New-York tribune., 1908-04-22
ART EXHIBITIONS
Paintings by Mr. Charles ". HazC-
thOrne and Others.


lost The process of change is generally slow
This does not make any the less interesting, but
1t is on the other hand positively exciting when
1t moves swiftly 1t has moved in the case of
Mr.. Charles w. Hawthorne who has a group
of paintings sketches now on exhibition at the
Schaus gallery. When his work first appeared in
New York. not so many years ago, II was plain
that he had ability II his a little crude
and II his tones not sufficiently transparent
there was at all about his brushwork Ger
tain nervous force Indicating Unborn gift He
painted boldly and with promising directness
Yet. for time. it seemed If his art could only
be praised for its cleverness. It lacked quality.
Its purpose did not seem to include the pursuit
Of sheer beauty Though it neither mediocre
nor ihcurahiy artificial, it was not the unn1is-
taxable expression of an original temperament
Presently a period of travel in Italy appears 10
have set the artist the right track The lnnu-
ence of the old masters not reflected in any
obvious way in the paintings that at this time
signalized a change in his ideas. IN welcoming
these pictures in this place signs of imitation
were noted. All that could be inferred was that
rontact with the genius of the past had somehow
/ given Mr.. Hawthorne a sense of things
initiated him into subtletes art that he had not
! known before, and though by magic trans
formed his work, He became an artistic person.
ality.
The exhibition at the Schaus gallery shows, to
begin with. remarkable development in one OF
the most important phases of technique There was
be something specious about Mr.. Haw-
thornes craftsmanship. In its broad and rather
slap-dash way ii answered we'll enough but there
nothing in it TO suggest close and loving re
search into the mysteries of form. The impression
of truth that lacked depth and did not wear
well. Now Mr.. Hawthorne draws not only Win
increased knowledge but with greater hneness'
and. into the bargain, with much more individual
ized touch. -Four of his five paintings are portraits
In them the heads and faces executed with a
new seriousness and delicacy. The drawing brings
out the obscurer details of structure ana at tne
time the artist his work as whole he
is as broad as ever he was, but he has accom-
plshed what had always seemed necessary-he has
refined his breadth. In color too he has achieved
purer quality and grain There is a reserve about
this side Of his work which in one painting espe-
cially. the charming Girl with Lemons. recalls
than any other artist of the time the Eng
Hsh Orchardson. That painter is peculiarly an
exemplar of taste, and it is very largely in his
taste that Mr.. Hawthorne has experienced kind
of readjustment He studies color for the sake or
the harmony be got out of it 1t Is not eH-
plotted lavishly and for its own sake In these
pictures the colorist like the craftsman has d
certain for nature and portrays her Win
nothing OF his old bravura. but with a sensitive
ness and a patience that far more to the point
If these qualities help him TO a more legitimate
and more valuable success II is because they are
more in keeping with what appears to be the
artists character. He has something to say,
a before, in paintings like the 'Girl Win
Lemons" the FLORISTS Daughter and the Boy
with Wine Color, drawing and the indehnabe
atmosphere in which a sees his subject are
all fused in a unit which spells an artistic char-
acter. This unit, too, is in no wise forced. MI
Hawthorne makes you feel that ne Is sincere III
what he has say and that he is saying it in
natural manner. Finally it is to be observed that
in pulling himself together he has not lost sponta-
neity. That virtue is wildly proclaimed In MS
three or four sketches of Southern scenes. But
the main point that, his portraits show. his
spontaneity no longer runs away with him He is
in full control Of his and uses them with
judgment unfailing sign of maturity.
There is on exhibition at the Knoedler galleries
a collection OF fourscore paintings by women
artists It has been arranged with more dscrim-
ination than went to the making Of the simllar
show mentioned in this place last week and 1t does
much correct the impression Left on that occa-
sion The two rooms are not oVercroWded and IN
filling them pains have been taken to assemble
number OF things done years ago and done
we'll enough to bear the test of time, 1t Is inter
esting again, for example, painting ike
Miss Clara MacChesney's portrait or an OLD man.
The Good story" Work like this, executed freely
and competeutly, will hold its own anywhere.
There are. indeed, many paintings in the collec-
ton which do not for moment ask one 10 re
member that this IS a woman's exhibition There
are portraits by Ellen Emmet. Mary Foote and
May Lewis Close; there are figure studies OF
decorative character by Clara Weaver Parrish
and Miss Macauley; there are pictures painted out
OF doors by Matilda Browne, Charlotte B. Conan.
Anna Fisher and Florence F. Smell It is true that
there IS nowhere any outstanding work which ar
rests one with sense of notable power or dstinc-
ton Not even Miss Ellen Emmet, whose gifts
have won her a place apart, produces a brilliant
a4-ao+ Her portrait Of Charles Gilbert is not
~, ar means one of the best things she has done
But the average throughout the exhibition Is re
freshingIv good. The amateur does not dominate
~ Knoedler's by the way. there may also be seen
just now a collection Of old sporting prints
The American Art Galleries are Alled with antique
textiles. laces and on belonging to Mr. Vital
Benguiat The collection, which runs to nearly
eight hundred pieces, is TO be sold on THURSDAY
Friday and Saturday afternoons The gorgeous
brocades and It contains do most OF course.
N make the rooms brilliant. but even greater in
+erest attaches 10 the extraordinary body Of lace
that is shown. This embraces beautiful examples
from the historic periods, for which there VIII
Doubtless be energetic competition amongst fenli
nine bidders. There pieces, too, which Will
tn+eras+ collectors and which In than
instance would go well into the Metropolitan Mu
scum One of the things that II would be gratny-
ing TO have placed in that institution is the rare
Gothic vestrnent Of Spanish origin, No. 727a. In
design in workmanship and in color this piece or
lace is nothing less than a masterpiece. Mr.. Ben
euia+'s collection also includes fine pestries
and a number of picturesque sanctuary lamps
made by old Italian. Spanish and French crafts
At the Oehme galleries there is exhibition of
water coors by members OF the modern Dutch
school Messrs. George A. Glaenzer Co.
showing collection of paintings by Miss Ma
tiIda Browne The gallery of ". X. O'Brien &
co is filed with a collection Of mezzotints.
rrinted in coIors at one printing. by James s
tyirg Charles Bird z g. Stevenson and others
The monthly exhibition at the Lotos Club. which
will be held at the end OF this week will be made
I'd of pictures from the collection OF Mr.. Andrew
Freedman. AT the Grolier Club there will be