged
by q very careful study Of pictures at the
Paris Exposition Of 1900. who excels her In
splendor and certainty OF technique; nor,
II may be added, 80 very many male paint
ers. Indeed, the character Of her BRUSH
work Ia virie, betraying not at all the femi-
nine suggestion. Especially one notices
this In the breadth Of her method, breadth
of conception as we'll az OF execution. She
feels her subjects 90 admirably In the mass.
erasping at once the general aspect Of the
personality and Of the costume. What
could be finer in this respect than the
Mother and Daughter Quite superb In
the magnitude OF expression are the long
black velvet cloak OF the one and the dove
gray costume Of the other.
Nor are her portraits wanting IN the
charm Of nuance. How tenderly the white
gown Is treated In the portrait OF Cousin
Julia" with what verve the white costume
Of a younger lady In the portrait. No. 1871
Observe, too the pliancy OF pose and easy
gesture Of the hands, that characterize all
these portraits. In their variety they
represent a remarkable freshness OF i'm
agination. Equally, an attitude OF very
these portraits Of ladies, and, perhaps, even
In a greater degree the ones OF children,
have a graciousness Of demeanor which
reflects the artists manner OF observing
them. i.
This, again, illustrates the freshness OF
Miss Beauxs imagination. whether the
latter has much range or penetration II
another matter. For my own part, cannot
find much trace Of either Of these qualities
in her work; and the number OF portraits
here exhibited only tends to increase the
impression Of their superficiality as charac-
terror elegance or OF those little charms OF
fashionable manner in which Miss Beaux
excels. In fact, IL would seem that her
imagination reaches just so far as TO en-
brace a very fresh and sympathetic com
prehension Of the general aspect OF her
subject, but that then 1t ceases 10 operate,
and, instead. her mind becomes preoccu-
pied with technical considerations.
This preoccupation In the purely pictorial
qualities OF the portrait, immersion OF !he
painters interest in the JOY OF producing
rantable satisfaction In the suggestive
cleverness OF a stroke and In the mastery
synthesis with which a mass is rendered.
are not confined to artists OF Miss beauxs
sex. Nor can any one who is not palnter
realize the intoxication which such power
produces, unless by some remote analogy
which he may discover in his own line OF
work. Still such intoxication may well
obscure the finer aim behind the technique
of which the latter after all should be but
the expression, and that II has done 10 we
may suspect in many Of these portraits.
Not always, however: as may be noted
in the PORTRAIT OF Mrs. Martina l.. Brande-
gee" Here, the face, framed In by the
transparent white lawn Of the cap and
fichu, and the hands. one grasplng the
holding the pince-nez, are full Of character.
One receives an impression Of actually
knowing the lady intimately: with many
OF the others IL is rather as II one had met
them under the Intellectual conditions OF a
social function, or had passed them In the
hall on our way out into the world OF ia cts.