New-York tribune., 1909-03-18
ART EXHIBITIONS
The Spring Collection of the Ma
tionaL AcGdemg of Design.


nose young men who have sometimes been lucky
- get any place at ALI The resultant variety is
attained. too. without any crowding OF the gal
l.-ies The catalogue 10 hardly more than
three hundred numbers. It ia long enough IN all
conscience. for there has been an extraordinary
succession Of exhibitions this season What with
she innumerable shows that have been held in this
c,-x snd those held elsewhere. as at Washington
and Philadelphia. It is surprising that the artists
should have had the energy to put together this
additional collection or course. there several
MIXTURES IN Il which have been seen before but in
certain Instances these only doubly welcome.
= IS good. for example. 20 again Mr.. Haw-
.bo-7e's Lemon Girl" the work of a man who IS
71rting very interesting quality into everything
he does His other contribution. too. the Return
from the Catch" though not perhaps charming
picture. has at any rate a strong personal note.
II Is this merit on which rests IN the two most
distinguished paintings to the exhibition. Mr..
veir's A Revery'' and Mrs. Dewing's Annual
Fhlox" It IS impossible divine. by the way. the
reason which the hanging committee may have
thought It had for placing Mrs Dewing's flower
Erudy in SO disadvantegeous position the one It
n-cupies It is 4 lovely thing lovely in design. in
color and In tone and. has been indicated. 1t is
work Of peculiar individuality. Yet II is "skied
while dozens CT pictures not even remotely 10 be
compared with II hung on the line. Mr.. Weir
has been more fortunate. His picture. portrait
of girl IN garments Of light. quiet tone is so dis
-osed that one may to the full the charm or
lts tende-ly painted surface end the beauty OF
stvle in which the whole performance is enveloped
Nr Sargent on the other hand. hardly deserves
ths place Of honor which has been given 10 his
Portrait OF Miss Observation-Disclosures Laszlo
ez-benvi'r Il has an Air of brilance. doubt.
IS would be expected OF any painting from his
h-y,sH but II IS perfunctory piece Of work, and,
fo- him. positively dull and thin. There is &
sounder vitality 10 be observed in more than one
u--gr soifa NJ defect.
g. least seems more sincere No else has quite
hat touch of the master which ilunnines even his
most conventional portraits, but an artist may
sometimes fall short OF mastery and Yet leave
,sr-fvstfrE - impression. Witness the double ror
trait Of Miss Ellen Emrnet The Misses s The
TIRE stature Of the sitter in the background Is past
finding out and the drawing IS not, in either figure.
--e-iseIz frnpeccable. but the heads are modelled
5,b 5eliehrf1l precision and v1vacity. and the ef
se-r Of The painting whole is interesting ana
ruu Of hfe. Mr.. Wfes. in his portrait OF Nile.
C=e-v1lfe-Reache Carmen, like Miss EIr1IneI-
goes lust far enough in his work TO make you wish
that he might 20 little further. He is very nir1-
n. and sdroit: he has engaging vigor but his
color Is deplorabIy commonplace. With these facile
n5 clever portraits OF feminine stters the exhibit
non is plentifuIiy supplied. Some Of them. 20 be
sure Ike Mr.. Heggin's 'Elfrida," are merely gay
znd brittle disclosing atom Of really sensi-
tive taste but there others which are not only
ACCOMPLISHED IN execution. but very renneo ana
attractive in feeling Notable in this category Is
the ful length Of q lady in white. the Mrs Ralph
Adams cram" BY Mrs A. 9. Chase: the 'Girl IN
Profile" by Mr. L. P. Thompson; Mr.. sterners
PORTRAIT ~ his wife, and the Souvenirs OF MI
Tsz-o7 Parker susve and dainty study. Miss
Fssux hss produced in the single portrait OF q
orsn by which she is represented perfectly COM
pstent but not otherwise commendahle example OF
her art II seems problem doggedly solved, rather
than -he outcome Of a genuine inspiration or
Miss Cassatt's Children Playing with Cat one
osn only express the hope that time may react
uuon its tones and modify the hard and almost
cr1ds character which they nov possess
There are numerous other deftly painted por-
traits in which the graceful decorative motive IS
successfully sought Mr. Isham's pretty Song ot
The Lark" Mr.. Reds Sunset Glow" Mr- Gan
ley's Miss X" Mr.. Boston's romantic Lady IN
White" and more others than need here he men
tonsd: but they do lend greater strength 10
-e show Than is lent by certain male portraits which
are in <sc- 70 be received with special cordially.
TIE pretty woman in her pretty clothes is 70 be
seen everywhere in TIE galleries Only here ana
here Go ne come upon illustrations Of 2 keener
i--e-es- n character and sharper, bolder treat
rren- ot form. The few portraits Of men make
- admirable Frorp. II embraces In Miss hary
Foote's John P. Abney, Esquire. Mr.. Beckw'th
Samuel y Hoffman" and the PORTRAIT ny MI
y-,rris,, = vvde IN which the late Bishop Potter
* easily 10 be recognized three good examples OF
e--esz,7rforard painting, Of character sympather-
cs1lv spprehended and authorftatively eKpresseo-
The 1g7Ire that is painted from within Is aIler
81 no1s TOO familiar in our exhibitions. We are
gill
7bfistinisrn Of tackIing subject" Rather the
stake any day than the peril Of telling story.
t7en-e The portrait which is merely an arrange
-rentr and the picture which IS simply study OF
TIE 1gJre isolated and significant OF no human
emotion one need not necessarily complain OF this
-z-rour -oint Of view when the subject is, at any
rate handled with technical address, and made
10 that extent = matter Of at We are grateful
for Nr Eenri's ''Ficador' and for Miss Genths IN
the Arbor'' because in each case the artist has
added 70 the picturesqueness Of the model q meas
vre Of individuality in the workmanship. But few
and far between are the pictures in which the
painter has something TO say apart from the eK-
ploitstion of his oWn technical traits.
one OF the most serious in this small company OF
artists bent upon lending to their composition some
inlsg sginstve glamour. and one OF the most appeal
ing, is M Andrew Schwartz who. in his Print
tive Family" recalls the sentiment Of Puvis De
Chsvannes He has ar academic solicitude for
dignity of design ard for simplicity Of style His
color ts perhaps shade too reserved one wouId
ike 10 see him painting with little more nervous
force. As II is cannot but respect the breadth
@ his outlook and admire the approach he has
made to standard Of thoughtful composition
which is too often neglected He is building the
-ight foundation. Possibly his progress might be
accelerated II freer. more invigorating airs were
10 make their way through his art That, has
been stated before this place is what is needed
by M. Hugo BALM, who in The Lesson" here
exhibited as in so many of his sumptuous idylls
pleases the observer and yet inspires q wish that
he might put more vivid life. rougher zes into
his work. Still another figure painter who invites
the same criticism IS Mr.. F. B. Williams though
Il raust be confessed that The Court OF the Be
loved" is frankly romantic costume piece. pure
and simple. that perhaps idle 10 speculate
70 how it might have been made more salts
factory picture. Mr.. yailant's "Punchineo" is
clever little nude, a clever school study. One Of
these painters, Mr.. William Cotton. is evidently do