The San Francisco call., 1909-04-18
.. I'm the Art : World =.
BY Lucy B. Jerome

T HE recent exhibitions have done
something toward Frightening up
the sales market, and the disposal
of one or two noteworthy pictures
has been q welcome result Promi-
nent among paintings stands H J.
Breuer's picture of the high Sierra,
exhibited lately at the Bohemian club,
which has passed into the possession
of Rudolph Spreckels for $4,000 AS
Breuer often takes a year to complete
one OF his pictures, and as the artist
spent many weeks among the cold blue
peaks of the Sierras in order that he
might enter fully into the spirit of the
solitudes. it is small wonder that the
marvellous reproduction of the clear,
sunlit beauty of the mountains, en-
yeioped in the brilliant yet shadowed
blue tones peculiar to those heights,
should have met with instant appre-
citation.
Breuer's personality enters into his
work. 1t is strong, serene and noble,
and these qualities, united to the most
mastery handling and sense of the
harmony and beauty or color shared
by few. make this artists work what
IT is-eminent among the-greatest pro-
auctions of the brush. A number OF
his paintings are TO be seen in private
homes. one in the studio of Oscar
Maurer being yeritable masterpiece.
Two pictures by j. Wisby. the painter
of delicate scenic effects, have been
sold. bringing fair prices. They were
bought by Mrs J. Arrambibe, while i.
hreiss has become the owner of two
small canyases of Arthur Bests-one
picturing Tamalpais from a point near
the Presidio grounds, and the other
giving a glimpse of Bolinas bay, with
oaks in the foreground
John Gamble has filled an order for
a poppy covered hillside and has dis
posed of quite a number of his works
in Santa Barbara, while negotiations
are on foot for the sale of large work
oy well known artist whose work
is seen at the exhibition of the Art In
stitute. After the dullness which has
prevailed in art circles for number
of months, these signs of renewed
activity are. at least, encouraging
The ST. Louis Mirror rates the 20
paintings sent by Keith to that city
lately for exhibition purposes so highly
that it has the following to say in It's
issue of April /:
There are 90 splendid paintings by
the veteran William Keith of Cali
fornia. on exhibition at the Kocian
galleries. Wonderful ara these land
scapes-rich. luscious, full OF marvellous
light, atmosphere, distance movement
There's a bigness about them, yet they
are carefully painted. A sunset after
rain is glorious; an evening effect is
worthy of Turner or Claude, Such
trees, such shadows, luminous in the
deepest dark; such sleeping streams
such pools like soft eyes sunk In the
green sweeps of earth. His clouds are
'feelable' to the eye. In wealth of tone
this Caledonian- Californian is the
equal of Jacque-of Diaz. There's no
sameness in his work, but one; 1t is
comfortable. restful. All are paintings
to live with, to love. In these 20 can
vases a big man takes in nature and
gives her forth again in a splendor of
imaginative truth. This country has
no greater painter than Keith nor has
Europe His work has never been
shown here before. 1t is a wonder, a
joy"
Keith has just completed a landscape
of the Russian river stealing like mir
rored light between the grasses and
weeds of encompassing hills. Two
sketches of Mount Pitt in southern
Oregon are charming in their pure
tonality and undimmed vigor Of
handling Two large canvases were
painted from these sketches for Mrs.
e. H. Hartman, who spent some time