New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-12
ART EXHIBITIONS.
4 Collection of Portraits at the
Union League Club.

Fifty portraits have been gathered together at
tho Union League Club for TIE regular exhibition
this month. Most q them are recent works by
American artists and while they DO not by any
means fully represent existing conditions in our
scncol Of portralture they throw considerable ght
on the subject. They remind Us for example. o.
the extreme rarity Of style il this difficult form o.
art II is apparently easy Tor many O. our painters
TO produce a good likeness o. sitter. and 20 sivc
a portrait dignity or decorative quality. but this is
not 70 say that it IS always easy for them 20 put
forth really distinguished work Competent Journey
men abound. but geniuses are as inl-s1usnt as
black pearls. One portrait painter after another
in the show leaves the impression OF exploiting a
little talent with abundant earuestness end indus
try-only 10 land in something like fat common
place.
One or two men rise above the level Of huundrum
routine There is Mr.. Frank ". Benson Ills
sylvia" Summer Sunlight and Children In
the Wood show technical feasibility. They have
vitality. and in all Of them there is individual
note. Mr. Samuel Isham is also interesting IN a
very different manner his solidy painted portraits
OF having a certain masculine force. and MI
Alphonse Jonsers, with his broad style and suS-
CestiOn Of fruty color. makes feel TINT the
thing he is trying for is worthy OF serious atteI-
ton. But there is too much here or such super
fetal cleverness as Mr.. Robert Henri discloses IN
his three or four canvases-toO much OF the pedes-
trisn kind OF pOrtraiture. painstakiug and al the
same time sadly wanting in quality, which Is ilds-
trated in the works OF Mr.. a. a. Anderson, Mrs
a. B SeWelI and Mr.. Douglas NOlh y pAllll4H7
Ike the Mrs. Dave Morris and Her Children D
Mrs ScweH makes at first glance pleasing ef-
feet but close scrutiny reveals grave limitations;
the modelling is too sleek. the color and the draw
ing without distinction. There is a group Of
portraits in the collection which has great hlstori
cal interest-stud.es OF Lincoln and the members
Of his Cabinet made by the late Frank b. Carpen-
ter for his well known picture OF The Emancipa-
ton Proclamation But the exhibition taken as
whole IS the least attractive which the Union
League Club has offered in some time.
At the Oehule Gallery Mr.. Kenneth Frazier has
an exhibition Of half dozen portraits he has re-
Gently executed. They are full OF promise. Mr..
Frazier has talent and facility, made especially
plain IN his pasteIs He handles the medium with
sureness and suavIty. his portrait Of lady in white
wearing a pink opera cloak exhibiting particularly
well his faculty for being thorough in workmanship
without losing elasticity. His oils less success
full Two portraits OF men that he shows are cold
and heavy: they markedly inferior TO the pastel
Of Nj Carroll Beckwith. which is an uncommonly
skilfuI and persuasive performance The most
ambitious painting in the group. one Of dark
haired lady in white. is far from being the most
satisfactory. The ability which we discern in the
handling Of the OF the stter's dress seems
20 have forsaken the artist when he came to the
head. which is nervelessy modelled. and shows
some coarse passages Of color. When all IS said,
however. Mr. Frazier remains a sincere painter
with taste and executive capacity. and his work
will be watched with interest in the future.
Two important exhibitions are impending. The
Ten American Painters will make their annual aD-
pearauce at the Durand-Fuel Galleries next Week
Thor exhibition will be opened to the public on
Saturday morning. March 70. and Will last until
AprU . On March 2 the Society OF American Ar
lists will come forward. as in previous years. at
the Fine Arts Building, the show lasting until
May l.
Next Monday an exhibition Of ten new paintings
By NJ Frederic Remington will be opened at the
Noe Galleries At the same place. beginning April
i. a new organization, the Society OF Younger
Painters win place on view number OF portraits.
landscapes and decorative canvsses by its mem
bers
The annual exhibition OF the Municipal Art So
clety Is TO be held this month, al the galleries OF
the National Arts Club There will be reception
and private view on Friday evening. March IS. and
from the following morning TO Thursday. March q.
the public will be admitted
The American Art Association announces two
public sales one will be of the collection OF old
Chinese porcelans and pottery formed by the late
Mrs Frederic GoodridSe; the other win dispose OF
part OF the collection OF pOrcelains, pottery ]
bronzes and other objects made by the late Mr.
4. D. Startsef. a Russian tea merchant Of Ten I
tslu the three hundred or more pieces being now
the property OF Mr.. Thomas 3. Clarke The auc- /
tons are for the afternoons OF Friday, Satur
day and Monday. March T. = and q