New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-01
ART EXHIBITIONS.
MD Theatrical Portraits at the
GrOlier Clab.

r,sct no less appealing to the lay1nan than to
- .onnoisseur, that OF theatrical portraiture
- would have 10 be, indeed. pTeternaturally dull
- ,Asfst the charm OF this collection, a charm SIN
,.-Iv human and besuiling. Some little knowi-
sgs Of earlier stage history would not aIniss
- ,he visitor at the Grolier Club, yet one needs
- he profound student 10 enjoy such portraits
80 there been gathered together A theatrical
,rt OF the eighteenth century in England was a
- 6inerent thing from the photograph that IN
~ oun day peases the fancy OF some admirer Of
. rsgring favorite. only to be superseded. after a
IN weeks by a similarly conventional memorial
n newer star 1t was engraved by artist
10 took pride in his work. from painting by an
.unovvledged master, and Il had a permanent
lie Take for example, MT. King Puff
~ 11a, painted by Zoffany, and engraved by J.
young THIS is than the record OF an inter
...nR personality, Il is a mastery work Of art
- there is one thing that above all else distin.
,isbez these prints IL is their freedom from any
hing suggesting such formula as might easily
hsve imposed itself upon the pictorial art having
,ts origin in the playhouse. There fixed
rifles OF design in this field there no fitting OF
6 performer into a standard frame. In fact, II is
,uriou. to that the portraiture OF private
re in that period was much more apt 70 embrace
certain routine motives than was the portraiturs
~ the theatre. We all know the stately column.
the looped masses OF drapery, and the distant
n-ospect" indispensable 10 the background of many
a portrait painted by Sir Joshua, and not always
dtsdaine6 by TIE much more spontaneous Gains
horoush Vice tie Ys;-S<Zr turned to the por-
trsral Of tie rcset actcl1 srG actresses Of their
lime they shanicred al taaa para phernslia, and
.sern bv scnre sirEr~ nsrpE:g TO have carried the
freedom ans A-t'ezEt-se (: ieture into the one
,nhere IA which C-.:f,a - supposedly predominant
ms g o-.e wz-v of - Ct3C that they pTactised
kiu5 Il ,rI.- Sxs!oziszu. seeking always to give
vivid. rsaissGc account Of tie subject in hand
This view or the mister Is not contradcted by the
-reseuce n tc!s STOW 81 three four prints hsv-
;nE classical grandeur of style. The portraits OF
John Philip Ke.bIe Cato and as Hamlet 'Nos'
0T 1852 ere me jestc IN composition and strike IN
s.,. zouethinr Of an heroic note, hut * Is sgnih-
cant that both portraits preserve the rich warmth
~ the theme: dramatic truth is not lost IN tcrhal
ststeliness Il is the with the Mrs. Sddons
>. the Tragic Muse" (rIo. :50. stppled by Harvard
after the grand portrait ~ Reynolds, and with the
ro,el7- Mrs Ellington As Saint Cecilia ono I'D.
engraved by Ward after the same painter The
nicr1lres are nagnifcently put together Dut the I'M
mobility Of the tableau is carefully avoided
II is as though the artists and engravers OF that
time knew how keen was the human sympathy be-
+vras tre salient figures Of che stage and the men
and women IN the audience. and bent all their ener-
Eies toward giving their portraits the utmost VI
tality possible
r5e-a were limitations however, placed upon
this phase OF ar. limitations that bring up a
genealogical question. Tire success OF portrs't
depended after all. upon the capacity OF the artist
"a rise 10 the spiritual elements In his proo'el-
You realize this the mere keeniy when you STUDY
Eic PORTRAITS. some OF IiSse otc ASt
Tn. two portraits OF Kemble. already noted, we're
nain+ed by Sir Thomas LeWTencs, and tnoosn
that master was not remarkable Tor greatness o.
anu he was not utterly without inlaslhsNFs r.
