New-York tribune., 1905-11-14
ART EXHIBITIONS
Water ColOrs and Other First Fruits
of the Season.


of the Season.
The season of 1eo5-'0s has begun early. Sew
eral exhibitions large and small have already been
opened, and more promised for the immediate
future In very little time all of the galleries vii!
be in full swing. The first Of the regular organi-
cations TO make its bow this year is the New-York
Water Color Club. which has opened its sixteenth
annual show at the Fine Arts Building. 1t is a
good show. within the limits set by those condi-
lions which have for some time prevailed among
our artists. Many OF the latter have abandoned
water color. or if they it all. make less of
IL thau they used to make OF 1t. Then the
Der of those who employ the medium in the paint
ing of more or less ambitious figure pieces seems
TO grow steadily smaller. In the present exhibition
there are. indeed scarcely any figure studies of
consequence Miss Elizabeth Shipper Green is the
only who makes a noticeable effort in this di-
rection and her eight clever designs in the
sphere of domestic sentiment really magazine
illustrations. and scarcely show. pictures, what
can be done with water color. Mr.. Breckenrdge's
Summer is attractive bit of color. and his
technical method momentarily arrests attention.
and Mr. G. r. Barse. jr., shows his usual pleasant
facility in his Peach Blossoms" but for the rest
this exhibition makes its strongest appeal in mat
tiers Of tonality, dealt with chiefly out of doors
1t contains any number OF well painted land
scapes. interiors and marines. works executed with
taste and feeling. The place of honor has been
given TO Mr.. Henry B, Snells large Venetian pict-
deserves
mandng position. Though the delicacy of the
effect is carried almost too far, almost to the
point Of attenuation, there is denying the
charm of this pure and arrangement of
colors. There is excellence. too, in Mrs. Emma
Lampert Cooper's interior study, ''The Buriap
Weaver" and in Mr. Edward II. Potthast's Dutch
Peasant Interior" Mr. c. W. Eaton heads the
landscapes with beautiful Morning in Holland"
and he is we'll supported by Mr.. Elliott danger
field. Mr. w RitscheI, Mr.. George Wharton Ed
The quaint little sketches of NJ II Squire and
z. Mars may be favorably mentioned. and we
have noticed also good still life studies by Mrs
Burgess and Miss Branson. Tho exhibition a
whole leaves agreeable impression. If there
is nothing in the collection Of four hundred
coIors to evoke enthusiasm. there Is great deal
that is competent and fairly interesting. The gal
Ieries remain open until December B.
In the first room off the main hall in the Fine
Arts Building the National Sculpture Society Is
holding exhibition of portraits in the round ana
in relief to last until next Saturday. There Is no
catalogue and SO we do not know Just how many
pieces are shown but the room is generously nIied
with old and work. The familiar busts IN
clude some of the best things of Messrs Adams,
Niehaus. Flanagan and dozen other admirable
craftsmen The new things are portraits submitted
in competition for prize of $500, offered by ar.
T. @ A. Ward, and of $500. offered by MI l. W.
Drunmond, the first for work In the round ana the
nothing submitted in the latter category was good
enough TO justify the award of MI Drunlmono
prize but the Ward prize was given to Mr. Charles
Crafty for his portrait bust Of a man. The expla-
nation of Mr.. Graiy's success throws light on the
whole mass of competitive work. His bust may
not be memorable performance but at least II
shows the seulptor's touch in the creation OF
broadly fine effect by the subtle modulation Of
planes This is q bit of sculpture to stand close
scrutiny: the impression received at the first glance
is only confirmed by minute examination, which
shows that Mr.. Crafty has brought not only sensi-
tive fingers much learning. to the working out
of Ills problem The bulk of the work exhibited
often shows some manual dexterity, but rarely an
authoritative grasp. Miss Evelyn B. Longman and !
Mr. Atilo Picirrilli rise little above the average
and the Jury has shown its appreciation by giving
them each honorable mention. but in the main the
hest of the contributions here fail to go beyond an
ordinary degree of cleverness and the greater num-
Der are merely commonplace. Without the exam
pies on the other side of the room of the mature
work OF some of most skilful sculptors, the
exhibition would be pretty weak 1t is earnestly
to be hoped however, that the National Sculpture
Society will feel encouraged TO repeat its expert
ment holding from time 10 time. a small exhibit |
tion There are other phases of plastic art to be
illustrated and it better to show what school
is doing with them in this way than to try to divide
honors with the architects or the painters in one
of the big winter shows
-b.ra is an interesting exhibition. at the Wun-
5nrIicb GALLERY of mezzotints by British masters |
of the eighteenth century. The catalogue runs 10
o1,er three hundred numbers and a goodly pro-
o-,for of these may be seen upon the walls The |
.rt op these engravers is art by itself rch in |
hsauties of tone and dedicated, the reproduc
tive art of no other school has ever been dedicated
10 the comnemoration of lovely womanhood. The |
oourtly elegance of those great ladies VINO were
nortraved by Reynolds. Ronney, Hoppner and the
rest seems actually 10 have Influenced the tech
nioue of the men who mezzotinted the canvases o.
he nonular painters of the day. Their plates are
miracles of delicate strength IN one like that OF
Charles Turner after Sir Joshua's stately MARI |
horo,,sh Family the artistic values present in the
original design really to have gained some
thing from the engravers consunlrnate handling
IF them 1t is so all along the llne-Dickinson,
Valentine Green, John Jones, MacArdell S. w.
REYNOLDS J. r. Smith, Thomas Watson and the
Wards seem not merely the reproducers, but the
ir.arpreters of the exquisite or magnificent por-
traits they set 10 engrave. THIS exhloltion
embraces numbers of their finest plates in rare
states and in superb impressions We are glad TO
mote that It includes portraits OF men. tashion
has urged the collector too strongly TO oesote him.
self 10 the portraits OF women Fashion is not
rncisalvy to blame for its choice is, after ali.
tha side of what IS most radiantly beautiful but,
on the other hand 1t is positively foolish TO neglect
,ha numerous male portraits in which the artistic
.,,.,,,ias of the period seen in their best
s+aTe THE collector is TO be congratulated who
,, g. his nortfoos q plate like Valentine Green's >
re,roduc,ion of Reynoldss Lady Elizabeth
Te,-s " ht n. is to be conlmiserated il he has not
ADDED 10 his Store such a rlezzotint Dckinson's
IL, . affs-y ySe-,- d E-J I