New-York tribune., 1903-03-18

colors BY Nr. ana A4rS. c. C. Cooper. which are
On view the KlAeknsr Gallery. the best th8f ozss
can say IL that they are consc3entiously done The
picturesque subjects drawn from EnslIsh cathedral
towns and from Holland doubt truthfuIy
represented, but these pictures are lacking in
spontaHefty and in individuality that they leave
the spectator cold.
More than one hundred etchIngs by Mr. Joseph
Pennen exhibition at the Keppel Gallery
They the work Of a clever man whose proouc-
tionS always have q certain interest. though ne
has failed to fulfil the promise OF his younger Gays
When he etched the Philadelphia scenes, which I'LL
the first fifteen entries Of the catalogue OF the
present exhibition. 1t seemed If new and Valu-
able personality had risen upon the horizon They
possibly would not have existed II the etchings OF
Mr.. Whistler had not existed before them. but
neither would they have been made II Mr.. Penneii
had not possessed gift of his OWE when he sat at
the feet Of the master. These are uneonEnohiv
good plates in design and in technique. The Italian
etchings which Ar. Pennen executed just twenty
years ago confirmed the favorable impression LETT
by their predecessors, and even showed improve
ment- Some Of them, like The Landing Place
Leghcrn," and "A Sienese Street" are dehghtrui
bits Of painter etching. But thereafter Me- Penneu
appears TO have scratched great many plates
without giving Of them the quality for Wnlch
his public had hoped HIS many sketches mace IN
London ana in Paris might just as well have been
drawn with the pen with the etching needle; in
fact they do differ in character from the Illus
trations which the artist has poured forth in sucn
numbers for so many books Those illustrations are
among the best Of their kind but in collection
of etchIngs from the same hand We lcoh naturally
for qualities belonging essentially to thai medium
We look in vain. because MI PenneH seems as
time has gone on, to have lost his instinct Tor
omission and all, because he has never capt
ured what seemed long to be within his reaen'
the dehcacy and eioquence Of line, the DISTINCTION
which make a great etching. At the present mo-
msnt a remarkable collection Of Whisuers at tne
wunderIich Gallery makes possible an unusually
thorough compa rison of the works OF master Oh
genius and the works Of a follower with talent
Credita Bile though they may be. SC far as they CO.
M Pennelrs etchings shrtvel almost into fnsis-
nihcance beside the masterpieces OF the man on
whose art he has attempted 10 model his own.
The seyenty-second annual exhibition Of the Penn
syIvania Academy Of Fine Arts closed In burst
OF glory There were over five thousand visitors on
the last day During the six weeks OF the snow
there were aItoSether rs admissions Sixty-tour
works were Sold five Of these having been pur-
chased BY the Academy for fits permanent collec-
ton To the distribution Of prizes we have already
referred Many visitors came from distant points
TO see the exhibition. They were well repaid for
their trouble and 1t Is good to know that the
managers also feel that they have not labored in
vain The history Of the exhibition goes to show
that an enterprise of the sort Is always sure OF
success when II IS controlled by a really ehhgnt-
ened policy No exhibition anywhere in America 1s
bestowed upon this one. It good this year 1T
was good the year before and there is every reason
for believing that it will be good in 1904