New-York tribune., 1908-01-29
ART In PHILADELPHIA
The Exhibition of the Pennsylvania
academy.

|
brief reflection on the art and mystery of form
ing a miscellaneous collection OF current Work
and placing it before the public Give medioc-
rity too large share in the proceedings, ana
the average will be so lowered that even a good
| picture will suffer in some subtle fashion Inc
| general effect of such exhibition will then al
most certainly be poor. Keep mediocrlty more
| or less in the background. and everything seems
! TO brighten up A number of the most 1mpor-
tant paintings in the present exhibition have been
seen in New York at the Academy. where they
were powerless to conceal the limitations OF the
show in its broad aspects Here they do more
| to make the galleries look we'll, for they pre-
sented with so many more pictures that have
quality of one sort or another. 1t is true that
this collection is larger than the other; 1t runs
to nearly thousand pieces Of painting and
sculpture But if it is possessed of unusual
merit it is not because the organizers had more
| space; it is because they used more discrlmina-
tion and, in many cases. attracted better contri-
| buttons. Medocrity of course. has its say, and
has been given. indeed. quite unnecessary lati-
tude. The exhibition might prohtably have been
arranged a smaller scale. The main point.
| however is that a fair average is maintained.
| The hanging committee, too, has performed its
task with judgment, making the best of the ma
terial received Like its predecessors in the last
six or eight years, this exhibition is well worth
! q Journey Philadelphia
| In one respect it leaves American art just
where it found it-poor enough in work sgnii-
cant of constructive Imagination. The inventive
designer. the and vivid interpreter of themes
| lying outside the familiar walks of experience,
has still to appear. II one may judge from this
display. Mr.. Robert MacCameron, it is true
discloses noble ambition in his large canvas
illustrating one OF the suhmest of subjects,
'The Last Supper" but it cannot be said that
either in the characterization of his figures or
in technique he has risen to the level of his high
argument. Another student of Scriptural ideas
Mr.. Henry Q. Tanner, has produced in his
''Nicodemus' a mildly interesting composition,
but in color and in style the work is unimpres-
sive. Air. Manuel Barthold's Girls of Holland,
an interior painted on large scale, has GER
tain realistic force. but that is all. The two
paintings from the nude which arrest attention
are disappointing. Mr.. Hassar in his "Aphro-
dite' has covered a large canvas without waking
a hint of the beauty in which the goddess should
be enveIoped. Neither figure nor landscape Is
painted with any subtle feeling, with any charm.
In spite of the obvious effort made the canvas
seems empty. Mr.. Hassam is in much happier
vein in the "Leda" which visitors to his exhtbi-
ton IN New York will remember and I'm his de-
lghtful little landscape note. THE Aspens."
AS for Mr.. Paxton's Glow of Gold and Clean Of
Pearl" both color and drawing thin. me-
stencil-like nudes OF the late Sir Frederick
Leighton-save that the English academician
did the thing in far distinguished fashion.
In q word the subject picture hardly be
said to exist in this exhibition. When the
artists represented are not painting landscapes
portraits they are painting the figure, in
doors in the open air, along purely decorative
lines with solicitude simply for some effect
of light atmosphere. The delightful thing is
that they do this we'll
Impressionism is coming to mean less and
less the painting of pictures according to the
well known French formula It means rather a
fresh and often inimitably personal treatment Of
sunt subjects Take, for example, the "Por-
trait OF My Three Daughters" by Mr.. F. w.
Benson. to which the Temple Gold Medal has
justly been awarded This is an illustration of
impressionisnl, if you like but what is more to
the point II is illustration of temperament,
Of brilliant but never glttering color, OF sound
craftsmanship. of figures and background en-
chantingly bathed in light. This picture, it
may be added. represents one of the best of the |
dominating influences felt throughout the exhi- |
bition, The show becomes interesting, it has a |
kind Of stimulus. wherever it breaks out into |
light and air In this matter. of course, the |
landscape painters play leading part. Pictures |
by the late ]. H Twachtman. by Mr. Weir Mr. |
Metcalf. Mr.. Reid, Mr. Tucker. Mr. Redfied and |
q NUMBER OF others count heavily IN the en- |
sembIe. There is in them so much animation, |
so much life. much eager sympathy for nat |
ure Among these landscapes there several |
already made familiar in New York but there
are others that are new. Mr. Redheld shows |
with the March" which was praised in The |
Tribune only the other day. landscape in kim
dred mood "The Fallen Tree" which is even |
stronger. and Mr.. Metcalf, in his Trembling |
Leaves strikes note which If declared in one
or two Of the things in his exhibition OF a week
or two ago. is In this instance handled to still
richer effect. In fact composition this paint
ing represents his highwater mark. Mr.. Reid long
absorbed ir stained glass and It's glowing coIors.
has painted the picture he sends, THE White
Lilac in a key never before brought into his
painted work. The color scheme is light al
most diaphanous. The tenderness and the sweet
ness of spring itself in the picture, expressed
with peculiarly sensitive and beguiling touch.
There is much other good landscape work in the
exhibition work painted by Mr.. C. II. Davis Mr.
w s. Robinson, Mr.. r B. Williams and Mr. Ben
Foster, in tones suggestive Of the studio but
the outstanding pictures in this category are
those which proclaim a direct and vigorous
study Of abundantly lighted scenes.
The decorative figure studies vary much in
interest. Some of them altogether charm
ing, as. for example Mr.. Dewing's Gaze de
Charuberie: Yellow and Rose" work Of exquis-
ite suavty in color and in execution or in a
very different mood, Mr.. Benson's broadly |
painted Girl with Veil In these and in one |
or two other pieces you feel that the artist
knows precisely what he is aiming at and pre-
cisely how to realize his aim But the list is |
long of pictures which pleasantly catch the eye,
and then. after careful examination, leave the
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