New-York tribune., 1907-01-22
ART IN PHILADELPHIA.
The Annual Exhibition of the Penn
Syirania academy.
From staff Correspondent OF The Tribune
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'ional usefulness. For some years its annual
exhibitions have been superior TO those held
elsewhere. and this season the collection brought
/ forward is. the whole. worthy of its prede
cessors. 1t IS true that the 635 pieces of paint
Ing and sculpture include nothing that is Of
/ sensational Importance, but many fine works
are shown and the average throughout is good,
a fact which is in itself gratifying After all.
while the star picture is often a great com
! fort, there is perhaps more pleasure be got
out of an exhibition which. like this one. is
fairly interesting all along the line Then, too,
the paintings here that above the average
make sufficiently imposing group
! There are four Whistlers, among them the full
length of Henry Irving as Philip" This is cal
culated to interest the painter more than the
! layman, inasmuch II wants the rounded
| charm which belongs. say, to the Portrait OF
the Artists Mother" TO the Miss Alexander
As an illustration OF Whstlers technique in a
little known aspect it is of the highest value.
! The picturesque figure Is freely and loosely
painted, in marked contrast to that carefully
considered method which is familiar III
the masters work. The portrait is. of course,
restrained in tone but the handling has free
dom which provokes tantalizing reflections on
what Whistler might have added to the art that
we know If he had more often let himself go.
on this occasion. and had even carried spon-
/
full length. of Count Robert de Mon
tesquiou.'' is a consummate study in black and
gray but somehow not Interesting as so good
/ a piece Of tone ought to he. II is not precisely
| dull; ii is rather that the thing seems without
! freshness. without vitality. The portrait Of
Irving makes you feel that the painter found
genuine inspiration in his subject and on
the way making masterpiece out Of It,
There is a perfunctory air about the other por-
/ trait: It's excellence commands respect but
leaves the observer cold. Not the two small
! canvases, Ia Napolitaine' and Blue and
! Coral: The Little Blue Bonnet" The first OF
/ these a closely anayzed portrait of a sleepy
/ eyed model. has a warmer human interest than
1 Whistler usually cared to cultivate. and II is
most subtIy and beautifully painted into the bar
gain. The Blue and Coral" another portrait,
is a delightfully."- vlvacious note. rich in exquisite
color. Altogether Whistler takes a provocative
part in the show: he Is not evenly triumphant,
but in one way or another each one Of hts pict
ures is representative As much may be said
Of Mr.. sargent's sole exhibit. the Portrait Of
Rev Endicott Peabody with the reservation
that beyond characterstcally swift and sure
/ execution the has less TO say than one
| expects from such a master Of style
Mr.. Dewing. like Whistler creates wherever
| ne shows an atmosphere Of his own. at
mosphere Of beauty and distinction. His Lady
with Lutte" another Of his delicate arrange
! ments of tone shares the honors, in OF the
galleries, with WhistIer's two smaller portraits.
a totally different picture. that is nevertheless
10 be welcomed for the same virtue OF orig
inality and true artistic quality, is - Tinker"
by Mr. Frank Brangwyn. This is n bold dec
| arative performance. a little lacking in charm
| as 10 color. perhaps, but painting done from
/ the centre" painting by man who has ideas.
Among the more salient pictures there are in
evitably a few dating from earlier years but
! none the less welcome on that account. since
| they happen to be paintings OF individuality
and power. Since they are we'll known IN New
York I need only mention Mr. La Farges noble
Visit Of Nicodemus 10 Christ" Mr Ryder's Res
direction" and with Sloping Mast and Dipping
Prov" and Mr.. Winslow Homers High Clin.
| Coast Of Maine" II IS good Miss CAS-
| salts Femme TEventail" and Dams Ia Loge."
! Both doubt, show the influence of Manet her
/ master. but both superbiy painted. with
I full robust touch that must have had behind II
an original impulse, an absolutely unforced emo
/ tion II is. however upon the vitality OF the
current work shown that the interest of the ex-
exhibition rests considered as n whole.
| one contributor OF such work Mr.. Carl Mel
| chers also shows some OF his earlier pictures
| but most Of his canvases are recent, and there
| ara so MANY OF them that they have been given
= gallery to themselves. They deserve this con-
! suicuity and II is 10 be hoped, by the way. that
| they NAV by and by be similarly presented IN
| New York Mr. MeIchers IS a thoughtful and
| sincere craftsman. keen, in the first place. on
presenting a truthful report Of his subject. and
| tnen az solicitous for agreeable decorative
| effect For this he relies quite much upon
color as upon form, and the result is often very
pleasing There is in his collection ful length
| portraIt of Mrs Mechers which embodles de-
lightful harmony of white and rose and gray
| In this too and in the portrait OF Mrs H. D.
! sheldon the artist not only achieves admirable
! form and color but adds much TO his work by a
subtle suggestion of movement The group OF
eighteen or twenty canvases discloses a versa
| tile gift Mr Melchers is no less successrui IN
bis studies of Dutch peasants than in his por-
! traits On the other hand his most AMBITIOUS
| connosition. a Last Supper" painted on a large
| scaIe falls to carry conviction. The heads are
fun Of character. and So for that matter. are
the figures genuine feeling has unmistakapiy
baen brought to the task of making every type
! A. che scene expressive whether through gest
ure or through expression in the eyes or lips
p+ g. &c nerhaps impossible to mOderniZe this
great theme and convey an impression or un-
| o,,0ad artistic felicity. If archaeological
| treatment Is too cold. freer treatment Is apt
| - bandicaD the painter as heavily in another
| a,roction He may be never SO competent
ga AFr NTeIchers is technically in full command
| . ,,,solI in this tnstance-and still the picture
will be disappointing.
| rrha 1andscape painters. divided as always into
| tro groups. this year owe to the hanging com
rnittee a peculiarly sharp differentiation OF their
! rasDective ideals Next to Mr.. Melchers room
| .bra ,s one given up entirely 10 the impression
| t,, ona this experiment is much TO be COM