New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-26
ART EXHIBITIONS.
The Annual ShoSC of the Society of
american Artists.


bers in the catalogue which means that the gall
1aries are uncommonly well filed The collection
oversows indeed. into room off the entrance hall.
Plainly the society has made effort" and the
result Is not without it's pleasant aspects. The
chow may not be brilliant, IL may Introduce
,df,ddual works OF unusual Importance but it has,
ss whole. considerable vitality. The hanging
committee has done its work well. and. IN short
the Fine Arts Building ought be. during the next
few weeks agreeable resort for those who have
a sincere interest IN American art
II IS getting TO be almost matter of course for
the portrait painters TO take the centre Of the
stage st these annual appearances OF the society.
and this year they play their familiar part with
their accustomed cleverness and aplomb One OF
the younger men, Mr.. Howard Cushing OF Boston,
meets on the very threshold with contribution
fn this field. and elsewhere shows two more por-
traits The first to be noticed In this trio, The
Woman IN Pink Satin CNo. y. is the least salts
factory; Il wants. somehow, ease and breadth OF
execution But even IN this Mr.. Cushing strikes
personal note, and while We wish he had put a lit
tie restraint upon the yeIlows in his White ana
Gold" CNlo. $50, and his Portrait (No SD, both
studies Of the same charming model we rejoice to
recoguiza IN al his work the signs Of an interest
ing temperament he has q point Of view OF his
own. and he is exploiting it with a sk1lful hand
which time end experience ought TO make only the
more fruitful his is admirable talent in course
of development. There are other talents here rep
resented which seem to be in a similarly tran
sitionaI state. II Is amusing to speculate as 10
what their ultimate oest1nies may De- MI ROBERT
Henri makes feel he has so often MADE Us
feel before that there IS a germ Of excellence in
his art but that it may very easily die OF sunoca-
ton IN the nfeless airs OF formula There IS
manual dexterity IN his study of a negro lad
.~VVtIlis Geo. CSo $751; and in his Spanish Dancer
no s70 but both seem incurably artificial. 1t is
great pity that Mr.. Henri and his group whlch
includes on this occasion Mr.. Glackens ana MI
shinn should not put more of nature into their
.z,orlz and less OF what looks Ike mere studio
Par
sources They are all Individually facile but they
leave the impression OF having originality what
ever.
are attracted for a moment by Mr.. II. s. Hubbeu,
s,+ xhile we discern again unQuestionable aptitude
in his realistic portrait. Paris Cabman" CNo SZ)'
and n his romantic study OF another French type
1.-THE Poet Go. 3d. We are constrained to admit
,he+ there is nothing particularly fresh about his
ay OF putting the principles OF the Partisan ate
sters into practice. On the other hand, we are
grateful for the aptitude aforesaid. and in fact the
salient point brought out by this exhibition. where
the porraiure concerned, is its fair average OF
excellence. If the canvases are few in which the
task most frequently assigned to the modern artist
IS executed with the inspiration needed 20 lift the
an,shed work above the ordinary plane there Is. at
all events no lack OF that fluent craftsmanship
which does go much to atone for the absence Of
DISTINGUISHED qualities. Sometimes II Is true the
craftsmanship is placed altogether too much in the
foreground Mr.. Alexanders ambitious full length,
Afackay," IS as dry and empty canvas as we
have seen IN long time. It has more Of the char
acter Of poster than that Of portrait and this is
the TO regretted inesmuch the artist had
obviously hit upon felicitous motive In the tall
figure posed with crystal ball In the hands. as
though for some mystical rite But Mr.. Alexander
seems TO be beguiled by his technical address away
from the serious side Of art and gives US,
in this portrait. IN his sentimentality called
Mother (1Io. 1885, and IN his decorative picture
called "a Butterfly (So. 46), nothing piquant
attitude delneated without spark of true artistic
feeling Mr. Albert Herter just escapes falling into
the pit n his gracefully designed figure pieca,
1.-The Round Mirror CSo 80. and Mrs. Herter Is
less fortunate Her tall Portrait (No. 45S),
q fun length Of a In japanese costume. looks
like an Oriental print enlarged than paint
ing from life.
These examples Of artilce carried to excess, how
ever, not the things that give the exhibition
its prevailing tone. That is fixed rather By the
authoritative portraits by Mr.. Chase and Mr.. Cox,
by Mr.. Story and Mr.. Ealns. by MI. Smedley, Mr..
NieIneysr and AIr. Beckwfth. Their paintings dis
close not only the ability but the sincerity which
means more than any amount Of dizziness in the
arrangement OF effect, nonI ally decorative. but
actually quite embarrassing There are other por-
traits IN this category 70 be noted works by Mrs
Cox. Ir. Wiles. Mr.. Woon and divers others; but
must turn TO the productions in which por-
traituTe IS subsidiary 10 some more less sym
boical idea, or In which the figure is painted for
lts own sake. Conspicuous here is hrs. Dewing's
in color It In its Interpretation OF peculiarly
gracious and stately figure Altogether antthetical
70 this, but IN its way most engaging little
sketch Is Mr. Ulrnan's Study OF Home Q1o. 49,
& bright, vivacious bit; and likewise deserving Of
favorable comment Is the Daydreans' CNlo. 4o) of
Mr.. E. B. Williams. poetic conception POLITICALLY
carried out Mr.. Tanners Job and His Three
Friends merits certain approval, since IT repre-
sents an attempt at serious composition. but in
both color and handling there is much to seek
The Pastoral" C1Io. 65) Of Mr. Hugo BALM leaves
the same mixed impression. It deserves he Shaw
prize OF S6O0 II has received for its qualities OF
design and draughtsmanship. but wish the color
had moro life and Individuality At the time
# Is delightful that Mr. Balm should have re-
ceived this encouragement. He puts thought into
his work and we feel sure that the Improvement
he needs IN his art the access Of light and air. is
only a question Of time.
The figure piece sent by Mr.. T. c. Jones, In the
Pine" Go. no reflects. Ike Mr.. Ballins painting
q Iaudable ambition, but unfortunately there Is
stiffness of form about the dryad In the picture,
and a want Of subtle modulations in the color OF
her draperies by which sent away in dis
contented mood. The pictures have been de-
scrlbing IN the large south gallery Before
leaving IL we must note the portrait briskly exc
clIted by Afr. Wiles, somewhat n the vein Of Boil
dini Miss T." Cyo 8; Miss Adelaide Chase's clever
double portrait, The Young Baby mo. 30; Miss
c 3. Comans passable September Morning" (No-
81 to which the Julia A Shaw memorial prize OF
800 has been awarded: Mr.. Chase's superb still
life, American Fish" (No. ~; Mr.. Morals Can
clones Y Refrescos" CNo. 49, a vigorous picture Of
less wei painted heads, the boy with Piccolo"
Go. 80 by Dir. John Sloan. and The Actor" (No.
1888, by Mr.. John Lambert
The central galleries not rich IN interesting
sensations. In enc of them we have member Of
that THO of portraits by Mr. Gushing TO which ap-
fr.