New-York tribune., 1908-03-19

achieved
There is character and there is sdroitness in his
portrait medals, but there is more in his curious
head Of Miss Maude Adams 1t is called Gu
rlous because. in his conception OF the subject
The sculptor seems disposed to force the note
a1ief the manner of Auguste Rodin. Super6cial-
ly considered. the work might even Seem bu. an
essay in the fashionable mode Of that
frehchman But when 1t is carefully studied this
mead Is seen TO be wrought with honest talent
Inc portrait is good in itself and suggests bet
ter things TO come. Mr. John Flanagan iupresses
largely through the variety OF his work His
ihoaelns everywhere is skiful, and, in addition,
ne Is at times spirited decorative as his sub
3ect determines the point Vgor and animation
are the arresting traits Of his excellent Head
or an Artist In his numerous portrait medals
ana plaquettes IL Is the deft placing profile
mat counts the accent of elegance and clever
ness Ii Mr. Flanagan wakes any doubts 1t is
however. among these small portraits. which
sometimes threaten to be merely pretty and thin
"here they are meant to be graceful He has an
aomlraoie simplicity among his resources.
is SHOWN by the bust called Athlete" and there
all the more on his guard against the somewhat
swallow vein which is exemplifed in of the
plaauettes and in the Head Of a Girl" from his
well designed clock in the Library of Congress
at Washington.
1t is when Mr. Richard L Brooks is SIMPLEST
thdt he Is at his best. His medals include some
hotaoie portraits Whether freely realistic, in
the case of the ''Gedney Bunce" or modelled with
almost classic austerity as in that of the will
lam H. Bliss they have STYLE and distinction
he Is less happy when he seeks be lightly deco
faHFe- Inc "oDay Necklace is. doubt.
good bit Of craftsmanship. and the candlesticks
NiVaciously modelled for the same person are also
effective in their way, but these things do not in
oicate the sculptor's true character. That comes
OUT In the medals and in the workmanike figure
piece. in bronze, representing nude younsster
Ihe animal subjects by Mr.. Edwin w Deming
are attractive for their realism and for their
abie technique. In personal force they just fall
snort OF making strong impression. Giancing
over the exhibition as whole. feels that it
juStlhes itself and TINT IL ought be made an
annual affair If it is repeated it would be wiser
Tor each contributor TO group his works by them
selves. and for some lighter background TO be
substituted for the handsome but overwhelming
req material now the walls.
The Engineers Clul is to have an art exhibition
every year at its home in West 10th street
IL mas begun well with the collection of modern
paintings shown this week. Private owners and a
number of the dealers have supplied the sixty or
seventy examples OF American and Continental art.
and they have been unusually generous Few
negligible pictures appear. Indeed. there are
works here by George Fuller. Winslow Homer,
Homer Martin H. Wyant, J. H Twachtnan.
l. w Dewine and others which do much more
than is ordinarily done occasions of the sort |
to emphasize the high standing of the American
school The good fortune has attended the !
club in its committees choice of paintings by Dau
bisny, Degas, Monticello. the Marises. and other
modern Dutchmen This exhibition embraces so |
much valuable material that it is especially un- |
fortunate that il has very well hung |
Next year the committee would do well to along
with fewer pictures and arrange them more |
The current exhibition at the Macbeth gallery is |
given TO paintings by eighteen deceased American !
artists Copley is end of the list and !,
Whistler is the other Though the older pict- |
ures in instance of extraordinary char !
acter. they all interesting. The examples Of !
Copiey- Blackburn. Trumbull and Sully have his |
torical signifca nee. they suggestive. with
reference 10 the early development of technique in
this country Midway between these and the /
pictures recently painted several good /
specimens of George Fuller and William Morris !
Hunt There are two characteristic landscapes by /
George Inness. and Of the pair Of Wyants there is
one which is striking a demonstration OF the in
born nature of his art Done many years ago |
long before he had worked out the style which won /
him his repute, this bleak Coast Scene neverthe
less has in it truth and a vague. half-expressed |
strain Of beauty. The five paintings by Theodore |
Robinson welcome reviylng the charm Of q
talent untimely lost. So too the Snow" IN the |
group of pictures by John H. Twachtn1an. renews !
regret for the death OF brilliant painter. There
IS fact, certain pathos in this exhibition send
ing the memory back as it does 10 Inen>ike Robin
son, Twachtman. Fitz, Quartley and others. whom
we could I'll spare. There are three Whisters In |
the show. The Widow and "A study in Rose |
and Brown characteristic, If not memorable. |
examples The Violinst' is dull picture. wholly
of his genius
Whistler has room to himself and splendidy |
fills it, the Knoedler galleries. There has been
arranged here q small but choice exhibition OF
etchings by him. A number of his most Interesting
subjects shown in fine Impressions. and along
with them there ere few Of his Autographs. Up
stairs there some new portraits by Mr. r.
Percy Wild. whose work is in the conventional
English style there is collection Of portraits
drawn by Mr.. W. c. BrazIngton. This artist OBJ
yio,sIy has some manual facility and few OF his
sketches are delcately handled but he misses in
his1f.e of red chalk the charm that belongs to the
medium At the Enrich galleries there is an ex-
hibtion of two dozen psntia'~ II old Dutch and
Flemish origin. They do A. -,:.s assert them
selves with the qualities "a 7i the artlsts 10
whom they are attributed. Inc pictures given to
Terburg and Albert Cuyp. for example hardly re-
call the brillance OF those masters There is much
better stuff In the portraits by Ferdinanc Boi the
Susanna and the Elders OF Gottfried schalken.
the interesting Man Horseback by Esaias Van
der velde and "The shepherdess' by Moreelse
Ar the Wunderlich gallery there is collection OF
etchings by Axel Haig. whose large plates from
architectural subjects have long enjoyed a certain
repute They have merit as records of picturesque
edifices or II not exempars OF the art OF
etching the strict Interpretation OF that phrase
A number of photographs in monochrome and color
I,y Mr. T,duard J. Steichen visible at the gal
Ieries of the Photo Secession. Photography is not
an art and no amount of special pleading Will ever
make IL one but Mr.. Steichen ranks amongst the
cleverest of those who bring measure of artistic
taste to the manipulation of the camera, and his
prints worth seeing ~ -
CUSTOMS SHORTAGE IN ST. LOUISE
CT Louis March Is-t became known to-day
that a secret investigation by committee from
Washington has been in progress for several days