New-York tribune., 1905-02-02
ART In PHILADELPHIA.
The Commemorative Exhibition at
the Pennsylvania -4cademg.
IFRox A STAFF CORRESPONDENCE
NIL

selphla. Some notable painters have figured In
!. history. The Peales. Sully. and divers otbare
and many layman OF iinpor.snce in the s-sta
.,d In the nation have shared in its councils II
has IoEg enjoyed wide repute as . source or IN
stiuctioa. numbers OF our most competent ar-
,,rs having begun their careers under ga
su.pices and within the last decade its annual
eIhIbitions have been the best in this country
from every point CT view It was therefore IT.
a,r that this years display should take on
commemorative character. embracing Old as well
&C new works, and Illustrating 50 lar as possi-
HE the achievements OF all those who have been
st ell closely identified with the institution. The
catalogue runs to a thousand numbers. and in
he mass OF work for which 1t stands there Is
s great deal that is worthy of the occasion
The historical student may regret that more
space IS not given TO the men Of an earlier
generation. The fine old portraits gathered to-
gether IN one of the rooms are so interesting
nat It seems pity that more OF them could not
have been secured. But the authorities were on
he whole, well advised in concentrating their
attention upon the modern men. To have gone
rinutely into the past would have carried them
very far afeld, and in giving nearly all the
susoe 10 painters OF our own day the academy not
ouly appeals with the more force TO q larger
public, but throws more light on the question of
what It has done for American arr. After all
nur "oId masters" represent chiefly the tone and
movement Of the eighteenth century English
school. What American art means IN the strict
est sense may be estimated from the works
mostly by men still living, which practically I'LL
this exhibition; and how large a share the
academy has had in its development may be In
serred from the little blue labels indicating that
The pictures bearing them were executed by
acsdeniciars, instructors or students named in
rs annals The labels are everywhere.
To follow them Up. 70 point out all the clever
men 10 whose works they are affixed. would
doubt be amusing, hut the visitor from New
York may easily do this for himself, and in the
mean time the main point at issue is the general
character Of the show. Its average, as in other
years is high. but it differs from its predeces-
sors in that II contains no single picture or
group of pictures of exceptionally brilliant
character. One large canvas there is which has
q certain salience Mr.. Abbeys Trial of Queen
Catherine Of Aragon," the glowing reds of
which command attention the moment one en-
,s-s the room. The value of this picture. how
ever is scarcely in proportion to the high ambi-
ton which produced it. Though the supplicat-
tng heroine Of the scene is q graceful figure in
ng white robes. and IS detached from her
pundings with sufficient dramatic point. the
rest Of the many figures are so feebly placed that
the composition wants point and relief, wants
effective play OF light and shade. It seems, in
deed to begin and end nowhere, though the
artist had added figure after figure with anxiety
70 crowd his canvas. but with clearly defined
pictorial scheme In his mind. Furthermore,
though he has made good use OF historical por-
traits in delineating some of the actors in his
drama, he has not enveloped the latter in atmos-
pbere. but has painted them. especially in the
background, almost as though there were no
space behind them. The lack OF unity in the
design and IN the color is really curious
Mr.. Sargents share IN the exhibition is little
eullection of seven portraits. most OF them IA
rufliar The Mrs. John c. TomIinson' is here,
one Of the least felicitous things ne ever paint
&c, and IN another room we find the Mrs Fiske
Warren and Daughter" which is admirable only
IN the modelling of the child's face. In fact
the only Sargents which give genuine pleasure
are The well known Lady Hamilton" an ex-
quiste performance; the new Portrait of Miss
Garrett which is q capital example of the artist
il his most suave mood, and the summary. but
eloquent Sketch of Edwin Booth There are
nine Whistlers, seven Of them being Characters
tic notes Of color a small scale. interesting.
but not momentous items. OF far more signif-
icance are the two larger marines, especially
that study in silvery grays and greens which
Nr. Whittemore owns. THE Sea" which for
ruth, beauty and magic of style is one of Whist
ier's strongest paintings. So much for the two
great lions who. particularly in recen: years
have helped 50 substantially to fortify the Phil
adelphia show. They fortify it this season, but
not so generously as on more thar one occasion
in the past With them may group half a
dozen men who. by virtue of certain distin-
guLshed qualities, may be regarded as represent
stiYes OF the same fine tradition. The late Will
IAN Morris Hunts lovely outdoor nude study
The Bathers," which was shown IN the Com
parative Exhibition in New-TorS the other day.
reappears. and so likewise does the late Wyatt
1atons "ReveTie.' the noble portrait of a wom-
a. which. as ths years &c on. seems to gain in
dignity and charm. Mr.. la Fargo sends the
Madonna" which was described in The Tribune
Enen il was exhibited not long since at the Cen
1ury Club. ana from Mr.. Thayer we have that
majestic winged Figure" which, as we OBJ
served when fl first saw the light in New York
my needed finer technique to be q masterpiece
1Nese and few other contributions like Mr..
"eFs Charming Rose Pink Bodice and Green
D'lice'; Mr. Dewing's THE Spinet," Mr.. Reid's
ne Gamma" and Mr Chase's AN English
"a. 81 works of great merit. are old friends
VI AeW-Iork galleries. There are welcome
A'hgs here, too--Afr. Dewing's "3rocsde de Ven
@e and ~. Tarbelrs Rehearsal in the Studio"
"Aich may be expected 10 figure in the next
s4V@ OF The Ten American Painters. In other
seses fair proportion of what is best in the
s4A-a3tiol Goes not call for specific comment at
tbs time.
1Ufoing to the other good things. we find
loIe that is interesting II the field Of por-
-S1tute than anywhere else. Miss Beaux ic
~sAy first l. this category. II her MRS. LeTz
,-'07fSof' IS silgUis-ly deficient IL charm. if It
positively f7gid n feeling. 1t is, at any rate,
N'derfEiy good a. workmanship; and in the