The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24
NOTABLE PICTURES IN LONDON.
BOldlni's Portrait OF Whistler-P0rtraits
by j. j. Shannon.

by j. j. Shannon.
LoNpoN, May 1s--While opinions are
divided as to what picture, II any, at the
Royal Academy viii attain the dubious
distinction Of being styled the picture OF
the year, 1t is certain that no portrait there
is attracting anything like the attention
given by artists press and public to Jean
Boldini's portrait Of James MscNeill
Whistler, now being shown in the sixteenth
summer exhibition at the New Gallery.
Regent street.
The New Gallery.-three spacious, we'll
lit rooms arranged about central hall,
in which a fountain plays-developed out
Of the Grosvenor Gallery, which was the
outcome of an attempt to raise, refine and
spiritualize what is known as British art
by the infusion Of a spirit poetic. romantic.
and to some extent devotional. What
people went to these galleries to see chiefly
was the work of the veteran Academician.
G. F. Watts, and that OF the late Sir Edward
Burne-Jones
To the present summer exhibitions
several e-'inent artists, besides Mr. Watts,
usually contribute, together with guam
tity of faddists, high-born amateurs and
social luminosities, and folk who find but
little chance elsewhere to demonstrate
publicly how badly they can paint, and
draw and culp. In the autumn the Royal
Photographic Society has show. followed
in November by the Society Of Portrait
Painters: and this winter the International
Society of Sculptors. Painters and Gravers,
Of which Mr.. Whistler Is president, will
hold an exhibition at the New Gallery.
just at present they are holding n sue
cessful one in Budapest, but fortunately
this wonderfully painted likeness of their
president, as he looked in 1897 is here.
Boldinis work is, of course, by no means
new to London, nor yet to New York, since
there is or was specimen Of 1t in the Metro
politan Museum He Is the painter sup
posed to have Influenced John Sargent
more strongly than any other. and wherever
his portraits have been shown here they
have been much admired and discussed
by artistic people.
This year. owing doubtless largely to his
sitter's fame, the success is wider. You
may like it or dislike it, but you've got to
go see this portrait to be in the movement,
and when you get in front Of it you must
feel like falling down. Otherwise you're
little better than sapheaded BBotian with
a soul of mud, It's pretty much like that.
SO people go to the New Gallery who
have never gone before. Stout old ladies
with deaf husbands scurry around to look
for No. Ell. and finding 1t, give vent to
Obs! and Ahs.-partly relief, partly disap-
pointment. that it should just have waited
quietly on the wall.
And as they stand and gaze, they notice
suddenly that this portrait, which first
seemed some vague kind Of actor, is alive,
uncannily alive, and looking at them
looking keenly, critically, quizzically, cyni-
cally, most uncomfortably and quite I'M
pardonably, into their cotton woolly little
souls. Turning then quickly to their deaf
Cerberus, they find him yards away, gazing
timidly at the other Boldini, which they
note is vaguely French, also alive, and
definitely aud dreadfully decolete.
Being thus sharply scandalized. morally
blistered, they become their normal selves;
and after having in distant suburbs sum-
moned courage out of teacups, they de-
termine to forget, or at least to ignore for
evermore. the fact that when the brilliant
Franco-Italian painter showed the most
respect able of British matrons how the
great American master looked this worthy
lady suddenly and unaccountably felt
small.
Now these, OF course, are typrs. What
it is desired to suggest (since 1t seems as
yet not to have been suggested) Is that
what Boldnl shows of Whistler is his atti-
tude toward Philistia. 1t may be OF in
terest TO quote opinions from English papers
which by very many influential people
and infallibility In the highest possible
degree. .
The Times--The most arresting picture
Of the exhibition - "the last word of
modernity." I'm the complete under
putting the very man on the canvas and
ia sheer mastery of the craft of painting
there is nothing here that will compare
with this wonderful portrait"
The Spe; tdtcr-.Brilliantly spontaneous
himself sideways in a chair. and rests his
head on his hand. Momentary as is the
action there is nothing ungainly in 1t. Such
a quality would have been at variance with
the artist sitter, whose work. however
maynard, is always delicate.
very delightful is the way In which
the hand is subordinated to the face without
losing any of its character, while the exc
cution of the head is brilliant to the last
degree. How perfectly, have the contra
dictory opposies of the character been
realiz d-the deep penetration and the
hooking indifference, the scientific re-
search and the mercurial lightness; and
over all the Mephistophelian omniscie nee.
"The extraordinary cha ra cite rizstion does
not depend on any support from a care
fully thought-out color scheme, OF an elab-
orately decorative arrangement. The pic
ture is little more than black and white,
and apart from the sitter's individuality
the composition would Ike absurd"
The AthenGum-"Mr. Sargent is not ex-
hibiting at the New Gallery this year. and
for that reason NJ. Bolcini's work is in its
way, without a rival in the exhibition.
The portrait of Mr.. Whistler apparently
slipping off his chair and the one Of a lady
apparently slipping off her dress dis
play all NJ. Boldini's wonted skill and
sprightliness.
To these descriptions may be added that
Mr.. Whist Ter wears q monocle In his right
eve, of course; that he holds his chdpedV
d bords pldts In his left hand, resting on
his knees; that his hair is what the British
1natron calls -untidy,' an ordered disorder,
and shows the famous white lock; that the
chair is grey. and the background Of q
warm tone, obscured, apparently, by COAL
dust that the sole touch OF bright colors
is the ribbon of the Legion Of Honor In the
buttonhole; that the differing qualities OF
the various blacks, suit, cape, Rat, tie,
etc, are very subtly and successfully
rendered: and that the whole is PAINTED
in the dashing vigorous, forceful manner Of
mitch Mr. Go ruapt IA nm aypODept The