New-York tribune., 1906-05-05
ART EXHIBITIONS.
Ihe american Water Color Society
in Pleasant Form.

FTTa
Suldins' that Of the American Water Color So
eiety' turns out 70 be rather more ambitious af-
tair than was expected. Practically six hundred
pieces are shown including black and whites and
etchings OF course. this mass Of material re-
quires good deal OF room and an o. the galleries
are in USE They possess a character that is. on
the whole, agreeable. The society Is. indeed. in
very pleasant form the occasion of this its
thiFty-ninth annual appearance befOre the pub
lic Il may not produce precisely brilliant efSssf,
but then II IS a long time since our water color
lists exercised the functions which once were Pc
cullar 70 them There was a period during which
some Of our strongest men were accustomed 70 do
some Of their strongest work In this medium Then.
for various reasons. the annual exhibitions began
20 be. less amusing. Certain important exhibitors
died One or two others went to live abroad. Stin
others devoted themselves more or less exclusively
20 oils. notion got about that Il was not worth
while 20 paint an Important picture In water
color Well. there are stin hundreds OF water
cOlOrs painted in America every year. but neither
Of the two organizations especially devoted TO the
art has Of late recalled in its exhibitions the at
mosphere OF the days in which we were enthusi-
astically experimenting along the lines laid down
on the one hand by Fortuny and the HlspanO-
Italian school and the other by the modern
Dutchmen. Nowadays the American water colorist
paints mildly interesting picture, and let's 1t so
az that
The result in a show like that at che Fine Arts
Building is at least a credltable ensemble The
galleries will be open during most Of the MONTH
and they ought to be we'll patronized' fOr they pro
vide Just the quiet diversion that is welcome IN
the spring Incidentally, the visitor has the op-
portunity to obtain the kind OF decorations which,
at comparatively slight expense, bring aOte OF
pcturesqueness and color into q home "A niue
more than this. too, is offered by many OF tne
painters who have gone out into the open ar 10Y
their subjects. Take Mr. POtthaSts stuGleS Oh
fishermen in their boats for example, or his SLOW
ing Venetian subject. Take Mr. Il. r. Green
dgnifed landscape THE Sentinel Of Night. OF
Mr.. Ochtman's large Afternoon in Winter Ihese
and dozens more are WOrkmanltSe in eomposlsloA
and in execution, and they all show true sensl-
tiveness 20 the subtler qualities OF landscape @"e
figure pieces IL they have less poetry are hoe' ON
the other hand. less clever Pictures DAe NJ NJ
Mora's Keeper OF the Bulls" Mr. HhNeeIahNt
Sally" and Mr.. Schnelder's "Henna Marker.
Fez" are doubtless OF no transeendent oruef ol
merit but they are ably done so Tar as tney 60
The diflcultsy of course. is TO find work which IS
above the average, work original IN SOn0SPSt'i'
marked by unmistakable distinction OF styAe- ~"
and then we come across a picture axe ING
Spook' of Mr. Gordon Grant, in which q ronahuc
idea Is presented but the water cOlOrfst does not
fully rise to his opportunity He paints acce2taoiy
but not with special art. Mr.. Abbey IS sadly as
appointing in his three Shakespearian SUBJECTS
s.Iago" .'Fichard III" and death Of MeEcutiO-'
He was wont to handle water color 20 better puf-
pose In the old days, when he was winning MS
spurs. One veteran appeals to US. as always. with
a note Of individuality, Mr.. WinsloW Homer.
Though none OK MS GilAco cAlAAl4e0 - SoesSeAS
memorable. there Is touch in each Of them,
touch of freshness and authority, for which we
are grateful For the rest we have a word OF gen
eral appreciation rather than specific descriptions
or comments. 1t should be added, too, that the
average while unremarkable. Is not dull by any
means The fatty amateurish work Of which IN
recent years we have had far too much mas Deen
kept we'll in the background
It was a good idea to include number OF black
and whites in this show. The magazines make our
illustrators more than familiar yet It is always
interesting TO have glimpse OF their original draw
ings Mr. Arthur Keller. Mr.. Walter Appleton
Clark, Mr.. Henry Reuter1ahL Mr.. Henry HUT. and
divers others. all the space assigned to them with
capital vivacity and aplOmb. There Is some good
work too, in the collections OF etchtnSs, thought
ful and charming studies by DR.. Yale and Mr.
smillie and clever essays in pieturesqueness by
Mr. AIielatz Mr. Pennen. Mr.. MaeLaughlin. MF.
Otto Schneider, Mr.. White and Mr.. Washburn- One
newcomer In this group. Mr.. MacLaughlin' does
particularly well the sort Of thing that has recently
been getting itself done the field Of architectural
etching by Mr. Cameron and Colonel GOfr. Il viii
be seen that this exhibition has variety, well as
a light clever interest. Decidedly, the American
Water Color Society gives a good account Of itself
this season.
The exhibition organized by the California Artists
Relief Committee, which we announced the other
day. will be opened at the American Art Galleries
on Sunday afternoon. The sale is set for the fol-
lowing Monday and Tuesday evenings at the same
place It is expected that this will prove an In
teresting occasion for the appeal made to American
artists contribute pictures sculpture and objects
Of art for the benefit Of their colleagues in San
Francisco met. from the start. with splendid re-
spOnse. From $50 to 800 pieces have already been
received and doubtless to-day additional cOntTibu-
tions will be made AS scores Of our best men
have come to the front IN this matter. the sale Is
certain to be worthy of support.
VIVIAN 70 no1,rfs Oxr ra nav