New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-16
LONDON ART.
SargentS and ShannOns at the 1cGd-
emy-Stories an Paint.
London, Nav l.


callv A nursery Of art conducted by a social
club. which blackballs rising genluses uI'i'
they are adequately disciplined. PracucaIy II
IS an exhibition hall where the public expects
70 get its moneys worth in portraits Oh men
and women Of the day and interesting suDJeI'
y,ic1lrps marines and landscapes Inc Acdu-
envy draws day after day a larger cohcouiSe %
visitors than any other collection OF cui rem 81
There nav not be more than a dozen "oi ms Oh
The first rank. but there are aI"Ays "uiiN''uS
y csn,ases Dainted for the general purpose OF
exhibition on the line, and the long PROCESSION
Of sightseers files by them week after week
with excIaD1ations of delight, though they
were greeting old friends whom they had not
seen for A long time. This season there is the
usual assortment of exhibition pictures. There
&c no Rrangwyn and that is a serious loss. for
he is the only painter IN the Academy with a
genius for decoration: there is Abbey since
the American painter has been fully occupied
Rith his Harrisburg panels. and while there is
an imitator OF his work on the line, 1t is not the
eenuine art Of illustration in oil, and there is
no Alma adena. although his wife and daugh-
Ter have minor works. Otherwise all the prom
inent PAINTERS and sculptors are represented on
q respectable level of average achievement and
there is no lack of entertainment for the crowds
eager 10 see the fashions in painted costumes
and the odtime stories in oils. The academic
snecdote IN paint. which had long
during the Victorian period, still survives
classical subject, and the sightseers love it.
The Academy cannot be without a masterpiece
when 1t numbers among the elect the greatest
living painter. Mr.. Sargent is a creative genius
who never repeats himself and is always produc-
ing new effects Of realism by sheer force of tech
nique. His crowning achievement this year is
the portrait Of Lady Sassoon-one Of his "swag-
and a ma Of iDP VII y
and power. out Of the black background. which
Whistler loved, energies the lady in blush black
cloak and black hat with feathers. and she lives
on canvas. There are pink facings in the sleeves
and there is white lace with pink at the throat
and breast and the dark figure is differentiated
from the background with extraordinary
subtlety. The face shaped in light is intensely
alert and exquisitey sensitive. and the delicate
hands which are deity employed in arranging
the drapery, have much character the
head. II is masterpiece Of portraiture which
no other living painter could have sent out of
his studio on the opposite wall is another fine
Sargent-Lady Speyer, in a white gown. with
bare arms. with violin against her neck, and bow
In the other hand. There is an admirably paint
ed background suited TO music room. but it is
the dreamy face under the sheaf OF brown hair
that commands attention, and the supple figure
is fairly swaying with the rhythm of melody.
The hands are painted with loving care so as to
suggest the executive force and sensibility which
come from training. In another room is Mr..
sargenrs portrait of the Countess of Essex, in
white and light blue. with lace falling from her
left hand-a slightly theatrical figure against
light blue background, but with wonderful
brushwork in the dress. There is also portrait
Of Mrs Archibald Langman from the same
hand with vitality concentrated IN face and eyes
and the figure gracefully posed. Finally. there is
LADY Eden in black lace at a card table, with
Intensely alert face and long neck painted with
astonishing realism
There IS only one other portrait painter whose
work survives direct comparison with the Sar-
gents and he, too, is an American. Two Of MI
J. shannon's partraits have been exhibited
in America, and need not be described in detail
These are Mrs. Icloelheimer, IN black lace and
hat against dark red background, and Miss
Irene Cnterreyer, in brown costume and white
iur-a most charming work. There is also a
portrait Of the painters brother, Mr. T a.
Shannon, with light brown hair against dark
Brown background. Another work is a presen-
iauon portrait Of Mrs. Joscelin Bagot and her
son. admirable IN composition and color and
With much Of the vitality which Mr.. Sargent
imparts to his subjects. The most picturesque
Shannon Is the full length of the little Oriental
lady, Mrs. Rattan Tata, with shimmering black
and gold costume and a background opulent in
ooor-a really brilliant work. in which the
arlst has literally played with paint. The only
remaining American work, in addition TO Mr..
George Wetherbee's idyllIc lovers under trees is
Mr. Max Bohm's Youth" with a pair Of run
hing girls in the full light Of a sylvan glade
line passage framed IN shadowy masses Of
oark with dull red cones 10 light them up. Ii
vigorous and delightful work. markedly
OlleinaI in composition and full OF action-a
GO Ter
IN the right place in a ballroom.
There is no lack OF portraiture for the sight
seers who will throng the galleries during the
next three months. Mr., Albert s. Cope's por-
ualt OF the King is in the place Of honor. and
tlhce the uniform is white and gold with scar
'el TONED down II offers an agreeable con-
usst TO the usual ceremonial works with their
NFld coloring Mr.. Crchardson. who is the most
British Of Academy painters with a restful style
VI ms own which is unaffected by American
energy or French mannerisms. has two easy
sung character studies-AIr. Thomas c. Martin |
WIN me atmosphere Of library and Mr. w |
= Heatoh-Armstrong in russet hunting cos |
lone Mr.. Walter Ouess has bueinesslika |
portrait Of Sir Donald Currie and a better
subject IN patriarchal Sir John Kennawav. with
moving gray beard-not as he appears at Exeter
nan or in the Commons. but in the riding cos
1'Ne OF country squire Sir Luke Fildes has
SeIIes OF portraits more or less conventional
az Af- Hubert Won Herkomer as many tho
one with an arrangement Of black and
.eu' Mr.. Brton Riviere has painted Mrs Rim
Sauih IN academic style and Mr. RIancba MIC
opei win decisive realism. Lord Amptbr bao
ueeh taken at full length by Mr. Albert u CT
.-isS with less success. Mr.. George Henri, hoe
-, portraits unequal 10 THE Blue Gown "
l'l carried him into the Academy last voar
ne portraiture Of the season sbovs two Ear
'enaencies-a Development 90 - - I-Iai fleu |