New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-10
ART EXHIBITIONS.
rEs Work in BrOn2e of ViRcensO
GemitO.
Ge1nitO.

-
.,r.ed with practically personality. Vim
go Cenlito the maker Of these bronzes. IS a
~,.soolitan who at time seemed destined to
,,bjeye worldwide celebrity His work was APP
,ciated in his native land and in Paris. Little by
i,.,la Il was carrying his name elsewhere. Then
~. mind fell under shadow and lie was withdrawn
sror the world. Years have passed since he last
v,,oeuced a work OF sculpture The cessation OF
81. activity artist has meant severe loss TO
n. profession in Italy. The plastic genius OF that
country, SO fecund and supremely effective dur
sng the golden years OF the Renaissance. has not
feen revived in modern times. Canova, for all his
tssnt was scarcely worthy Of the tradition estab-
llshed by his historic predecessors and since Ca
nova the sculpture OF Italy has been chiefly in the
hands Of tssteess craftsmen. artist OF respecta-
bic gifts rising above the ruck only at rare inter
,sls The most interesting work shown at the
Milan Exposition last summer was by a man tech
nlcslly brilliant, but IN spirit imitator OF RodIn.
Gemto himself did not bring profound genius to the
development OF his art. But he did bring streak
81 something more than mere talent: he brought
feeling as well as Skill and. into the bargain, a
touch OF style. Re placed an accent OF sincerity
,pon the things that he did, where most OF the
italian sculpors Of his period have been pretentious
ana shallow.
notable instinct for character formed part OF
Vincenzo Gemit0s equipment an artist. This
cones out viyidly in the collection exhibited bv
sgnor de- Nero. There are busts shown OF several
Of the seuptor's distinguished contemporaries and
there Is a sts;uette or one OF them. All these
portraits have extraordinary vitality In the
Verdi" we get bold and broad impression OF the
composers splendid brow. In the 'Fortuny' all
that brilliant artists Spanish warmth and grace
Is reproduced with just the right note of pictu-
Eesqueness. The 'MoTelli,' portrait OF the well
known painter is executed with amazing brio: the
very soul of the subject seems TO color and cleo
frffy Genlto's handling. Again, in the statuette
OF Meissonier. not only the obvious elements in
his physique bat the subtler springs of carriage
and demeanor are consummately expressed. Truth,
IN short, forms the core Of these works That
indeed Is the points, il is not the mere truth Of SUP
face ii is the truth that lies the heart OF char
acseT that Gemito puts before Us Innumerabie
ether italian sculptors have shown Photographic
accuracy IN their statues Gemito was concerned
70 SET the accuracy Of art. Witness not only the
portraits he produced but the statuettes Of South
ern types. The Water Boy and The Fishing
Boy" Such subjects these may be found in am,
Italian shop window, fun OF commercial bronzea
but II Gemltos pieces were displayed in such com
pany they would detach themselves from their sur
Toundings as a work OF Celinrs might do under
the same circumstances. That is 10 say instead OF
facie, commonplace execution. Cemito gives vo,,
distinguished modelling, a vitality and a finish
spelling has been hinted above soynett,irr ,-.-,.
The eenius There is one tiny bust here The
Old Boatman" which is little masterpiece ~ ev
pTessive and personal modelling. It Is made IN OF
many delicate little touches hut there &c nott,in,
email or nigging about the ensemble That gs
robust and broad I'm the true spirit Of sculpture
Gemitos art is in peculiarly marked contrast 20
TIE irlylai and brittle art OF the average Italian
sculptor. Not IN Italy alone, hut wherever scf,In4
uTe is prsctised he bears himself we'll 4, oo,,,arI
son with his contemporaries, commanding the re-
spect and admiration OF his equals and Of those
Who have surpassed him. He never attained the
imaginative beauty or the grandeur OF style char
teieFste. say. OF our own ST. Gaudens: but in his
eWn sphere he triumphed absolutely. and we may
be sure that II he lad not been stricken IN his
prime he would have travelled far
The eighth annual exhibition OF the American |
Society Of Miniature Painters is now open at the
knoedler galleries. It contains a great deal %
soeauste work and some things that are above the
average The displays OF this useful organization
si"sys bring up the same question always set one
70 rejecting on the difficulty Of making a minia
1I'F reaIiy psinterlihe affair or course with
some rninaturiss this difficulty is treated as neg
IsiOie quantity. They aim at nothing more than a
SMOOTH careful statement Of the facts and their
portraits might just as well be colored nbo.o
graphs. Several Of the exhibitors at the Knoedler
t.hefy suggest this thought But there are others
VINO While respecting the convention forced unon
mem by the scale on which they work neverthe-
less contTlve 10 invest their execution with some
ians OF the living quality that should belong 10 a
painting. Irrespective OF its dimensions The
~"1nElst OF whom we expect most in this re-
selo, MISS Laura coombs Hills. is for once a lit
y disappointing Neither Of the two portraits she
s'O"s Is especially accomplished. and OF them
tne portrait OF q young in a green coat f.
Maiked BY curious craftsmanship. But several
other contributors maintain the standard Mrs
'Aoa Fairohild Fuller's two studies Of very young
A'lefs are delightful both for precision and for
Eeaath' and In color they charming. Mr.. "
J. "nittemore is admirable. too in his treatment
q ihe fur in his Miss L. Mccutcheon," and there
are capital pieces by Mrs n. I. Bush Brown Mr.
J. "A
aeleImann Miss II. r. strafer and Miss Alice
Remington
al these painters seek 10 generalize details. to
Vt heKibity into their work and they leave, on
me Nhoie' a favorable impression. Mr.. w. J. Baer
gees Tor polish rather than for breadth in his DOR
Hai'E The results satisfactory. far as they
60 Dut he is much more engaging I'm his large
panel 'Prmsvera," study OF a graceful semi
nude figure floating against landscape back
ground This figure is decately drawn, and the
eoior scheme, though little sweet. IS sti pleas
ant There are two other miniatures here.
which Ike this one illustrate ambition 20 exploit
tpufely pictorial motive. Mrs. A. r. Brewster has
elen painted landscape. The Hudson from River
use Park" The work in this vein Is clever yet
does not quite demonstrate that the miniaturist
= vel advised 70 stray from the safe anchorage
y tofGaituTe Success is the sureT when portrait
t1a picture are made one in Mrs A. ". S.
stpeFts interesting Study of Sunlight" The
NC OF this collecton-it contains IFS eXamples-s
encouraging, though IL IL true that IL has been
sHeied by the inclusion OF a good many common
pace works. II shows that there is still public
ior dainty art that has never been excessively
popular IN this country.
The paintings brought together by the late Stan
t"N White which shown with all the other
81 objects in his collection recently sold at his
mouse. have been moved TO the American Art
ea.efies for a kind Of supplementary exhibition
incidentally a number OF pictures for which there