New-York tribune., 1903-04-16
LONDON ART.
Work of the INeSc Men-.4 Romance
Urfter's Art Note.
London. April j


-losely: but they are experimenting their
-, lines and are helping one another to cult
.+a fresh habits CT observation and to develop
.5,,4s,,ality OF style. There may be crude
o-k at the dingy little Dudley Gallery but
here are gIints Of ideas and the stinula-
tive effects Of creative impulses At the spring
Inhibition there are increased evidences Of rigor
and independence. Mr.. c. W. Furse has rein
so-oed M VIII Rothenstein and Mr.. Wilson
Steer and the three leaders are we'll supported
nv their associates. Mr.. Furse has two por-
+rsit groups or lines as difficult as Mr.. Sargents
most ambitious work, and commands attention
ny the holiness Of his brushworB and the high
qualities Of his technique One is entitled The
song" with Mrs. Walter Leaf singing while
her husband accompanies her on 4 piano It is
an interior. with gray walls simple window cur
tains and natural homelike arrangement of
chairs. PICTURES and rugs, and II is filled with
light and air. Singer and pianist have individ-
,,atv and vitality. and the technical difficulties
- TIE work have been mastered. AS q foil for
his ouiet bit OF realism there is the larger and
more pretentious group Of Mrs Oliver and her
TWO children. The three figures are in white,
the mothers gown having thin line Of black
trimming in the skirt. with black belt at the
--sist and the bows sailor costume having
touches OF dark blue. The large green chair
around which the mother and children are
grouped completes the color scheme. and the
background is artisticaly toned. It is a strong
end original work. and we'll deserves the place
OF honor in the gallery.
NJ Rothenstein not long ago set the club
fashion Of painting uninteresting women. gener-
aIv in green gowns. either lying on lounges OF
standing with books in their hands as the
occupants Of shabby furnished but we'll
lighted rooms. The example has been followed
in q dozen instances on the walls Of the gallery.
4 couvalescent protected hv q dark red wrap IS
p-opped Up by pillows and is reading behind
3 curtained window; Mr- David Muirhead puts
2 table between two sisters in red and brown,
one Of whom is sewing while the other stands.
Mr.. u. ". Russell presents a girl in white
standing in front Of a sofa covered with flow
cred cretonnes and looking idly at an engrav-
ing: another girl is in front Of a cabinet; and
there are women sewing or reading by open
fires OF cOsJurled IN yellow or blue until il is
with sense OF relief that = comfortable in
terror IS found without q woman N sight.
While the reading habit may he promoted
among the middle class by this persistent ex-
hibltion Of women with books in their hands. it
has been high time 20 set another club fashion
for general imitation; and possibly Mr.. Rothen-
stein has done this in The Dolls House" with
nan in black in a diInly lighted entry and a
girl with closed eyes on the drst tread of a
rough stairway It is a sombre but strong
work. with good painting on every inch Of
vas. On the opposite wall is Mr.. William
orPen's Red Scarf with strongly modelled
woman's face shaped in high light and her vivid
costume completed with coral ornaments and
llu1nined By z long gold chain.
Anong the landscapes there is a brilliant
study Of yellows and greens in Mr.. Wilson
Steers Golden Valley sparkling with color
and tuu Of atmosphere; Mr.. Mark Fisher has
--aT1A Aef in
wayside.' with sheep under spreading tree.
& pool OF water IN the foreground and the grain
stacked on the edge Of the cut fields; and MI
James Henry has two happily contrasted pict-
ures il Yorkshire Uplands,' agIow with color,
and the cherries but trim Cornish Farm in
Winter" Nr. Nofat Lindners Ground Sea
from the Atlantic is a daring impressionist
experiment. in blends of purple and green, and
Mr.. Hugh Carter's Coronation Procession in
southwold' is good study Of torchlight, with
close approach 10 dramatic action. The ordi-
nary space for black and white work and water
colors is doubled. and there are many interest
ing drawings by Mr.. Brabazon- Mr.. AIuirhead
Bone. Mr.. Henry Tonks, MI NIoffat Lindner and
Mr.. a z. Johns. Among these bright notes Of
color IS Nr- Wilson Steers delicate decorative
panel fer the drawing room OF Bourton House,
Sh-fvenkam. II is on the whole one Of the most
varied ana satisfactory exhibitions Of the New
English Art Club, and offers evidence that the
rising men are making full use Of their powers
Of observation and deriving wholesome stimulus
from close association.
Lucky, indeed. is the painter who can call
upon z sympathetic romance writer to christen
his art show. 1Ir J Kerr-Lawson owes his
good fortune 10 the chances OF travel. which
threw him and his wife into the company Of
N-. and Mrs. Maurice Hewlett on the Tuscan
roads q year ago. There is now a series Of
Little Landscapes Of Italy" and Mr.. Hewlett
gracefully accepts the privilege Of christening
the collection because. in his own whimsical
words, he was present at the birth Of many
OF them in the capacity Of travelling companion.
sdmiring amateur, perfectly positive and per-
fectly ignorant critic Of their author" The col
lection was subsequently enlarged by pictures or
Venice the confines OF Umbria and even OF
Granada; but the impulse was unchanged. Mr..
Hewlett quantity says in his preface TO the cata-
logue: Easy travel light hearted survey, atten-
ton for the genius of the place, love for the Ia
borers n It; above all, respect and gratitude Tor
the kndest. simplest and most honest folk IN
Europe. and their rnelIowed. weatherworn coun-
try-these were as much part OF the artists bag
gage as his tubes and his canvases. Disclalrn-
ing any right 70 speak Of the artistic merits OF
The work and contenting himself with the re-
fection that no one knows his Italy better, or
loves her more truly than this companion OF MS
Tuscan Journeys, Mr.. Hewlett closes the christ
ening ceremony with this characteristic little
horily:
And It is certain that he has at the bottom OF
his mind the essential factor in all Italian STUDY
that there is always one salient thing IN every
town vou vista church tower, a peeling old
1resco, Shrine, praying woman OF d SIoEe
q trees, which once seen in lis proper aspecI