The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-19

a. the writer knows Il IL the first instance,
but nevertheless q fragrant instance, Of
bad taste displayed In an exhibition or.
ganised by this international society.
Among the pictures shown In the south
room are two early ones Of much interest.
the sPiano Picture, lent by Edmund Davis,
and ia Mere Gerard lent by Algernon
Charles Swinburne, to whom whistler pre-.
sented It. As compared with his later
| technique, these oanvases are loaded With
pi gnent and almost rugged.
! ia Mere Gerard, a small portrait study
| OF an old woman in white cap with long
| strfnRs, Is little known except by name
According TO tho catalogue 1t was the first
! picture exhibited by Whistler, the occasion
being presumably the Royal Academy Of
| 1851; but as the "PianO Picture, after being
re jected at the salon Of 1859, appeared at the
Royal Academy ofHS0O the statement seems
to be incorrect. Dates are rather care
fully avoided In the catalogue.
la Mere Gerard, Of whom Whistler Glso
made an etching, was a picturesque old
person-a woman Of good education and
probably OF former social position. She
wrote verses, which are said to have been
good.
When Whistler made her acquaintance in
! Paris she had fallen to the precarious
position OF flower seller at the doom Of
! the Bal Butler. She had mo wish TO he
painted, but Whistler bought her flowers,
| trotted her about the town and took her for
| little trips to the country. He seems to have
been very good to the poor old woman, and
ultimately she posed for her portrait.
the Nocturne in Green and Gold the
| Falling Rocket" one Of the pictures shown
! 10 court when Whistler brought his libel
suit against Ruskin, Is also in the south
room. It belongs to William Heinemann,
! the publisher Of the Gentle Art Of Making
Enemies
It is possibly we'll known that when one
| OF these pictures, showing the falling golden
fire OF a rocket against the night sky, was
hrst exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery,
and surrounded by a puzzled crowd, a
child exclaimed:
ooh, mother, look at the ireworltsl'
Surely that incident was a triumph for
Whistler. for the childs eyes were not Bpoilt;
she had no preoonceived notions OF what a
picture ought TO be, but only recognized
the truth OF what she saw. And Il u just
in these exquisite nocturnes, once so de-
rided, that one sees Whistler's most original
and probably his greatest achievement 81
a painter. As no one ever did before, he
saw and gave pictorial expression TO the
poetry Of night.
The contents Of the north room could
not be adequately described in the space Of
a newspaper article. For one matter It
contains chronological series Of Whistlers
etohings, and though each subject h shown
in only one state the number is no fewer
than i0l.
Among the lenders is the United States
Coast Survey, which lends the print OF
Anaoapa Island, etched by Whistler and Il
may interest readers Of THE Sun to know
that a letter written to The SUN by Gustav
Kobbe Of New York was the means OF bring
ing this little known etching TO the notice
Of the organizers Of the exhibition.
The collection Of etchings il practically
complete, and the same Is to be said OF the
Autographs. There remain, then, some
early productions, several sketches dating
from Whistler's childhood, some proofs OF
the Gentle Art and Of the -Baronet and
the Butterfly" some autograph letters and
some miscellaneous objects.