New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-09
Literary .Nese,s and Criticism.


It .oeSt Sic 80 suipeas for the head and $50 for
p,iseIS i,of lengfh aTs the careful painter vers
beginning of each portra.t.
Mr.. Boulton begins one Of his chapters with
tie remark that "Re,nods's admirers might
wish that he had never written word upon art
that those solemn Discoursas which no PFC
pared 80 Painfully had remained unde.ivered
and that mad been left 20 judge of the artist
by his work alone" There follow comments on
the painter as critic with which we often find
ourselves in agreement AssuredIy We cannot
follow Nfr. Roger Fry all the way in his intro
auctions and notes for the new edition of the
famous "Discourses Delivered to the students
of the Royal Academy (E. p Dutton & Coz
which he has put forth in the belief that the
book contains principles and exhibits mental
attitude of the highest value TO he artist" II
will take more than Mr.. Fry's ingenuity. clev-
erly used as it is in this instance to bring the
Discourses into harmony with the modern
spirit of art study. Much of the labor which he
has spent upon the editorial machinery of this
edition seems to us. in fact to have been spent
with more zeal than discretion on the other
hand, the interest of this work for students of
Reynolds is unquestionable: and it is good 10
have il in perfect form. aptly Illustrated. and
annotated after fashion. which occasionally
at least is suggestive Moreover, without TAX
ing Mr.. Fry's view of Reynoldss principles"
and mental attitude at its face value.
bound to admit that artist OF Reynolds's
genius could not help saying many interesting
things when ne set out TO discuss masters and
methods The important thing is to read the
Discourses With open bat alert mind; not by
any means to swallow them whole or to be
slavshly content with Nj. Fry's deductions. but
TO take the painter as one might take any other
eminent member of the profession in converse
NOT iI,-r
thing that is said. but one seizes every definite
idea that IS struck ont and is stimulated.
whether il is sound or unsound. At least it !
makes for thought on the subject. and that, in
deed. is the durable merit of what Reynolds
had to say critic. He is sometimes fear
fully wrong headed, but he is always the artist !
inQuiring devotedly into the secrets of his craft
and he is never dull.
Mr.. w. L. Wyllie has made IN his u NJ. w.
Turner" CThe Macmillan Company pleasant
addition the British Artists Series Him
self painter of river scenes and similar sub
jccts, he has found Turner inspiring; he speaks
of him having been my study and delight |
since boyhood.' and the book is plainly the out
come Of labor of love B"t this means that
Mr.. Y vile is more enthusiastic than helpful.
He can see his hero's limitations: He repeatedly
states that Turner's work whole is al
most always untrue to nature and he carries
his criticism into detail. saying: His light and
shade is very seldom correct His tones are
almost always wrong. His drawing
Though no man could draw better than Turner
when he wishedD was often quito grotesque !
But when he comes to demonstrate the faith
that is in him he writes at the best in this
vein:
What. then. DO We admire in Turner'S works Ks, And
painter? think the real secret of his power lies in
Of pure art He knew exactly what to do SO that his
work should appeal TO the mind He suggested the
make an actual copy Never has the profusion and
never ending variety Of this wonderful World Of
the Unreasonable stretches of hill and dale wind
ing river and pale far distant ocean Of Turner's |
dreamy visions.
This is hardly a solution of the problem pre-
sented in the work of Turner. and while Mr..
Willie manages to give in the course of his |
narrative fair notion of the painters career, he
leaves us at the end wiser to his genius |
than when we began. The best thing about the |
book is its rich collection of reproductions from
the paintings and drawings. few of them in
coors but all the rest in first rate halftones
Three types of draughtsmanshp are illus
trated in as many volumes recently published. |
The first and most important of the latter APP |
pears in the -Nennes series of reproductions and
is devoted to the Drawings of A. Won Mcneil
fTmpOrted
PRODUCTION, by Professor h W. Singer. we may |
note in passing, has the special interest of
telling a little more about the personality and
career of the artist than has found its way into
what has been printed the subject in this
country but the plates are. of course. the thing
There are forty-eight of them. including groups /
nortrsits sketches of children, studies of armor
and some superb architectural drawings In
them ali Mcneil is the master of strength ana
+ruth not the interpreter of sheer beauty-he |
was never that-but realist whose write style
gave to everything he did certain distinction.
This book would make perfect holiday git
for the young art student. Pictures OF Lie ana
Character &C. p Putnams sons. by John
Ieech is an obong quarto interesting rot only
as a souvenir of one of the most famous Of the
old contributors to Punch" but source OF
fun Ieech was one of those draughtsmen who
without achieving the magic of style, make their
mems do precisely what they want them to do i
MANY of his best cartoons are printed in this |
volume and they are deciousy droll to-day |
as they were when they first enraptured Thack-
eray and the artists other appreciative contem-
poraries.
Our Neighbors" (Charles Scrfbner's Sons) +
Nv, Mr. C. D. Gibson. is the tenth Of the long. fiat
volumes in which this popular draughtsman has |
annually collected his drawings. 1t illustrates |
his familiar dizziness in hitting off the types of
the day with just the right satirical touch, ana
his faculty for genuine if rather obvious humor |
Once more ne ookes fun at the follies of fash |
ionable life once more ne exploits the true SEN
+iroenf which survives amid all our cynlclsm |
and fooEshness. We observe greater variety I
IN the portraits of pretty girls of these |
particularly the last in the book. making US
wonder anew why Mr. Gibson should have
att ple