New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-26
THE TEN AMERICAN PAINTERS.
Their Exhibition Opened at the Montross
Gallery.


The abandonment by the Messrs Durand-Ruel
Of the spacious Fifth Avenue Galleries, in which
the Ten American Painters so long exhibited their
pictures has this year sent the organization to
new place II makes its appearance at the MontEoss
Gallery, hanging twenty-five pictures by eight OF
Its members No to the late j. H TWacht-
man has been elected and MIR. Simmons has peen
too bu5ily engaged In Paris on his decorations for
the new Capitol building at St Paul, to send any
thing TO the show. Tho Ten-f for convenience we
may use, despite temporary omissions, their cor
poraIe designation-come forward at precisely the
moment which witnesses the opening Of the socie
ty's exhibition They hold their as they have
always done, with the body from which they Sc
ceded. They do this by virtue of giving free play
to gifts which are nothing If not personal and indie
pendent. Probably they would be themselves the
last in the world to claim that they had solved all
the secrets Of the art Of painting ana no one
would make the claim for them who reahzed no"
many Municipalities there are at work IN our
school But that these artists specially eager
concern for the secrets to which we have just al
Iuded; that they full Of the zest ana curiosity
which are among the best spurs 1eF the pa4nIef'
must be obvious TO every disinteresteo observer
The little gallery town may not De pacheo win
masterpieces. but it is certainly alive win lein
permanent and skill
There is a picture hung conspicuously at one
end Of the room which gives, as it were, the cou
TO the exhibition It is picture by MI IaroeIi
called "a Summer Breeze"-of pretty girl
hinging her body against wind whose rorce Is IN
dictated not only in the iutter Of her Vell put IN
her whole carriage. which, spells movement ana
resistance The object Of the painter Is plainly 10
achieve beauty through the expression OF me-
and that In the main, is the object OF the Ten
Mr. Tarbens fidelity to an ideal of truth comes
out not alone in this fairly celebrating specimen or
open air painting but in the two interiors "A Girl
Crocheting' and "a Rehearsal in the Studio"
which form perhaps the brilliant part OF his
group of four pictures The charm of "A Summer
Breeze" is the charm which he has shown US be-
fore in certain of his outdoor subjects The merits
of his breakfast on the P1azza''-and it is dis
tinctly mer4torious pcture-are not as full and as
rich as we would like them to be. Against the
sparkling atmospheric quality OF the tnlng' ana
against the nice adjustment OF values IN the treat
ment OF the costumes there is to be set KIND OF
harsh edge that the color has, an edge curtously
dsconcerting in q painter whose tones are usually
kept so well in hand. But the interiors provoke
unqualified admiration Each Is Well composed
and each reveals alike in the handling OF the hgres
and In the still life painting the loving manlpuIa-
ton of innumerable interesting passages into unit
of form and color. In each case an episode pos
sexsing no great significance in itself Is Just'hea
through being made the vehicle for the expression
of a purely artistic and wholly winning effect
Mr. Benson shares Mr.. Tarbelrs belief In the IN
exnausttbIe enchantment OF pure light. His three
pictures are all souvenirs of the open air, ana they
all yibrate with the life Of nature herself liz the
Spruce Woods" a sylvan scene with the inquire OF d
child shown against thick foliage has In 1t graver
note Of color than we recollect seeing in most OF
this artists works and We enjoy the change his
Afternoon Sunlight is a trife too panty In It's
textures but his Calm Morning, Ike the other
nctllre we have praised, has quality in the color, as
,nau ss the truth the ebullient vitality which
first notice. The third Boston member OF the or
ganization. Joseph De Camp. sends powerful bit
of realism in his Observation-Disclosures hInoau II
Is a fortnight, thoroughly masculine performances
hut it tells US less Of the artists essential aim
than is told by 1.-THE Heliotrope Gown" portrait
of a graceful figure standing before mirror or by
the other interior 'In the Studio" in which the
same figure shown seated with the artist hlseIR
standing few feet off. These pictures present the
energy and craftsmanship which are Mr.. de camps
salient characteristics under the Light which hews
from the working out Of complex problems. He is
alert and competent He puts his figures before US
In a convincing manner What we miss Is the In
defnable element the note OF STYLE which would
guperinnpose charm upon the realism Inc point is
easilv denonstrable by reference to 1.-The Fortune
reller'' of Mr. Dewlng. more OF those exquisite
natntings IN which this artist contrives. by some
alchemy OF his own to make couple OF young
women seated at table as arresting TO the mag
,natfon as though they were poignanty dramatic
nresences The occupation of the figure which gives
the picture its title indeed Of little consequence
The main point IS that these daintiy feminine
creatures exhale perfume Of the spirit, and that
be lovely color enyelopng the whole scene is inter-
penetrated with personal and poetic significance
Mr. Weir is personal this occasion. as he al
,vavs is-no one could be more so-but not all OF
his six contributions make the same lnsinuatlng
.nnAal The one which is TO be welcomed as a
sittve triumph is the study Of semi-nude seated
ara "a Reyerie" In idea. in arrangement in
modelling and in tone this is one Of the boidest
and most distinguished paintings which Mr.. Weir
has nut forth. Power 10 do what he wants to do
nth his brushes. and feeling, TO lend higher
1,,a 10 the doing of IT, stamped upon every
inch of this canvas. Beside it the large full length
- . snortsrnan catalogued simply "A Portrait"
ts ADEQUATE no doubt, but dun and we do not find
In either THE Lace Cape or Midget both per
tie frrser
,t ,,rt,,e Of "a Reverie" The only paintings by
Mr. Weir which would group with that are his
two sincere landscapes. Morning Sunlight and
.paI OF the Year" Mr.. HassaEn. Ike Mr. Weir. Is
- rgss ~,ude 4sarha OpaI~ though attractive