New-York tribune., 1908-03-18
ART EXHIBITIONS.
The Spring Shoe Of the National
academy of Design.


that atmosphere OF routine in which the Academy
frequently been disposed to leave them
The need of reform has repeatedly been urged In
this place. 1t has been pointed out that no scheme
for a great exhibition building could be taken
seriously until efforts had been made to prove that
the space actually available could be used 10 good
purpose. For time it seemed as If protest against
mediocre shows were useless, as If nothing would
serve to stimulate the management, but it is plain
that q more energetic and liberal policy has at
last been adopted This collection possesses greater
variety than any of its recent predecessors mas
had and altogether conveys the impression OF
having been formed with a broad resolution to In
students of American painting. certain
number of good pictures have been borrowed to
strengthen the ensemble, and the hanging com
nittee has in general done its work with judg-
ment. 1t will be surprising if the public does not
show appreciation This is the kind OF exhibl-
ton which deserves public support
The Improvement is nowhere more notlceaoie
than among the portraits In the past there have
only been many of these. but excessive hos
pitalty has been shown to examples supposedly
decorative and really empty OF all significance
Though there portraits here by Mr.. Rice. Mrs
Seweu, Mr. Funk and several Others which are
quite uninspiring they do not dominate On the
contrary the work in portraiure that fills the fore
ground is generally very clever, if it does not de-
praise In some instances II reaches
a high level as witness the President Seelye of
Smith College by Mr. E. c. Tarbel, which made
so fine effect in the exhibition at Philadelphia
last month. This, was noted in The Tribune at
the time is mastery piece of technique, and 1t
has the value, into the bargain Of searching
study of character. To see ii again is to admire
it the Another salient portrait is the Girls
Head by Mr.. Abbott Thayer, of those paint
ings in which he proves that temperament and
style can triumph needless passages in execu-
ticn. Mr.. Sargent, by the way who is represented
by four canvases almost. though not quite dis
proves this of personal charm obscuring
technical defects He always hes style and nearly
always that is enough; but on this occasion his
two early portraits of children. full of vitality
they are, nevertheless fall to satisfy They want
depth and quality, and the note OF style only
half makes itself felt. The two portraits of men
much more to the point, the one of "Mr. Henry
A. Cram showing strong modelling about
the head. and the Edward Robinson. Esq" dis
closing all of the gifts of the artist in full
Obviously Mr. Sargent must be alert at all
points, must be at his best, If he is to be per
suasive He has not. like Mr.. Thayer, the strange
magic which renders one lapse another trifing
affair. 1t is this magic that counts in the large
painting of The Wolf Tanner by Mr.. La Fargo.
which described at length when it exhib
tied here time ago When he painted this
version Of d romantic subject he had previously
made familiar in a wood engraving and in a
color, he leaned certain extent upon nature,
but he sought even more to bring out the eerte
element In fantastic The landscape is
beautiful, but feels first and last the vague,
half-terrfyng appeal Of the man and his sinister
crew Of beasts, inaginativeiy rather than
with the physical eye Two more familiar pictures
with which privileged TO renew acquant-
ance on this occasion Mr.. Winslow Horers
Hound and Hunter" and The West Wind" Both
have his vigor and simplicity, and of them. the
coast scene, exerts the spell a kind
of wild, artless beauty
The three older names just cited have led us
away from those works among which Mr.. Tar
bells portrait asserts itself with much author
ty He stands, in a sense, alone None of his
coevaIs holds himself well in hand
pure a method. But he is well seconded by Mr.
J. J. Shannon, for example, whose portraits
of Mrs and Miss Untermyer, though not very
engaging in color painted with and
breadth Mr.. Aexander's Study in Black and
Green" is in much the same category these, but
the adroitness shown In II loses something OF its
effect through the rather brittle character of the
color scheme. So likewise The Faithful Shep-
herdess," by Mr. Samuel Isham, aims at of
French HghtnesS and elegance but is thin III
style and in color that the goal is just missed The
show contains three or four of those skilful and
picturesque sketches of women which are always
agreeable. very promising works by Mrs a. c.
Chase, Miss Caroline Stehlin, Mr.. William Chad
wick, Miss Lillian Genth and Mr. Clinton Balmer.
but while they are all creditabe they do not invite
elaborate comment. Mr.. Bamer and Miss Genth
are perhaps the most striking members of this
group The latter has good instinct for light
and air She it in her portrait and again TO
even better purpose In her graceful nude study
called The Lark" II is worth noting that while
the studies of feminine sitters uneven in value
there is an Uncommony strong group of portraits
T.
and Mr. Eak1ns.
Of picture making in the larger meaning of the
term there are more evidences than usual Mr.
Hugo Balm is not uniformly impressive in his
various contributions. but these shows that
he Is drawing little consciousness,
which he has sorely needed, of a world lying out
side>studio walls. his Under the Pergola" l. in q
fresher, more vivid key than he has been wont 10
cultivate, and, as we have always hoped the ex-
pansion OF his symparhIes has reacted upon his
vtalized picture Another steadily developing talent
that Of Mr.. C. W Hawthorne. gives a ra ther am
biguous account OF itself in tie hgure study called
La Gigla.' This is soundiy painted, and. 70 that
extent. il wins approval The sincerity OF the work
the touch is not personal Mr. Hawthorne
have heen so eagerly moved by his theme More of !
swift impression OF Southern scene. the Street
il Taormina Sicily" II is pity that Mr. Barses
"A Zephyr" has not force in the
and not without \ certain grace but he skirts
prettiness and a little too sweet. Mr. A T |
Schwartz though similarly wanting in vigor is at
all events safe ground. and is moving in the
right direction. The somewhat dry craftsman !
ship and opaque color IN his Enchanted Youth" |
will very possibly the foundation
things experience qualities to let himself .
20. There is admirable execution in Mr. w |
T Benda's Before Storm (Carpathian Noun /
tans)- The landscape IS picturesquely realized the
busy peasants their work of harvesting are /
shrewdly placed in the composition. and only /
in broad rendering of the scene. but IN he /