New-York tribune., 1908-05-05
LONDON NOTES
The NeSc GoUery-4merican Plaus
Lady Kitty.
London, April -

E7on the Academy and the Scottish rafn+ars +o
annual shows There are not more than b.rf .
5ozen notable works this season and M- Fars,r
uZn divides the hono-s with the Sco7sr,ar E5,s
'Rsjah's Birthday" which was exbfbi-e5 q. 1ao-
oelols' Is suInp1uous example Of his brilliant
talents as = decorative painter Color ie mora
than designers pattern and life in the rich
nlsts O. or1enta sunlight is more than a brill
is1t Venetian revel- AIr Rranrv-yn 1,sas nain+
with reckless hand. as though he were rlavinr
Win Z rom sheer love Of color and sunlight
Ee makes II decorative v-ir17l,r -a~ara-ra - ~.
design which he has IN mind and frnpar1s 10 II
sense Of exuberart vitality and iovousnass
Dull spectators may he puzzled by the wealth
q RS inventions and the anomalies OF the COM
position with its elephants. banners and sv-arms
. natives, but when they double their distance
from TIE work and cease 10 hunt for allegorv
sto-y or conventions. they are in the way OF
Co-1P-ehendirs the motives Of an intensely mod
en- master Of decorative painting
TIE Scottish painters whose works stand ont
.-o-n the Gull ranges OF mediocrity on these walls
s-e NJ Lsve-y and Sir George Reid NTr Law
e.. during recent years, has been too intent
upon Initiating Whistler hopeless undertak-
i-g-to CO Justice 10 his own talents: but for
o-oe he seems 70 have renewed his youthful
s-dor and 70 have recovered his oldtfrne sensi-
-1ve-ess - refinement Of color and delicacy of
l1lI-ItllF MS portrait group. MRS. ACEWeT
q Ba-droehat with Katherine and Elizabeth
Is delightful composition with as harmonious
color scheme IS he has ever devised. and with
more vitality il faces and figures than he usual
y i-pa--s 70 them. Il Is a cool and refreshing
study ~ white and gray. with glints Of yellow
= 6z~o6tls and OF green IN the child-en's rib
hons. and touches Of blue IN the mothers hat
E76 vel Sir George Reid is always painstak-
t-s painter. with distinction Of style and
strength and precision OF modelling. and MS two
portraits the gallery are above the high aver
- MS work Each is q character study re-
--a-kzbIe for viv1dness- Lord Halshury Is re-
vea'Ad not only in external features and pose
r--r also N that sturdy. comma nding and genial
habit ~ mind and life known intimate friends
admitted 70 his confidence. Equally effective as
: likeness and as an irpers0nati0n Of charac-
re- Is The portrait Of rhe American Ambassador
which has been painted for Mrs. Reid The man
= there. IN a natural pose and with flush Of
health and vitality. and character IS revealed
with lucidity and directness CT treatment II IS
without doubt the most satisfactory portrait Of
tae ambassador ever painted.
There are Two Sa-Eents. Miss Lewis with an
arrangement Of Gainsborough blues, and Miss
Iz-7e Tickers. with . srnud=e of shadow on her
z--1. which seems n have interested the painter
mora than the subject herself There are two
shz-7o7s. each with = landscape background
lE-- MIS- toLCH--E anu III NJ
le- Graham and her 6aughter-the last most
charming work II Rouney-s romantic style IN
TIE south room there Is Vel drawn figure of
war hv Baron Rosenk-autz with an aLegory
which iz not readily understood: and there Is a
-~e-1 picture " Mrs Marianne Stokes with q
maiden fascinated rather than terrified by a
winged Death. II rhe large west room du-ness
-eis-s and scores Of carvases are utterly with
out character Never have there been 50 few
T7-- -
: tiny PepPe-co-n. with 4 sornhre pool and M
F-ank sperIove-Spenlove has put much pathos
into .-he Grey Farm" with its bare trees,
z1---rv atmosphere and 5evelled lights While
there are eva-esCenr traces Of Bu--e-Jones's
influence. tne New Gallery has ceased 70 stand
for any creative force II modern art
The ias-ained English habit OF condescension .
Is noticeable n comments on American plays .
Dramas Ike The College Widow" and Way
T-v1 East are accepted with Chiuly yelled
irony as characteristic evidences Of a forcible
tu- crude and fantastic civilization The critics
begin with excIzmations Of wondermenr over the
srriI American accent and end with stoia Re
factions CT tie extra ordinary vagaries Of life
s1d hu-nor il the land Of dollars ana slang
they are not unfair IN their structures. for when
they have treated The dIcri0u Of M George .
ACes play as essentially foreign and requiring
{ free translation for English p-aysoers. and
have shown how impossible and even '-uEtnlnk- .
able" Al Indiana college and cheating IN univer- .
s--r sno--s are from The oxford or Cambridge .
-ro;-- of view. thev admit that the stage man
sge1err x excellent and that the acting OF the
transatlantic players = conspicuous for SINGER .
~ rar1-alness and genuine comic spirit The
sz-oas-7s on the incidents Of the "oldti-iler.
Way Down East al the Ald~ych Theatre .
are -nilder and there Is spirit Of good natured 4
tolerance and reigEborly arnity IN The critical .
comments on I'll drama As the h-st night al-
55ences we're equally indL.sent- both American
E.eces have the advantage OF a -aF FoTa2le send
OF II England
n-hat the critics fan 70 perceive IS tHat each .
o. these dramas bu-lesEles American life. and .
--e- eccentric comedy Is deliberately acceAlu- .
z-e5 Tor The creation # audiences squire bari
-e---s rospirabIe farm house. with lis Boston .
bos-de-s and village choir. constable and g'ssip~
IA 1rsvesry oE the New England oI tTadltl9Lr .
z-z he proresote elements are exaggerated -oT .
--- SAX oe amusing Americans with eccentric
-e---f-fa-e-res Of old time Ia the same way
college manners and sports are bLriesq-ed ana
cs-.ca.u-ed n NJ. Ade's play. ana JAe,e :
--.4e-e-- =---ezT u the sense OF the -udlcrous .
--g zs--4--z-as- with which these New EaTnp- +
s-s-e z-= Indiana scenes are discussed by Eng .
-.sz -o----e--a-c~s on he stage realistic Ie- .
,-~=-,~-to~s Of AMERICAN lie is more amusing
-rs- n eccentric comedy itself i Americans
s., -.---o~ rz--se5 1hei- hearts on their sleeves .
- E-r+-- eg,Ils and swallows 70 peck a. they .
,,,s L +-r--a-ed bv misrepresentation u their 4
~,.----- n and OF the stage, but 1oT-dAale-S
-. = -r- s..rerssreitlve and can laugh al the +
vzcs,ous rno-aIlzing Of the critics lAe-' main