New-York tribune., 1907-01-22

study 'Ine spirit or antique Art, MS mOdelIihS
is of a conventional insipid sort, entirely at
variance with antique ideals of beauty. Mr..
Clifford Addams's Young Jewess" another
nude is merely coarse. the kind of student work
that you in quantities in the Salon and do
not think of taking seriously. There is a group
Of painters here, Mr.. Robert Henri. Mr. William
J. Glackens and Mr.. Jerome Myers. inviting
closer scrutiny. and. as has often been stated in
The Tribune before. 1t has q way of repayng
such scrutiny-in a measure. These young men
are trying for something. something worthy OF
| the inspiration they have received from Manet
and from kindred figures in the French school
But they continue in derivative vein, and are
amusingIy experimental rather than conclusively
satisfying. Mr.. Henri. the most important OF
the three. shows here certain full length por-
traits of Spanish types. Young Woman of Ma
drid,' La Reina Nora and Felix Asiego:
Matador." From the legend upon of these
1t is to be inferred that they all painted
in Madrid but without the legend this would be
doubted which is another way of saying that
the figures are without the breath of life, and
spell kind of dry artifce rather than direct
observation. Mr. Henri is much preOccupied
with pigment and brush work. which Is precise
ly as it should be- but though he gets, here and
there. effective passage of technique he pur-
sues in vain the quality that endows pigment
way. EFFORTS an indubitabIe charm from his ma
terals is Mr. Walter Gay, who sends to the
exhibition three little paintings of French inte-
rors. paintings executed with an eye to the
grace of form color in a bit OF furniture or a
decorated wall. One of these studies lie
Buste, showing a room with bit of sculpture
set against background enlivened by some Of
Helleu's dainty heads has an unobtrusive dis
tinction which might we'll be envied by the
painters Of many of the more aggressive pict-
ures shown
There remain the portraits portraits so nu-
merous that in a general View of the exhibition
| they may he said to fill the foreground in re-
spect TO mere physical bulk. In point of quail
ity they create anew that situation which we
all know 50 we'll. They are good portraits. ade-
quately put together sound in workmanship in
refined taste where the color IS concerned and
sympathetic in the Interpretation of character.
Sometimes there is a brisk vvacious note to be
applauded as in Mr. Alexauder's Study in
Black and Green or Miss Beaux's Portrait of
Mrs. John F. Lewis" Sometimes there is an
honest simplicity lifting a portrait above the
ruCk in the case Of Mr. De Camps Portrait
of DR.. Horace Howard Furness" or Mrs Adel-
aide Cole Chase's portrait Of girl, and more
frequently. in contrast TO these straightforward
things. there are bright. clever decorative por-
traits. These by Mr.. w. NJ Chase by Mr..
J, r. Hopkins, by Mr.. Julian story, and by a
dozen others. Frankly. however. it j. difficult
to develop any special enthusiasm over the bulk
of the portraiture I'm the show. 1t is all ami
mated, workmanlike. so credtable to every
one concerned. II only II We're touched with a
fresher bolder spirit. II only its solid merits
were accompanied by brilliance of style. The
sculpture leaves similar impression. Two
men loom above all the rest-Mr. st. Gaudens.
with number Of familiar pieces. and Mr. An
drew O'Connor, with four works Of distinctly
original quality But there is too much sculpture
that suggests the accomplished craftsman
rather than the creative artist. r c.