The sun., 1909-02-04
AROUND TIE GALLERIES.

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his life Paul Cezanne went from his home
in AK to little park Of his own over
looking a beautiful valley and facing
not very high mountain. For years
he painted the landscape under all CON-
ditions Of weather. Of lighting. He never
tired Of the scene. He called II his Motive.
We may remember that Monet painted
certain haystacks and the Rouen cathe-
dral many times, but not with such single
devotion as did Cezanne his selected
Motive. Now while there is absolutely
no point of resemblance between the art Of
Robert Reid and that Of the Frenohman.
they are at least alike in their stick
ing TO a unique theme. At MIR. Reld's
studio-rather call it a gallery, for 1t 10
bigger than two or three Fifth avenue
showrooms rolled together-there Is a
public exhibition Of his recent works,
two dozen and one. which are nearly all
variations on a solitary Motive. II Is
to be conceded at once that the paint
er's technical skill and invention pre-
vent the collection from becoming mo-
notonous. He takes a slim blond girl, a
graceful creature. pensive In expression,
pretty. yet redeemed by character from
the banalities Of blond prettiness. and
he sets her in the open air. The atmos-
phere shlmmers about her. Her slender
arms fall at her sides. She Is almost
volatilized by the tenuity OF the color
scheme She is like the iridescent wings
OF some strange butterfly, Anon the
Motive is seen between two lights.
Notwithstanding her ethereal complex
ion she is bombarded by mauve, by pink.
She endures the battle Of opposing lumi-
nositiee. Then she wears brown veil,
She is not conquered but rather enhanced
by the subtle handling Of values. At an
open fire she kneels and regards the fame.
which reverberates gently upon her
dreamy eyes. She 10 drawn with a sure
touch. She is apparelled for the evening.
She wears a chain Of pearls. She is
adorable. She is the Motive.
Then the contrapuntal Robert seizes,
30 to speak. the Motive by her aureole Of
gold and drags her TO field and puts a
flower in her hand. She ID a yellow
flower, and you admire the deft draperies
and the insinuating tonalities, some
thing in the scale between canary and a
blue Dyed argel. Best OF all is the Motive
sewing. The big fist that delights in
covering miles OF ceiling with clear
colored paint has here tried for the boxed
in sweetness Of Terburg or a vermeer,
though the Motive is very American and
the color scheme high. not shrill. A
wholly charming aud credible compost
ton. the technical problems are 30 easily
vanquished that you forget them, and the
sentiment is sound. The Motive is alb
sorbed in her task. and the needle is just
about to be plunged in the-heavens knows
what 1t is. dress or something else
too mysteriously feminine for masculine
brains to unravel. The Motive is not in
the -Moonrise. which is the property of
the Lambs; but as she is in over a dozen
canvases she has no call TO feel jealous.
The landscapes are Reid at his best.
After the Rain is a sterling transcript
ton OF poetic mood. though real and not
marred by mere paint rhetoric. The
old Fifth Avenue Hotel ceiling panel
painted years ago was bought by Mr..
Reid and is to be seen in all it's glory in
this acre Of a studio. A picture from last
seasons exhibition, bunch Of trees BIOS
soming under a tender moon. is lovely in
color and feeling. The spacing OF the
trees secures an effective perspective for
the planet The open Fire alluded to,
won the W. A. Clark prize Of 1000 and is
the property OF the Corcoran Gallery,
Washington. II is in this exhibition
through the courtesy of the directors.
But whether 1t is peonies or iris, Gamma or
blue hydrangea, white lilacs or the rose
OF Sharon, day dreams or in the garden,
the Motive is seldom afar. She dominates
the gallery. She is Robert Reid's dare
we be 30 ungallant as to say -Franken-
steinl The boy Bathing the one dark
picture in the room. we praised last year.
IL is strong Mr.. Reid wishes to announce
that this show is public and not private
studio affair. His gallery is in the Gibeon
Studio Building, liz East Thirty-third
street, and 1t will be open to all until
February 10.
At the Bauer-Folsom Galleries, 500
Fifth avenue, MIR. Richard Hall. Sweiish
portrait painter Of vogue. has hung seven
specimens Of his art, the most important as
to size and popularity OF subject being
Enrico Caruso as Vasco da Cana in Mey-
erbeer's Il 'Afrlcaine.' II was seen last
season in the show window Of knoedler's,
The much pursued tenor looks darkly,
into midair. His mustachos
are fiercely curled. You can recognize
at glance that he is great singer, but
no actor. Mr.. Halls art is revelatory.
He also understands the beauty Of tex
lures. The metallic bit OF armor. the
lesthern jerkin 1--WE hope it is leather and
the accessories are excellent. There are
five feminine portraits. The head Of
Mr.. Duffield Osborne is sensitive, ner-
vous, expressive. Ii is charged with |
character. Mrs. Halls portrait Is very
sympathetic. and while the picture in |
which lady regards tea set is agree
able enough. we cannot admire the flesh
tints blazing in the lamplight. Miss
Hall makes pretty srabesque with flow
ers and her own good looks.
A few afternoons ago bull te rrier barked |
and paved at the glass Of the Knoedler |
window on Fifth avenue. At least a
hundred people were amused by the saw
age antics Of the beast. A large canvas
on which a pack of hounds run their |
quarry TO ground had attracted the quick |
Eye OF the live dog. Now the question |
that will puzzle animal psychologists is
Was IL the emotion of recognition: Iid |
the dog think he saw real canine brethren? |
Or was the dog exercising tho preroga-
tive Of all critics' These are delicate
points. particularly as they are COM
plicated by the indubitable fact that the
painted dogs wouldn't deceive even an en-
Al II -