New-York tribune., 1905-11-29

tectural motive. Now. in the "Confucius" the
great man and his disciples are seated upon rug
Suetched beside a quiet pool, and this is fed by
a little waterfall which tumbles down beneath the
shadow Of dropping foliage The envelope. If we
may SO call 1t, given to each type is one OF inn
pressiVe felicity. How otherwise than amid the
sonlpre splendors Of primitive world could
Moses receiving the tables of the law. have been
portrayed? How. save IN just such scene as Mr.
La Farge has chosen. could typical moment in
the lie OF Socrates have been adequately CONF
EnemoratedT Could Confucius have been made
ver1table familiar figure better than in the en-
vironment in which he Is placed in Mr. La Farge's
canvas? The best qualities in work OF art al
ways escape definition, but something Of what has
been achieved In these noble decorations may be
inferred from the statement that the heroic per-
sonases In them lose nothing of their stature Moth
ing OF their legendary mystery, and yet seem
Drought by some humantzing magic nearer than
ever before to the comprehension OF the beholdsT.
This precious actually depends In the Con-
fucius'-so far as divine the artists secret
upon the artless manner in which the group is put
together. The teacher on his tawny rug leans
over the scroll unrolled upon his knees in an atti-
tude of unconscious absorption Near at hand
servant kneels at little table, bearing collection
Of manuscripts, possibly sent by some great lord,
as Mr.. La Fargo observes in brief leafet, for ex-
PLANTATION or annexation The curious musical In
strument used by Confucius lies on the rug, ready
to his hand Two disciples unron manuscript for
his consideration. patiently waiting for kim to lift
his eyes. and the right hand another pupil. hold
ing manuscript, balances the kneeIing servant on
the left OF balance Is, in fact, everywhere
disclosed. The Ave figures might have gathered
in this quiet spot. just they are gathered here,
without thought Of forming picture; yet the pict-
ts formed each figure holds It's appointed place
by the laws of design. Nothing that Mr.. La
Fargo has done has been richer in color. All the
splendid green's which we have come to know so
well in his studies OF Oriental landscape are poured
into the beautiful background, and in the costume
hfa hazya RlOFfOfi4
blues, reds and yerows all of them worked into
weighty chord One OF the figures, that OF the
neeling servant, is wrapped IN a garment of tur-
quoise blue. deepening here and there to sapphire
richness. which fairly sings upon the canvas.
The Raymond OF toulouse suffers somewhat
by contrast with the painting at which have
Just glanced Te begin with. the scene is laid In
the interior of a church, which means tne sup-
sttution of cold architectural forms for the land
scape charm which the artist has developed with
SO much poetry in all OF the other paintings.
Furthermore. the six erect dgures-disposed In
what is not meant to be but certainly looks like q
kind Of professional seQuence-import an effect Of
nonotoncus vertical lines into the work, which, be-
side the breadth exemplihed elsewhere, seems posi-
lively thin. AS a composition this wants the
majesty OF the Moses" 1t wants the charm Of
the Socrates or the "Confucious" It does not
carry conviction those do, and. moreover, the
immobility OF the design as a whole Is not sufn-
GENTLY counteracted by details Of gesture. The
bishop and the monks, beside him. standing with
hands prayerfuy joined: the princely figure In the
centre and the two magistrates who bring up the
rear do not, taken singiy taken together con-
vey quits the living impression which ono would
Ike to receive. Neither is tho color Gs superb
throughout as Il Is in the red robes OF the magfs-
trates. Yet. SO great is the power Of genius that
while we are not moved by this canvas as by the
other three, we at least meet it halfway, and sub
nit to the influence OF that noble style which
makes the artist even IN his inspired moments,
compelling force. Looking at his work for st
Paul as a whole we Ind that it has only one draw
back-that It goes so FAR away from New-york.
The town Is fuller than ever Of small exhibitions,
At the Keppel Gallery there is interesting show
of etching ana drypoints by Whistler, with few
lithosraphs and drawings. There may also be seen
here a most unusual souvenir Of the artists early
days In Paris, copy. painted in 1857 OF nude by
Ingres. He denounced that master TO the
present writer at great length and with abounolns
vehemenoe, but that was many years after MS
student period. At the Klackner Gallery there are
some Venetian etchngs by Mr. Vaughn Trow-
bridge, printed in color. All Of them are plot
uresque, and some OF them, like the Venetian
Fishing Boats BecaImed.' are marked by uncom-
mon deIicacy. Mr.. J. Frank Currier. OF BOSTON,
has some fourscora landscapes at the New Cal
Iery. He IS not very searching in his definition
of FORMS and he adheres to certain pensiVe key
which makes sigh. after while for glearn
of sunshine. On the other hand. there Is gooo
deal of tender feeling in these little studies and
for the Christmas season It would be hard to md
a prettier gift than one Of them would make
The KnoedIer Gallery shows portraits by
Mr. 7 Koppay and at the Tooth Gallery there
ara some miniatures by Mr.. e e Kaufer, OF
Vienna. Until next Saturday. when they are to be
soId at auction, there may be seen at the Fifth
Avenue Art Galleries. q hundred drawings and
water colors which have been published in Judge
works bv such clever pictorial humorists as James
montgomery F1agg, 'zm," Albert Levering'
Charles J. Taylor and T. g. suIIivant. The Amer
lean Art Galleries are filed with the household fur
nitrre Of the late Mrs. Eliza NJ Curtis. Wnlch VIII
be sold at auction on the afternoons OF next Mon
dav and Tuesday, December and 8.
PARK OFFERED AS GIFT TO CITY