source But rnors often the task OF lh'e'p'eII
,5-4,l,7g ir1persone ton seems 70 have panied
-. e-tiz4 Zoranys portrait Of 't5aITFcA ana
NJ roTitchard in Macbeth - nc. ~ IN me
r,ezzotint By vaIentins Green. Is almost oeVoiu
~ tragic feeling: and save for TIE ora1fauo SKY
.h.rA 7yo,,l5 bs nothing IN tho "GarrtcR es King
al nv Wilson. and engraved
b. Nc Ar6eu 20 rescue It from the sanls category
Of ,,nirsptred design. Rornneys HENDERSON az
Macbeth Go So, in the rnez5otins oy D JONES u
an a higher level Of emotion. but here too mere
a, .-.th,,. ,ac,ine something OF the passion
- genius which no one familiar with the pay
csn forget as he looks at the portrait fuLoa-
mentally the deficiencies IN these nnoEo
rlates are TO be traced 20 the artists insphity I"
zrasp his high erected theme. yet there are &C
cesio,,s on which the ideal must have been mace
the 6erder 10 reach by the odd'ues OF esA'9ot'u
century stage setting. When Garr1cK ana "a
F,-Itchsrd played their great scene IN asooe'h
+be, wore clothes which. 20 the modern eye. nave
en- yncorgr71ity fatal to the spirit OF the orHllla
zo1fanv no doubt forgot them when he wlthesSso
.ba nArfoTnsnce. but that was because the ~
,rere firing his imagination with gesture ana WIN
The spoken word. He. poor man. cou1 slFo
,-s-zl- more than the shell Of what ne saw anu
a. .bro,,zh TO fault Of HIS OWL, perhaps, ne pays
heavy penalty, leaving the t"ennetn cenluS
coId where he may have gone Tar toward s@'ISIy
,nv the publio OF the eighteenth me same CHa
..sh,a lev must be taken OF Peter van BLOCK
90, C,rter a. cordeIia' Go. 81 and with even
.-rs,.r emphasis Of Boynes Mr.. MackNn ana
W.. Pom. IN the Characters OF ShgiocN anu
ror4{s" CSo 10 This latter PRINT - qua4'I -
t+.,IF 4bs lew appearing in a makeup tnat won"
p. simply inconoeivable to-day ana so-o %
1870, ag7,res wearing the dress OF Georgian
.~o,t.It.s Cen we blame the artists VINO "eIe
obliged thus to present personages VINO IA our
ou-n .xperfeucs have always worn tnoIous'N'
plausible trappings? -..,o, ~
r. arosntricities that AFFECT cur impression OF
-, - ,,o-+ratts cease to operate, IL they 90
,o+ actually serve 20 heighten the effect when t,e
subject Of ono OF these portraits happens :"
drawn from comedy. Ia II that QuesIoi4S %
tune are naturally OF less iuportaAlCe III LIZ
v,,t- :. srsn,atto art or is Il that the MAKER Oh
,be ror.rssts could the readily ADAPT hlhSelA
"a ,ts appeal OF his sitter? Certainly the POI
OF the comedians are, as a rule. oeyono Prs1Se o
q certain realistic animation one o. '.o
tints shown IN a Eupe~n impression 10 DEL
yre6,,r+ion Of s. de wIlds's Mr.. Bennister, Jr' IN
syvbo, tIa r1,ne?' (Hyo b. How crfsply IL the por
trai, drsyni With what an air or HE ana hui"oi
has the srtiEt erveioped the gracefuI nEure' Ss
ana again N this exhibition you come upon prints
from which as in this instance the fun OF corneoS
seems noz,tively 70 exhale. Consider the sTln
low framed IN en- enormous wig OF flames Chal-
rners as Midas'' Clo. 10 painted oy Whrs1hs' -U
engraved by Watson. Consider the viva oeno'e
ment OF dramatic action in Young ehgrasiNe
after Zoflsny's portrait OF MI braLSOs. M -
sons and Mr. watkins IN Lefhe" CSo 70 In van
Bleecks ''Crirn and johnson In the Characters
Of TrfbuIation and Ananias" Q'o 80. and IN La.
RES reproduction OF Psrfdnsors shuCer, SSoN
and Mrs Green in She Stops 20 Conquer Wv"
100 Az character gtudies. too. the PORTRAITS oa'o
extraordinarily varied interest. They are IN eVsiI
key from the broad comicality OF Alefounders
Edwin as LINGO" (So. ~, engraved OE Ihouso-'
10 the incompatible grace and elegance Oh Ia"
r.nce's Miss Farren'' 90. 49,, st'pp4so Dy
~f b