The San Francisco call., 1910-10-02

An exhibition of striking and unusual
quality will begin tomorrow morning
at the galleries of Vickery, Atkins &
Torrey in Sutter street, when Is of the
late canvases of Frederick Ballard Will
liams. n. A, of New York will be shown
in this city for the first time. Williams
has already made a great name for him
self in the east and Europe, and his late
exhibitions in Brooklyn, New YORK.
Buffalo and Boston have won him the
greatest praise from art critics.
Williams has taken various prizes
and medals for his work, which pos
sesses the unique quality not often seen
in our American painters of combining
landscape and figure work, without
either suffering at all in the compari-
son.
Many of the number of canvases to
be shown in this city have already
been displayed in the east, and Tor
sumptuousness of color and richness
Of design they are unsurpassed. II was
for his figure studies that Williams
won the high reputation he enjoys al
an artist, but his later remarkably fine
landscapes have proved that he pos
sesses an equally wonderful ability for
depicting the countryside, and whether
mountains or seas, landscapes or ma
rines they are done boldly, surely and
with a rich lavishness of touch that is
almost marvellous.
In none are these characteristics more
strongly and strikingly brought out
than in "The Butternut Tree" which
may be said TO be perhaps the best
in the exhibition. 1t is in gray tones,
softened and blurred and blended from
the wonderful atmospheric quality to
a subdued riot of rich color.
The Farthest Hills" and THE Opal
Valley" are two studies of the noun
tains, the former in delicate gray green
tones beneath a dome of massy pale
pink clouds. The latter is done at the
sunset hour with an opalescent effect
in sky and water and landscape, in
trees and grass and hilltops. from the
glory of the setting sun. In both of
these are figures shown, clad in Won
derful gowns of vivid hue, with all the
interviewer colors of a piece of oriental
tapestry, placed so as to bring out the
landscape. The richness of their cos
tunes in mountain wildernesses in no
way detracts from the scenic setting
but rather throws the whole surface of
the countryside into greater relief
"On the Cliffs" shows four figures in
gowns Of different hues, gold and yell
low predominating, grouped against a
view of deep blue ocean beneath a sky
royal in tone and tint,
The Cascade" is the best of the fig
ure studies shown. Three figures are
shown in it seated by small water
fall, and low trees, showing a vista of
hills and lake, form the surrounding
scene. This canvas is the property of
the Fine Arts academy in Boston.
Most of the pictures are of open
smiling valleys, fresh with spring tints
or bright with autumn color. inset be-
tween mountains of a wonderfully
quiet. peaceful grandeur, and most of
them are of Welsh setting, which gives
TO them their blue green tones in grass
and hills and their all pervading fresh
and misty loveliness.
The display viii continue for fort
night.
the sculptors of all countries TO COM
pete for the prizes that have been Of
fered by the Russian government for
a monument to Emperor Alexander II
which Gar Nicholas intends to erect
on, the site opposite the museum in ST
Petersburg. Considerable liberty will
be given the artist, as the emperor can
be represented on foot or on horse
back and around him may be grouped
allegorical characters or contemporary
historical characters and If SO desired
the monument may have an architec-
tural setting. Five prizes are offered
and those who wish to enter the COM
petition may obtain pictures of the
emperor and full information on ap-
plying to the committee of erection of
the monument to Alexander II, in care
of the minister of the interior, St
Petersburg, Russia.
An exquisite painting by Truillebert,
the French landscape painter whose