New-York tribune., 1909-01-06

should he such a stranger 70 beauty. Once in
'he group OF five paintings by which he is here
represented in the Listening Fauns." Stuck seems
TO DC feeling his way toward gracious ideal. but
The broad impression he leaves is hot and devoid
OF poetry
Perhaps the most significant OF all these excur-
siohs ir'o the realm Of dream allegory is the
large triptych by Fritz Erler called The Plague
One notes what is driving az With considera BILE
interest 1t Is a good idea that Is embodied the
central panel. the idea Of a and stony square
IN some oid World city, down which strides a semi
nude figure symboizing the plague, bringing birds
" eVll omen IN her trail Such figure ought TO be
more terrible than army with banners But with
the best VIII in the world enter into the spirit
OF the picture one is nevertheless constrained to
protest that this crudely yellow figure Is so far
from seeming shape of dread that it irresIstIbiy
wakes recolections of pantornime The painter
starts with promising motive. but he carries no
CT nVlcton for he does not his brushes with the
skiil demanded by his theme. Assuming that his
hand could be trained. would there not stl be
something lacking-something in the very grain Of
MS art? Not only IN Erler's case. but in many
other The question IS asked and speculation leaves
one doubtful Of the answer. Again and again in
this exhibition there painters who excite inter-
est by virtue of a certain facility or certain
rough approximation to trUth-panters like Carr
Blos in his Portrait Of the Regent" like Angelo
Jank in The Hunt" like Ludwig Herterich I'll his
Autumn" like Heinrich Zugel in his oxen Going
Through Water" or like Leo Samberser in his
Portrait of Dr. Schnitzer'' But the lover OF good
painting Graves something more. He crates deli
cate light and pure color. subtlety drawing and
modelling and that singuaTity beauty or charm
Of surface which implies in the painter a loving
instinct for the genius of his 1t is anus
ing 10 think OF what the effect would be II one
were 70 place here and there in the exhibition an
interior by Yer Nicer, the portrait of a woman by
Alfred Stevens or nocturne by Whistler. They
would cruelty enforce the fact that the Germans
have somehow failed yet 10 develop the true
reverential feeling for the Instruments and mate
rials Of painting. that their prodigous energy is
pouring itself into channels only 10 be navigated
with success after long years OF discipline.
This. no doubt, is hard saying, and surely
commentator would wish TO underestimate the
character OF such demonstration as the artists
or Germany have made on this occasion. But X
the purpose Of the exhibition make US better
acquainted with European school OF painting 1t
would be idle to evade with empty compliments the
lesson put before the American public. That lesson
is that II the business OF Is 10 express the truth
II is also the business Of art to make the truth
beautiful The artist is the great transformer who
works magic with the stuff in which he deals. His
hand may move swiftly or laboriously the
vas, but the finished work must have in il organic
~life; II must realize for the beholder the thing OBJ
served or invented. There are so many pictures
here in which e good aim is not fulfilled. Mention
has already been made of some OF these. There
are others Ike the large decorative panels of
Ludwig Hofmann. dedicated TO The Dance
or like Adolf Hengeer's ''Nymph at the Spring"
Hofmanns 9 designs and the figures woven into them
ought in the right hands. TO i'll you with sense
OF what dancing means AS he has executed them
they convey an impression OF inertia. Hengeler's
nymph and her attendant GnoriHi might have
touched the imagination il they had been painted
with genuine artessness, but the naIvete of this
picture seems only affectation. Among the ex-
ampes of sculpture scattered through the exhibi-
ton, mostly statuettes, there is a piece by Hugo
Lederer. in which q bronze bowl is borne b. two
Centaurs. set back TO back. The tails OF these
creatures intertwined. making solid and ugly
little mass of metal Why, you ask did the scup
tor thus treat this detail, and why did he worry
his simple base into a restless arrangement OF
curves? He wanted the faculty of selection. the
unerring instinct for the right touch, the Unborn
gift for beauty which is the gift for style. r. (.