New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-09
Books on -tmef7caa Painting and /
Otkcr .frtistic Subjects.

all must he placed the History of American
Painting Uhe Macmillan Company. written by
Nr Samuel IshaVa for the series OF volumes OH
American art which is being edited By Mr.. Jchn
c. Van Dyke. The author OF this work has lin
itations but he has produced the most elabor-
ate guide to the history of American painting
which has yet been printed. His pages are Law
ishly enriched with well chosen illustrations in
good photographers and half tones. and as the
style Of the book is fluent and entertaining it
is not unlikely TO attract readers outside as we'll
as inside the schools
Mr.. Isham is at his best in Illuminating the
dark places in our artistic history. He gives
ample space those pioneers who not
great enough to persuade posterity to be forever
talking about them in print. but were certainly
important enough to us 10 command the careful
attention Of the historian. We allude of course,
70 men like Copley, West. Peale. Stuart and
Trumbull. whose productions too often
passed over dcrivative. and therefore. to be
assigned to the shady corners in our museums
Stuart, 1t is true and latterly Copley. have been
more generously recognized, but Mr.. Isham is
the first to give really adequate survey Of our
earliest school. Though he admits that it was
an offshoot of the British school he sees Its
merits OF sound craftsmanship and reined II
not brilliant style. and without going 10 eX-
Sremes OF eulogy he puts the whole group OF
signified and accomplished painters in truer
Irrespective
have studied it With the same Judgment he
discusses the mon y,ho adorn in their rather in
erfoctlal but sincere way the earlier decades
of the nineteenth century and then. with good
chapter of the Hudson River school, he passes
10 the second half OF his task the celebration
Of men VINO are nearly all still living
II is in his remarks these artists that Mr..
lsham displays What would call tact II II ala
not look a little more like timidty We realize
atltloo Of a
like this when he happens TO be himself an
artist It must be hard for him to write about
his professional brethren as freely as though
the, were rs remote as the old masters in point
OF time. We fear that Mr. Isham has followed
The line OF least resistance. At all events we
have observed nothing in this book which coaio
,onceivably offend any OF his contemporaries
unless some of them might vince at the COM
many in which he places them-and this is only
another way of saying that the chapters on the
modern painters have little critical value No
onc unfamiliar with Mr. Vedder's art. for ex-
ample would learn its shortcomings from Mr.
fsham. and accordingly no one would learn its
true character from him. Occasionally ne
shows the courage Of his convictions as when
he says deprecating the comparison often made
lhet ween Whistler and Veiasquez that there is
nuxcing in a II whistler's work not even the por-
trait Of his mother. that would not show faded
ouez'sl canvases', But there e too much in the
book which. If good SO far as it goes, does not go
far enough The author may he trusted 10 tell
roughly where a given painter belongs in re-
.spect TO the externals of his work, but when it
ccmes the analysis of qualities he evades the
responsibility of the historian, The Wanted SUI
r.eriorite of the artist over the layman in the
writing Of art criticism gives us. in this hook
when all is said. dfscreety turned anliab Utilities
- n4oTfn
An excellent idea is carried out with nod.
crate success in The National Gallery" Erred
erick Narne & Coz by Gustave Geffroy OF the
famous collection in London. Sir Walter Arm
strong says in his brief historical introduction
that it is. on the whole the completest in the
world and has the highest average Of merit.
The claim is not too sweeping. The weakness Of
tho National Gallery. where the German school
IS concerned n getting Itself corrected-only the
other day. for example. a fine Durer was .pur-
cbased-and what it lacks i'm French art is made
up at Hartford House All the other European
schools are so well represented that the stu
dent going abroad for the first time could hardly
begin his adventures among pictures better than
in tho well filed rooms on Trafalgar Square
Similarly the stay-at-home should derive great
heneat from vel written and well illustrated
hook on the National Gallery NJ Gcffroy is a
su4iciently competent guide. lis text though
suporfciaI ie Intelligent. and forms. indeed,
i.-er,- readable int-oGuction TO the gallery. ON
,,,o other hand the illustrations fall decidedly
short Of what they ought to he. Only few of /
5,,,e haIf tones are UP TO the mark and the pho
.to--avuree are either thin or muddy the
splendid opportunity offered in this instance has
been only half improved.
A new biography OF Sir Joshua Reynolds
,ea-ceIy seemed 10 he needed, especially as
3 convenient reprint of Armstrong; valuable
'tol- ms brought ont by the Scribners only
tr.r. ,roel.e ago Nevertheless Mr.. William B.
Eoulton's ..sir Joshua Reynolds (E p Dutton
g. co auplv !ustiies its existence through Civ
',re = notably full and interesting account OF the
>snhiect The author has apparently gone with
more than usual care through the memoirs OF
the time and his narrative is not so much the
familiar chronological survey, sprinkled win
anecdotes as it is compact piece OF work 10
,,ob y really continuous vitality has been
gwen Mr. Boulton's criticism Is sa1e rather
.+b.n t,sniring. When he observes that Reynolds
snoseessed a mind which eminently of the
frscentive as opposed to the creative, cast, and
..so4 be ,;oWhere appears to Us "the man OF
l,-,x-,d frnagination'' feel that we have heard
,ucb tne same sort of thing before, and
.ho,,gbo,,+ the volume Mr.. Boulton remains on
IN. same routine level. He is more independent
=, writing of Reynolds as a man, and here we
ava bfr, not only coura geous but profitable.
re certainly does much to dispose of the
charge that the painter was hardhearted No
I'D, could make Reynolds out TO be a person.
.It,y in whom the tenderer emotions positively
oioved but Mr.. BOulton easily proves that he
me mt in al the relations OF life the trigid
con, he has been represented to be by many
,,nsvnnathetic writers We appreciate too, the