New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-21

in the long series of portraits to be seen here.
These often hover, as has already been indi-
Gated, between the standard BETTING the study
OF character and that which suff1ces for the
studio arrangement To whichever side they
incline they are apt to be uncommonIy well done.
They have vitality, which is much and they
/ frequently have something of that temperament
tai note. that accent of an Unborn gift, which
makes US condone even fragrant preoccupation
problems. Mr.. KendaFs Three Portraits a
delightfully."- sympathetic study of a mother and
her children: Mr.. Howard Cushng's two por-
traits Of the same winning sitter; Mr. Lam
bert's vivid and altogether capital Portrait of
Miss Cecilia Beaux'': Miss Beaux's own ''Por-
trait of Child: Mr.. John SIoan's Boy with
Piccolo." which suggests a leaf taken deftly
from the book OF Halls; Mr.. Chases Portrait OF
Miss Frances V. Earle" and his large double
portrait. 1.-THE Ssters."-all these and at least a
score OF similar productions show that in por-
traiture we are developing more and more Of
the workmanlike and personal art for which we
look eagerly in domain overrun with medi-
ocrity. 1t is interesting to observe the relation
OF the portrait painters to two men Of great eel
ebrity. who also represented. Mr.. Sargent
has the place of honor in the main gallery with
"A Vele Gonfe: Portrait of Mrs. Robert M.
Matthias" addition to the series Of family
portraits painted for the London art dealer,
Asher Wertheimer. The figure is enveloped in
g. dark cloak, and the pluIned hat, the sugges-
ton of sword that is also made and the lady's
gallant carriage. all combine to produce s.
piouant and even startling effect. Though not
one OF Mr. Sargents finest works. it is not
worthy Of his amazing brush In another gal
lery he has Portrait of Mrs. c. b. Alexander,
which likewise If not his best Is fairly char
acteristio. With these canvases is TO be grouped
Boldlnis bit Of positively pyrotechnica1 bra
vllra, his Portrait of Mrs, Harry 5. Lehr
Sargent and Boldini both stand cut above the
ruck-nowhere else will you find quite the same
overwhelming self-possession and Nirihty that
you find in the portraits OF Mrs. 1-ehr and Mrs.
Matthias. Yet the perspective in which they aP-
pear in this exhibition IS different from what
It might have been on some other occasions.
They do not by force Of contrast. spread q kind
of desoletion around them. IT is not That tnelr
brilliance is dimmed either. but that the average
on all sides has been raised SO much IheTe are
perhaps fifty portraits here which. IN one way
or another hold their
AS regards the landscape men, the unusual
quantity of good work makes it as difficult as
the portrait painters make it to go beyond mere
enumeration, and that is futile Some of 1t has
been seen before in New-York notably the group
Of pictures by the late J. H Twachtman, but the
II
spring material interpreted with inspiration.
Two prizes have been awarded In this section
the Lippincott prize of $500 to Mr.. Childe Has
sam for his Summer Morning" and the Sesnan
medal to Mr. Groll for his Arizona, both judi
ciously chosen: and If there had been more
prizes to go round there would have been no
difficulty in finding deserving candidates. There
is good group of contributions from Mr.. Par
rish Miss Smith and other illustrators, and
though the sculpture exhibit is more impressive
for quantity than for quality there are things in
il by Mr. Crafty, Mr.. O'Connor, Mr.. Adams and
two or three others which more than support
the dignity of the plastic art The foregoing
notes have necessarily left untouched a great
deal Of rneritorious work The most gratifying
thing about the exhibition is. indeed. its broad
interest No doubt it could have been brought
within narrower limits without detriment to its
essential value. II many good pictures have
been left unnoticed, have many poor ones
been neglected. But the balance is on the right
side The show as a whole has life in it, and
leaves an impression in which every believer in
American painting must rejoice. R O.