New-York tribune., 1909-04-13
ART EXHIBITIONS
The Martin Collection and Pictures
by Mr. HaSSGm.

matters of luxury Doubtless there are collectors
to-day who buy examples Of eighteenth century
English portratUre in precisely the same spirit that
moved their fathers to buy the painted anecdotes
which all the rage in Continental stu
dios. Yet there never was type more progressive
than the American collector. He gets his education
as it by leaps and bounds. In one year he
may be rejoicing the purchase of BouSuereau
In the next he is buying a Degas- How long 1t
took Mr.. Martin to outgrow one enthusiasm and
develop another 1t is impossible 10 state, but MS
collection shows clearly enough that he did not
stand still. 1t embraces conventional sentimental
ties of hardly any artistic interest and it also con-
tains several of the finest Barbizon paintings ever
shown in New York Indeed, these latter produc-
tions verItable masterpieces
The landscape of Les Bucheronnes," by Rous-
seau is glorious picture. one of those works OF
art in which painter records his impression with
a kind of inspired finaty. You impressed by
his truth in the same instant your imagina
uon is touched by the originality with which he
has composed his material, uniting the freshness
of nature With the finest invention. Noble in tone.
too, is this work of art, Though the browns
are perhaps little overdone, they possess great
beauty, and above them the grays of an in
comparable sky. Altogether work of genius is
this picture. A fit companion for it is Corots
la Charette,'' a painting of rather unusual in
terest in respect to design and exceptional too in
the purity and fulness of its lighting. Lucky Mr..
Martin! When he wanted a Barbizon picture he
could find of the highest degree of excellence.
His Daubigny is in the category with the
Rousseau and the Corot This Twilight the
Seine follows. it Is true. lines of composition
which used over and over again by Daubgny
with but slight modification. At the same time
there is nothing really sereotyped about the broad
effect he achieved in this instance. He painted the
picture in telictous mood. framing his coiors in
faultless harmony and enveloping the whole scene
in quiet luminosity. Again, in the case Of Diaz,
Mr.. Martin had the best of good fortune. buying
three paintings, all Of them very beautiful The
low-toned Venus and Adonis. the jewe-l<e
picture of The Bathers.' and the golden Forest
of Fontainebleau'' all illustrate the most light
hearted of the romantics in his finest estate
Dupre and Troyon are well but not brilliantly rep
resented. OF the two examples of Met, "A Water
Carrier leaves likewise only mildly interesting
impression. but the other Going to Work-Dawn
of Day. is superb in its restrained color. its syn
thesized expression of movement and its note of
style The Martin collection needed only these
pictures to take high rank among those which have
been offered for sale this season.
The bulk of the paintings are Of the rather old
fashioned anecdotic character which auson
has been made above. but scattered here and there
in the mass certain pieces of different sgnif
cance. There is for example. interesting "Au-
tumn' by Homer Martin. and with il should also
be mentioned the landscape with two or three chill
dren in ii by WinsIow Homer. simply painted
study Of an American scene, called Enchanted
Among the foreign paintings there are also one
two small panels representing narrow but not by
any means negligible tradition. The Sentinel"
by Charles BargUe: The Return Home by
Meissonier and Ger6mes Dutch Interior. admira bly,
show what he made OF minute polish in paint
ing Very amusing too OF the story telling
canvases. notably The Canon's Dinner by Vbe-t.
and that interior of Goya's Studio" in which a
modern Spanard, jose Casado depicts the eish-
ttenth century master at work his famous pUr-
trait Of the Duchess Of Alba. There
clever military subjects in the collection by DetaiIle
and De Neuville; there is capital little specimen
OF Fromentn. and from the modern Duten schuoI
there is one good painting a beach scene with hs-
ures by David Artz. Finally We may note the
'PhaedTa' OF Cabanel, charming composition. ex-
ecuted far freely than was tho wont Of that
pictures In the collection. Thee riu De sold AT
Mendelssohn Hall on Thursds. AMI Fr'das even
ines.
When Mr.. Chde Hassam held an e-hiift,n -
his pictures at the Mcntross gallery last i....s T. &
he included iE the collection several land .czres
painted in the desert in Eastern oregon. They
showed that he had broken gr9und to good
purpose and they provoked wish that ne might
bring forward more material Of the same sort He
does this, again at the Montross gallery. exhibiting
nearly twoscore pictures and sketches. In them
he at once makes you aware Of his skill and his
sincerity. He has brought back nothing startling
from his sojourn in a remote and unfamiliar region
The great spaces, the vast landscape forms the
brilliant skies which he has studied. have yielded
him bizarre effects has he sought to in
seems simply TO have sat himself down the feet
Of nature with reverent inquisitiveness marking
her portentous changes, recording this or that
feetng phenomenon of color or illumination in
direct fashion. and, short. investing his work
with fine simplicity The physiognomy of the
desert is faithfully portrayed.
The fact is observed with the appreciation
perhaps, because one divine how easily
painter might he tempted to wreak himself on this
subject with more enthusiasm than discretion, In
the presence of such wide horizons who would not
tend to give in his compositions exaggerated
idea of space? With rocks of such opuIent color 10
paint, who would be disposed put the motive
of mere gorgeousness IN The foreground? Then too.
in the study of 50 essentially exotic and
even. from certain points Of view, fantastic the
artist could hardly be blamed who suffered his
emotions be in some sort raised to an unnatural
key that he painted visions rather than facts
Mr. Hassam has kept his eye on his facts: he has
seen nature steadily and seen II whole. The con-
sequence is that he gives a very intimate sense
OF the Oregonian desert, enabling to feel its
character in vivid and sympathetic manner.
Curiousy, that forcing of the note which has some
times marked his treatment of New England scenes
is hardly apparent in these numerous studies
of a kind Of landscape which would have sup
posed would have brought out the most radical
elements his mode of impressioulsm.
Two three times he may wake suspicion that
the coorst in him has oveIpowered the accurate
observer. The rosy tones in the ''MalheUr Butte"
for example, just fail to carry conviction In a few
instances, too. his surfaces somewhat unlovely
Witness, especially, The Rabbit Brush in Bloom
against these trines set the rich color and
solid textures of ''Moonrise-the Oasis: the bold
expression of structure in the Roaring Spring
Canyon the beautiful skies In Wagon Tire and
Squaw Cap" and Thunderstorm Stein Noun
tain" the fine atmospheric quality in "Hassam
naS and tba b-ax hut dali