The Washington herald., 1910-01-09
REDFIELD'S WINTER PICTURES

vents ones full enjoyment Of some other,
equally well painted. winter pictures,
shown notably the white House. No.
.. which was awarded prize recently
al the Chicago Art Institute exhibition.
There are snowy valley views. brooks,
and village streets, one of the most
artistic of which. although a small can
vas. is Center Bridge" No 6. These
gIimpses OF villages in the Delaware
River country are so very charming.
with their duh gray frame houses and
more cheerful stone ones. the latter so
clipper and bright In their old age. The
distant ring Of sleigh bells and the
sound Of the woodman's AK is i'm the
crisp. sunny air Of these canvases.
The snow Is never too cold nor too
deep to show something Of the rich col
ored underground: and the black mud of
his roads-how beautiful it is, There
are suggestions Of January thaws" In
some Of these pictures. a time of year
when the whole face of the country is
one glorious. magnifed opal. Further
more, the sunshine IN Mr.. Redheld's win
ter pictures is the mellow, purring kind
OF early morning or late afternoon. when
one lust loves to be out" The one
striking exception in this respect is The
Old Barn." No. Il, already referred 20.
This is a symphony in violet gTays. SOM
Der as a dirge. vet possessing great quail
tiles Of color and disolving values of
wonderful tenderness. This is the sort of
art that has ever been the despair Of
the great word painters. Impressions of
nature like these Of The Old Barn"
may only be conveyed by word Of brush
and paint, and Redheld has done 1t with
| Incompatible skill.
! The COrcOran Gallery Of Art owns The
| Delaware River Valley" one of Mr.. Red
fields earlier successes, which still re-
mains one Of his very greatest and most
valuable works. This picture is not 50
/ foyceful as those done in his present
broader. holder method. but force is no,
/ everything in art. and Mr. Reddeld is not
likely ever to excel this remarkable mas
/ terpiece It belongs I'm the class with
/ Tryons December" at Smith College
and Metcalfs Snow bound Village o
shown at the Montrose gallery two years
ago.
AS for certain coast scenes, shipping
and landscapes painted under summer
conditions, shown here, no comment neeC
be made. since number OF well-knowI
American painters do the same subject.
with more skill and sympathy.
A word in closing about the new broad
method Of painting. It must not be for
gotten that, while the Redheld method 4:
the newest. It Is not the only method.
Tryon, Metcah. Hassam, and some 9th,
ers. better known for landscapes Of other
times of year, have painted winter witt
infinite charm, but, by comparison Will
this broader method, their work seems
delicate, even effeminate. Here is TIL
danger point. Pictures Of the older meth
cd must be judged by themselves. The,
are just now in fair way to be crowd
ed out OF the exhibition. in spite of theii
intrinsic beauty and artistic excellence
That is the problem of the near future.
As to just what extent a picture paint
ed on this large gallery scale" can b,
accommodated in the dwelling of al
average art collector remains 10 be seen
Moreover, I am not at all sure that tn,
small, delicately rendered Tryon, Muir
ply, Metcalf. and Foster landscapes anC
figure pictures by men Of the standing o
Tarbel. Dewing. Brush. and Mowbra,
and their school may not when pat t,
the test, prove pleasanter, more compan
ionable. and desirable to live with. Ger
tain It Is that the school of which Mr.
Redfield is the brilliant leader has com,
20 stay and the museums and public gal
leries. the true place for such pictures
will seek this art for the reason that il
effect upon the public is most dramati
and immediate. But in the interest o
the best art of every kind it Is to b
hoped that the rights of the smaller ar
treasure. whose excellence, II less obvi
Gus. is yet not less important may re
ceive proper consideration in the exhi
billions. Smaller galleries should be pro
vided for them, as was done at the PEN
Academy annual some years ago, whel
group of little masterpieces from tn
Freer collection were shown In delight
lful gray ROOM devoted to them alone