New-York tribune., 1907-12-18
ART EXHIBITIONS.
rse Vinter Shov of the National
Academy of Design.

80 the more frequently one way the other
en- character is regarded as fixed. Time was
'e she academy wont 10 bring forth some
W. test nIctures OF the year. Then the Society
o. .,,e-ican Artists forged ahead IL, this re-
s Nv and by both organizations found them
-. m about the same level, and. as every one
us they were fused" in the spring of 1906
".s+ things were expected OF the winter exhibi-
~, lsst year. but great things scarcely pro-
,saed. IT noted in this place that the exhibit
- would have TO be improved IL the general
-, Of the public desired. This question
:. ,n,provement is especially important at this
,e n view OF the revival Of The familiar scheme
- new and very large exhibition building
1se-e can only be justification for that scheme
$, must be proved, and proved up to the h!lt that
ore york OF serious significance is being pro-
su,ed than can be shown at one time under exist
,nr conditions The theorists may talk until all
a. hue about the advantages Of a vast building for
,h. use of our artists. They cannot hope TO carry
eouyictioR until they have so flc the galleries OF
,he Fine Arts Building to keep the visitor in
tsressed in them from end to the other and to
r,ske him. Like Oliver. cry for more. The acad-
,ny has not done this thing. The exhibition now
open at the Tine Arts Building suggests rather
,hst tie character OF this organization is indeed
exse Having swallowed the society Il has re-
ye-ted the tone Of its least distinguished period
II has not improved upon the collection OF e year
$50 This one Is, II any thing. g. little less attrac-
tive
In tie encouragement Of American srt stress
must obviously be lad. not upon quantity but
upon quality. The question is not whether
la-ser building would have permitted the academy
io shoT more than The Ss3 pictures it shows
cav. The question is, How many Of these pictures
ere 70 be taken seriously? A considerable num-
be. Of them. OF course. but not half as many as
Il would be pleasure 10 record What is the
f7oube2 What is il Jhat makes Il impossible fer
the dsiuteresIed observer-eager TO find good work
and 10 praise Ii in the Narnest terns-to take the
optimistic view Of the situation that is implied In
fae current agitation for & salon? There is only
one test IL these matters The observer must be
mace 10 feel that he is being confronted by fresh
snd indvidualized work II is not enough as
has been stated in The Tribune before, that the
artist should execute his task fairly well. That
is the province Of the medi0crity. He must rise
above q hurn6-un level He must be more than
merely adecuate. He must not only have some
taing 10 say, but he must say il with persuasive
Gnd even exhilarafirg accent. 1t is only at long
intervals. On the present occasion. this test
is met
The men who meet it most frequently are the
painters Of landscapes and portraits Mr. Smedley.
for example. has sbuRdantly deserved the place
Of honor given to him. and the Carnegie Prize
which has been awarded his picture OF the
'Bookiovers." L is. doubt. a study IN por-
raltuTe presumably of the artists family grouped
out Of doors. and absorbed in book. but the main
point is that he has made picture OF his subject
ane has endowed IL with life. The figures are ar
ranged with the Hrtlessness befitting the motive,
snd al The time with q keen sense Of COM
position The quiet color scheme is charming and
so Is the effect Of diffused light which painter
has secured Best Of all. the execution free and
sure: there is nervous force behind it. How de-
lightful 1t would be if the exhibition brimmed over
with work such M SrnedIey has put into this
canvas and into his vivid portrait OF DR.. John G
Curtis. for Columbia University: Though the al
l0Eance OF portraiture OF this degree OF excel
isnce is comparatively small. there are several
painters who uphold Mr. Smedley's hands. There
is Miss Lydia T. ETnrnet, with her portrait OF
seated with his small on his knee. This
is capital in Tone and Il is painted with certain
engaging energy There IS much that is attrac-
tive, toe. tn Mr.. c. W. Hawthorne's Venetian
Girl" Evidently his Italian experiences have
fned his taste and steadied him in his technique.
We have here something OF the fulflment OF that
promise which mis- pictures have held out. His
Venetian type is well seen. well drawn. and por
trayed with q kind Of thoughtful intention aIr.
Hawthorne does the thing that longs to have
tie artist DO he stands out from the ruck- Mr..
Sergeant Kendall almost. but not quite. does the
same thing. His two portraits of James c. Knox
and Charles s. Knox. for st. Paui's School.
good that II is q pity that they should have too
much OF the quality OF still life. the inmobil.ty Of
convention The artist is more successful in his
nude study Of child called Reflection" In this.
he is little sleek but at least It is plain that
he IS driving q note OF his
I Is. perhaps, because he IS less concerned with
an original conception OF portraiture than with
MI Sargent has made popular. that Mr.. Irving
p wfles leaves q rather mixed impression with
his Portrait in Black" and THE Twins" The
latter attention through the piquant fash
son in which Mr.. Wiles has caught the almost un-
osnuy resemblance between his two little sitters.
but in the essential character OF this painting
enc OF its companion there is to be dscerned only
e surface cleverness. Mr.. H 0. Walker has been
betrayed. on the other hand, by an ambition for
something more than the tender feeling and the
.z1T- a1-1-1r
sure in his work lie has sought, in his Portrait
q Brother and Sister unconventional attituoes
snd deliberately picturesque and poetic compost
pon. The result is a painting that seems lorceo'
PARTING which wants his accustomed sincerity
Il gratifying TO observe the forward step taken
By Mrs Prellwitz in her portrait Of cniId ana
IN her Mrs George Fitz and Barbara" In color
arc ia drawing work is stronger. broader, ano'
into the bargain more suaTe than IL mas ever
beer before Hitherto she has seemed olsposen 10
put the decorative motive IN the foreground 10"
she Is decorative enough but sine thinks first OF her
sltter ana gains thereby all along the line This
question OF balance in portraiture or giving eq1ai
chances TO character and to costume OF accesSo-
fies Is &C course. brought UP again anu again i'i
fhis exhibition as IL has been brought up IN nun
ereds Of others Here and there painter "eti Pte
s.rvaz his noise Ny J. W Alexander in his
~Tc-thiugton Whittridge," MI s. j. WOOL ia InS
ALFRED Hertz" Mr. Clifford Snyder In - ne io-
~" Mr. August Franzen. IN ms POI ti1it
man. all put competent technique at Aii7
& .houef,tful ideal. Conspicuous among THESE @u
rirabie portraits IS Mr. Kenyon CoA s''
the late Augustus St Gaudens. made N ioos d 81
hing impression OF the great scHipioi- =" -
rest W. lave 20 reckon with portraits IA "hIi
elements of character OF less moment tidi o.
ELECTIVE schemes Of drapery and color. ines az
attractive when they show taste anu tS1--.--- ,
abiI,.x as IN the contributions OF MI ho"afo
Gushing MIR Robert Herr. Mr ha'' 80 t'.. e.,
Mr. r. D. GanIey and one or two others %. ~ =,
pan when they descend tn mere preftiress' p
The ,,-.-,s.v J,., x- William Thorne. Sirs a ID