New-York tribune., 1908-05-05
ART EXHIBITIONS
The american Water Color Society.

Il Ht dmCFGOH ~ utC7 SOtU DOttttu.
The exhibition now being held at the Fine Arts
Building by the American Water Color Society is
very pleasant affair. II is varied in character
than usual. generous proportion OF the space
available having been filed with pastes, etchings
and illustrations. The collection has been well
hung. too, and the presence of a few singing birds
IN cages gives last and very pretty touch to an
ensemble delightfully."- expressive Of the spring.
This Is. indeed. the time of year for the water
colorfsts to make their demonstration. The charm
OF their medium is essentially one Of ightness, OF
vivacity. OF fresh and winning mood. 1t is per-
maps. hardly 10 be regretted that among the nu-
nerous pictures here there few which arrest
attention on serious grounds. Really brilliant
achievement in water color has always been rare.
Sketches like those which Mr. Sargent has been
making of late years in Spain in Venice and IN
the Holy Land require. for the making, tech
nician like Mr. Sargent The thing in
exhibition like this is that the average should
De fairly good, that the notes of landscape should
be sensitively executed. AID that least certain
measure Of adroitness should 90 to those casual
studies Of the figure with which the water colorist
is usually contented
There some rather ambitious pictures shown
Mr- Hugo Balln sends one in The Wood Nymph,
a graceful nude, which is not precisely the most
indv1duazed painting in the collection, regards
style, but which is handled, nevertheless, with
good deal Of ability and contains rich color
Mr.. G ". Edwards does well In his Dutch interior
costume motive is treated with easy breadth:
is some lovely color in M. Childe Hassams por-
trait, The Green Jade Gown" and Mr.. G. ".
Bellows, in "A Knock k-Out," makes ugly sub
ject amusing by dnt of clever if somewhat super
nciaI technique The pastels include several
traCtive portraits notably those bv NJ KreneIberg
Louis Loeb and Helen Dapprich. but in the o.
both mediums the workers il the open air leave on
the whole, the better impres sion There are land
scapes and scenes almost without number
HI-,
agreeable color, and sentiment delicately inter
preted. It is impossible specify ali Of these pct-
ures. but sllusion may at any rate be made Mr..
CIrols Road TO Acon1a, New Mexico: Mr.. w P.
Burpee's valley of Ronda," Mr.. E. H Potthast's
'Cape Ann Coast Mr.. William R. Derrick's The
Moor" Mr.. Ben Fosters Wings Of the Morning
Mr.. Walter Hartson's On a Dutch Canal" Mr.
Guern's Egyptian studies and the paintings by
MI Durner. Mr Shurtler. Mr.. F. Hopknson
Smith and Mr.. Richard Walsh Mr Carroll Beck
with sends some drawings among which one in
red chalk, of semi-nude figure (So 3S3) is espe-
cially effective The illustrators give a good ac-
count of themselves Mr.. Thornton Oakley Mr
A l. Keller. Miss Jessie ". Smith Mr.. Henry
ReuterdahI and Mr.. Edward Penfeid greatly
strengthen this part Of the exhibition. In the de-
partment OF prints Mr.. Ernest D. Roth and Mr.
Shaw MaclaUghlan most conspicuous their
etchings OF architectural subjects abroad showing
not only facility but elements of originality. Mr.
c F. ". Melatz, Mr.. Joseph PenneIl and Mr.
Charles Henry White also represented by ad-
mirable plates. and there interesting wood
engravtngs by Mr.. Timothy Cole and Mr Henry
OH The list Of exhibits is a long one-running.
III fact, TO about six hundred numbe-s-and as has
been said the exceptional outstanding items are
few It remains. however a very creditabIe and
entertaining show. II will continue until May "a
inclusive.
There may be seen at the Macbeth gallery a new
painting by Mr. John La Fargo, one of those com
positions in which he has testified his interest
in the philosophy well as the external life OF
the Orient. His theme this occasion, "kwauno
Meditating on Human Life is a figure seated in
the Eastern manner with her hands lying IN her
lap her eyes closed, and her whole body relaxed
The face IS subty expressive of meditation and
the halo behind It adds It's spiritual impressive
ness. It is not beautiful face, but il has curl
Gus dignity. curious note OF character. Kvaunon
the Japanese goddess Of mercy is here presented
in her gentlest, benign aspect and resting in
Kind OF still sweetness. Her personality and her
attitude rendered with true sense OF the i'm
mobility belonging 90 both, but the monumental
air beftting the figure IS indicated rather than en-
forced; the artist remembering this is pecuI-
iarly goddess to be bodied forth after intimate
and humanity sympathetic fashion. She is made
the centre Of a beautiful harmony of color Her
pale violet robes are set against ba ckgrQAnd OF
mossy rocks narrow waterfall that finds rest in
the pool her side CLEANS like transparent rib
bon. The whole scene IS envelOped in the calm OF
a sacred solitude This picture, ike so many that
Mr. La Fargo has painted. makes dual appeal:
you touched by the o5ility of the conception
and you moved by the attributes Of form and
color supeTtmposed uTcr the central idea. Il is a
typical illustration Of Mr.. La Farges Intellectual
and artistic power. R c
STTTYVTSANT TuEATpE