New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-09
ART EXHIBITIONS.
Pictures By the Late W. Z. Richards
and the Late O.. IL. B0ughtOp.

The two veteran painters. recently deceased,
whose studios have yielded up the pictures now
on exhibition at the Fifth Avenue Art Galleries.
were among the last supporters of a tradition
which modern movements have pretty effectualy
displaced. William T. Richards, who was born in
1885, had some study in Europe early in his career
but long ago he settled upon method which, in its
meticulous care for detail, harmoniZed completely
with what is generally called old Hudson River
school. George II. Boughton, born in 1854, ike
wise studied abroad in the SOS. but from the time
when ne left this country to live permanently IN
England, where ne had first seen the light, ne
practised in the main the art of the story teller
painting with more interest subject than in those
problems of technique which for more than a gen.
Grafton have absorbed nearly all artists me
present exhibition u.s. in a word little old-1ash-
toned yet this is not to say that it is without IN
terest On the contrary, it contains some very at
traetive pieces. which will, no doubt excite hVe'y
competition when the sale goes forward on the
evenings Of January 10, II. IL and b.
Mr.. Richards was close ana synpat"e'ic
observer of American scenery and, for that matter
of places among the British Islands ROCKY shOreS
gave him the themes that he loved perhaps best,
and these he painted with admirable sense OF
composition and with the most painstaking fidelity
to nature. He appears TO have had great faclIty'
both in oils and in water color for in spite OF the
fact that he was always popular and sold his works
without any difficulty, he left at his death re-
markable quantity Of pictures; there are ABOUT
three hundred of them now on view the coiIec-
ton as a whole adheres to a restrained scale Oh
coor-it is full of the sonbre grays of windswept
cliffs and with the whites and pale greens OF 11L-
ing waves In handling, too, Mr. Richards was
steadily sl1aye and finished. Only once, in the big
September CNo. 100, does he leave an impression
with masses of foliage boldly painted against a
vivid blue sky, of using full measure OF freeoonl
and vigor The result makes US wish that he had
more often detached himself from his customary
subjects and style but, on the other hand there
is no denying the frequently beguiling character OF
those pictures in which his rather had and Dry
silhouettes of granite coast scenes against lower
ing or luminous backgrounds preserve the aspect
Of Nature for all the artists dryness and hard
ness What he lacked in temperament he made UP
in certain intellectual precision. and many OF
these canvases have the virtue of giving clearly
recognizable impression OF picturesque episodes of
the and of the shore.
The pictures of Mr.. Boughton in this exhibition
are not anything like as numerous as are those Of
Mr. Richards and neither are they so representa-
tive The large Skating Days in Old Braoant
(No. 1851 is in fact, the sole important example
of his aptitude painting pretty daInsels ana thelr
SWANS in winter scenes-and this work does not
show the best that he could do with such material
There are happier touches in the more loosely
| handled New Years Day in Amsterdam (No'
274) and in some of the smaller sketches OF f1gures
like the one called Companions" (No. 800 Better
than any of these things better than the AMBITIOUS
studies of feminine types like Il Know a Maiden
Fair m See" mo 25D or "Olive' CNo. 3S2), the
| four or five landscapes in which Mr.. Boughton de-
parted from his somewhat nerveless method OF eX-
ecution and painted his subject freely and with
poetic feeling In THE Enchanted Lake" (No 800
in the Autumn" CNo. sol, in "A Salmon Stream
! (So 1861 and in the Winter in the Marshes tNo.
372 there are disclosed not only captivating quail
ties of landscape sentiment, but hexinlllty ana
delicacy in the rendering of atmospheric enects
which we find positively surprising. Two Ilttie
| canvases by two of Mr.. Boughton's friends form
! mart of his collection. One is AN Ideal Heau
! CNo. 290. by Mr.. John Sargent dehsht1uI oi
| ~ anparentIv simple but actually learned and
! nowerful painting. The other is AN Audience
| mo. SS9. an engaging specimen Of Alma-Tadema
/ polished style. These souvenirs of Mr. Boughtoh
intimate circle are small and in each case repre-
/ sentative. In all probability there Will be eager
| bidding for them.