New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
PAINTING AND SCULPTURE
Recent York by Walter Griffin, Ed
rard Gay and Others.


For the student of painting there are few
measures keener than that of hailins new per-
.oraIi+, an artist with something TO say and
charming way of saying it Such an artist Is
Mr. Walter Griffin who has on exhibition at the
Bauer-Folsom galleries a collection OF pasteis
and half a dozen oil paintings. His work mas
been known to some extent before this, but not
hitherto has he shown ii voluninously as
upon the present occasion. Now that ne coiiie9
before the public in full form, so to say he
brings with him conclusive credentials They
are nothing if not original In the uncatalogueo
group of oils, even more than in the pastels' ne
gives you momentary feeling that he may
perhaps have been Influenced by certain French
impressionists. notably Pissarro, but presently
you are inclined to trace this impression to
nothing more than an accidental resemblance
At all events you find nothing derivative in the
essentials of this painters work.
The truth in his pictures-and their truth Is
one of their leading merits-is obviously due to
affectionatey close study of nature. Look at
''The Open Door, or Elm Farm or "Old
Fashioned Gardens" You struck at once
by the fact that in each instance Mr.. Griffin has
given you the portrait of place. Observe the
intimate quality of the Laurel Group" and the
dependence of that quality not only on the sub
tie Interpretation of landscape sentiment, but
upon a true grasp of the structure of growing
things. There is nothing obtrusive about Mr..
Griffin's craftsmanship. He does not try to
be clever He is. rather, a painstakng follower
Of the intricacies of form. But the important
thing is that he gets those intricacies, and, with
them. a great deal of what only be described
the character of boughs, twigs and leaves. He
has a delightful sense Of color, and he has,
finally, a gift for embodying all the fruits of
his labor in we'll balanced pictures Once or
t;yic he fall ST. ard t.
mel Rocks for example has nothing like the
felicity which charactcrizes most of its COM
panions- But the painter who can strike twelve
as often as Mr.. Griffin strikes it may be for
given infrequent lapse, If this piece is
disappointing there at least two others, the
'Siver Lace and the Smoky Sou'wester,'' to
show that when he is in the mood he can paint
moving waters as effectively he paints the
still pastoraIs of the countryside.
It was a good idea for M. Edward Gay to
make retrospective the exhibition of his land
scapes which he has arranged at the Clausen
galleries. He is one of our veterans. and it is
pleasant to see his art it is here presented,
in pictures that enforce the wide range of his
sympathies. His pupilage abroad was spent at
CarIsrulre but il is with French rather than
with German modes of painting landscape that
he has evidently been most in harmony. a
for composition without departing from
those ideals of sincerity and breadth which lay
at the foundation of the BarbizOn school and
were established in this country by Inness,
Martin and Wyant. Like those fellow coun-
trymcn of his, Mr.. Gay has had kindling en-
thusasm for the beauties of his native land.
There studies here of European themes but
the bulk of the work is dedicated to American
landscape. His theme may occasion, take
on a romantic tone, as in the picture called
"The Lone Fisherman" but generally Mr.. Gay
paints in less ferVid mood. The charm of his
October" his salt Marshes his Ready for
the Reaper of the vivid study ca aIogued
as The Middle Of the Road is the charm of
boldly simple themes painted with directness in
a fairly clear light. There is little that is sub
jective about his art. These landscapes are
statements of fact rather than imaginative in
terpretations of it. 1t is precisely for their
straightforward, veracious character that they
are be valued.
There may be seen at the Powell gallery a
rolIne of SKI bIyc ty