New-York tribune., 1908-02-05
ART EXHIBITIONS.
Nesr Pictures by american Artists,
and Some Old Prints.

and Some Old Prints.
The expression OF personality in art would seen
Sc be simple enough affair. What more is needed
shsu that the artist should look at his subject ii
MS and paint Il according TO his owl
technical principles? Il is as easy as breathing
.-ntii yop Try TO dc II. Then pitfalls yawn and
.nIass you really have gift for the expression O.
our personality in srt. the disinteTested observes
re-ceives. though YOU may not that you have
fallen into or the other OF them with al the
ease IN the world Some such reflections as these
ere provoked by the exhibition now open at tht
Macbeth gallery OF fifty sixty pictures by &
r-orp OF young American artists. The group Is
evidently interested in the aliuring mystery Of
rz,ut as 3 medium TO be exploited for fits own sake
The different members Of it feel that they have
something say which they can best say by cast
snr aside the conventions OF mere picture making
nv rairfiuE with absolute directness. and by Civ
ing 10 their ucrk closely autographic character
zE rpossiiIe. Il is excellent ambition in lire
With that which has ieS TO triumph some Of the
strongest fl modern art. But what If the art
sst bent upon giving TO his subject an envelope
very much his cwn is distracted thereby from
hu.la:ng a firm foundation for his work. What if
sn the search after style, he lands IN empty
rerisul,
Il IS presumably. the intention OF these painters
- hese their nature. but they leave an un-
comfortable impression OF having developed their
tseas WITHIN iL-lighted studio walls. under the
influence of this or that foreign master. One e1cep-
nm there IS 70 be noted. II IS provided By atr.
T--es. Lawson. whose interest f. Impression
ss-ic formula has ed him try I'll his pictures
with light aod air He is fairly successful and in
-xan Of his four canvases. Early Summer and
abandoned Farm" ne gives sou truth that trern-
ties OF the verge OF beauty Because there is
certain singleness of aim about Mr. Lawson he
communicates a measure OF individuality TO his
.,o-k Mr. Robert Henri is always promising to do
this but never quite fulfilling his promise He is
-e5izioTsIy clever. His Dutch Soldier IS painted
h CAPITAL vgo- and in almost any Of his pictures
,ou VII find here and there & passage of effective
rainting Unfortunately, the broad character of
tss work suggests curious and infertile eclecti-
cisu 2p experimental mood. il which you feel
vaguely TIRE influence CT Manet Whistler. So II
q with NJ William J Glackens and Mr.. Everett
Shin They. too, are clever men MI Shinn is.
indeed extraordinarily adrolt- But between the
-s-soaahy that Il is be inferred he is endeavor-
;ng 70 express and the sympathetic but unpretu-
diced eve there stand the brilliant figures Of Degas
and Forain- II is not that Mr. Shinn has borrowed
their motives. Theatrical scenes ballet girls have
been painted by unnurnbered artists. Il is that
Hhst these Frenchmen mean as regards style
sesps getting into the foreground Of the young
Americans work, only it wears there the air of
.uEanerisnl O. derivaIive thing Il is impossible
70 consider this situation without regret A of
such ability ought surely TO be doing fresher and
finer things
NJ. G-ackens Is even more provocative Of this
esEe-ness % see vivid talent led into the right
channels. II some subtle fashion he inspires the
bsiief that he has In him the power 10 DO dis
.taguisled work There are qualities N his large
picture The Shoppers which suggest that he
would 60 fa- 4 only he would throw of the ard-
fczl atmosphere now envelopng his art There
is t-Us seriousness in what he does. He can think
fcT himself. II he chooses 20 SO; that is certain
As il = lie, ike his companions, seems 70 be OBJ
sessed With theory. This effect as OF work done
aot GU C genuine personal force but out Of fac
ttLios Gailying with studio traditions comes out
oddly and yet very clearly II the paintings Of Mr..
John Sloan He chooses his subjects from city
life painting pictures Of Election Night Hair
1resser's Window. Sixth Avenue or Sixth Ave
ne anc 39th Street, 1907" He puts into these
paintings q little. very little. Of the movement
tnd local color which the titles suggest But.
instead cf giving the impression Of life, actually
observed. he makes you wonder If he has not pro-
resded the hypothesis that there is something
talis-ranfr about subject and that paint q
greet scene IS 10 secure reality. Il depends. OF
oourse upon how the street sceze is painted. AL
q these artists are driving az reality Ar. George
L-ks fc- example. doubt felt that ne COM
snE = close grips with nature when he painted
RS picture Of Pigs But II IS precisely the eie
Gne1- q nature truth accurately seen and sensi
tivey painted that IS lacking from this show The
contributors appear as men moving about In worlds
ror realized as Rroring toward their material
vel as toward artistic method. Il is interesting
= speculate rs 70 what they might do II they weTe
eu . abancoa their present theories. put them
ssres n the hands CT a rUthlessly academic in I
sr-uc-o- ard then 90 forth into the living breath
straightforward portrayal Of visible things. The
eT-ert-ue-+ is worth their trying.