New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-16
ART EXHIBITIONS.
Collections of Recent Portraits bg
Va79Ous Hands.

| 10 the foreigner We are, IN fact too often dis
posed to welcome the painter from abroad with
out carefully weighing his claims upon
sideration. The fact that he Is a foreigner
| seems to make him interesting to patrons,
| ana they sit 20 him at high price while they
neglect Americans possessed of much more ability.
| The result has been exhibition after another
| which the critical observer has only found de-
| pressing. The prejudice thus created in many
| quarters however, should be allowed to
| anect the status Of work we'll done, matter
from what it comes, and American portrait
painters are themselves quick to recognize merit
when 1t appears in the art OF a visitor from the
other side.
| Mr.. John da Costa, who comes from London has
| at the Tooth gallery a group OF half dozen por-
traits which should win him cordial reception.
He is thoroughly modern painter decorative in
the arrangement Of a portrait, but bent above all
upon conveying vivid impression Of his subject,
upon giving II the fullest possible vitality. In
deed. he would appear TO be disposed, at times to
| force the note, to put almost nervous ANNA
ton into his work. There is q portrait here Of the
young daughter OF Mrs. Winthrop, which both as
regards sentiment and color is little hectic. and,
to that extent, wanting in charm But Mr. Da
Costa do much better things, witness the
Miss Phyllis Sawyer in which he strikes full.
rich chord OF tone without hint Of excess any
where. This portrait too. illustrates tho artists
finest gift, a faculty for drawing with the brush
| senstively boldly and with precision. The hand
some profile is rendered at once with strength and
with delicacy. The key OF color in this Is alto
gether beguiling 1t Is also In the Miss Dor
othy Bennett" portrait in which composition.
handling and color seem to unite In perfect mar
mony 10 produce a vivacious effect. Mr.. Da Costa
has had great deal Of experience in painting
children. and this experience shows to advantage
IN more than OF the canvaseS contributed to
the present exhibition, notably the Miss Sophie
Bourdillon" and the Dolly Boom" but on the
whole he does himself most justice in the two por-
| traits of older sitters which we have referred
He has taste and ability and his footing here Is
secure
At tho Brandus gallery there are sixteen portraits
| by Mr. A. Benziger. He Is q careful, straight
forward workman, who makes UP for what he
| lacks in distinction Of color by solid draftsman-
| ship and modelling His best portraits are those
OF men. among which Of the late President
Mckinley is conspicuous Mr.. Emil Fuchs, who has
dozen portraits the Knoedler gallery, has like
| wise somewhat to seek in the matter OF color-hs
tones need TO be purified and chastenedbut he has,
on the other hand a certain huency His portraits
| are freely and sometimes gracefully executed AT
| the place there may be seen a collection OF
/ water colors by Mr.. II. a. Dyer. and downstairs
there continues the interesting exhibition OF etch-
ings by Whistler, from the Theobald collection TO
which have already alluded.
Another body Of etchings BY Whistler may be
seen Just now at the Keppel gallery. 1t contains
! some OF the Theobald pieces some from the royal
collection at Windsor. recently dispersed, ana some
| hitherto in the possession of New York connois-
seur. It Is rich In interesting subjects and en-
braces many fine impressions. The exhibition is.
IN fact delightfully."- representative, so far as IL
| goes one of the best whistler shows we have had
in this city for time. The Knosdler and tho
Keppel exhibitions together give the student or our
great etcher a valuable opportunity
Mr.. william sartan has placed view et the
Macbeth gallery some twenty-five thirty paint
ings most OF them landscapes. executed abroad and
in this country. These are uneven In quality. o.
n "CslOuD q Trees,
or THE IIu Road Mr. Sartain brings fairly Wig
orous brushwor1 TO the Interpretation OF his theme,
and in certain other pictures, Ike the Early
Autumn THE First Snow. be gives so true al
expression to landscape sentiment that momep-
tarily overlooks kind OF nervelessness IN the ex-
ecuton. More frequently however. this nerveesS-
pushes the merits OF the artist into the back
ground The most conclusive example of this un-
fortunate lack OF balance IS offered by the COM
position called 'In the Mounts aims OF the BaScata
The subject IS srand!ose but the treatment It re-
ceves renders 1t almost insipid It Is not that the
foreground Is so bare and smooth. and that the
whole scene IS devoid Of those Wilder incidents
which one associates with mountains. Mr.. Sartain
is obviously a sincere. truthful painter. and we
accept the substance Of this picture without ques-
ton. The trouble IS that the mere bulk or the
natural forms he has attempted TO paint demanded
largeness of feeling OF style. In the execution OF
the work. and this IS missing. The same tendency
to thinness OF texture. monotony OF tone and ex-
cessive smoothness OF handling Is noticeable IN
many of the things in this exhibition Mr.. sarain,
though possessing some individuality nevertheless
fails to exploit It in such wise give the be-
holder a really fresh and lasting impression.
There IS an exhibition OF old Italian pictures at
the Enrich galleries-an eclectic show in which
tho stxteepth century elbows the eighteenth. The
most interesting things in IT the works for
which the least ambitious claims made. There
is an italian Landscape" by Salvador Rosa,
which makes a pleasant decorative effect, and we
O. nelOdrarna
IN the David with the Head of Goliath" by Do
menico Feti Two agreeable pieces OF minor por-
traiture present themselves In The Astronomer"
and THE Young Scholar, given respectively to
Poutormo and Bernardino IAcinio. and there IS
handsome Venetian scene by Guard, OF the paint
ings attributed Francia, Ldberale da Verona,
Lorenzo Lotto and Marco Beo. tho Holy Fam
,ly' by the last mentioned artist. is perhaps the
most persuasive.
AT the Kraushaar galleries there is an exhibition
of spring and autumn landscapes by Mr. Allan
p Talcott At Clausen's, where portraits by Lydia
Field Emmett are view, there will presently be
another exhibition formed of pastels by Miss Mary
Helen Carlisle of gardens at Newport and else
vhare In the gallery of the New York School OF
A. Mr. Robert Henri has opened an exhibition
of his paintings Mr.. j. Alden Weir's exhibition
continues at the Montross Gallery. The winter
show of the National Academy of Design, at tho
Fine Arts Building. remains open until next Sat
urday night.
Every year at the Salmasundi Club there is
exhibition and auction sale of paintings by MEM
hers This year the sale, which is divided between
the evenings of January ls and 3D. VIII include an
item of special interest 1t is palette painted by
nine Observation-Disclosures Potthast. A. L.
Gron F. De Haven. A r. Wenzell, Paul Dough-
erty c. Veto, G. w. Eaton, Z. Luis Mora and w.
Granville Smith Each of these gentlemen has
nainted little picture on the palette. which, It
beap in q