New-York tribune., 1910-01-19
ART EXHIBITIONS
yc.r Paintings By Vaious
american Artists.

,-.,,-. nsinting is easily lost sight of
,,,-lv-b,,rlv Of the winters exhibit
II He r-bey,. once a wear. il is brought
noi-. -. foreground, IL makes q special ap-
' :, these who keep careful watch or
-oeress of American art-and IL rs
peculiarly strict accounting il
ts any painter who is on his honor
.s,,a his work seriously and avoid the
,,a,;ons that lead TO 4 cheap popularity.
.Ls nsirter whose particular field has
- ove--1In by the amateur. Too many
...s.,,-ssts forget that they practse an
,.b,cl, was ennobled by Holbein. Hilli-
- coope-. Cosway, Isabey, Rocharo' NAL
-. snd other brilliant men. The secret
:. ,be old schools is, perhaps, lost oeyoho
..n but II is at least Hcrth "fiie 10
,-s,e il. II is always interesting In
,-,--sv Of the annual show of the American
eo-is-v OF Miniature Painters 10 look Tor
.sre that tlis pursuit is not neglected
-.,,r - seemed 10 have been almost
-La-5oned. Al any rate, the collection eK-
sTs,ted AZ the Knoedler Gallery left
.-sa.-. i-,oression. The one now open at
-, came place is very much better and
-s,i,es hope OF stronger Work
rh.-.esr Of a good miniature is not al
...hAr as simple as II seems, and some
80 y remains mystery 10 the very IN
.:asusls who ought 10 know most ABOUT
;, II Is q little puzzling 10 see for e1-
,,nle why the artist of talent VINO mas
~-es,,r,sblv studied these things should re
-,a;, hlissfully ignorant OF, or noiHereht
:. The distinction between miniature and
,or,rait that is simply painting executed
an small scale. immature sulceiF
e.a.t;ng. IS not simply a dir1inutive pict-
.o[ ~ hU ia
.o.rc, of z specific technique, as an etch-
-. ;s or piece Of sculpture Yet the
.s,,.,,,-4s- is rrone 10 ignore this fact.
~, ~ Miss Martha s Bakers little por-
80 Miss Rose Knight" It is q charm
'-1;soe Of work, a good illustration of the
,-,ent often advanced in this place,
sc. hrao5,r of handling is not incompatible
= .ba ,,inisturist's restrictions. But the
ar,is+ proceeds in another portrait.
-, scbeU' 10 throw overheard all
.,,a characteristics Of her art and ro
=. .he kind Of portrait that is merely
-s,,.+ior If the conventional canvas. The
.--.,,ion from the authentic ideal to one
- = FICTITIOUS is made with unhappy
-u,+r The truth is. that the line divid-
~ -v,o is delicate almost to tenuity-
%. ,,o,,- really gifted miniaturist recog-
-,-ss q ny instinct and never crosses II.
r.. ,roof the observer may turn 10 the
o-l NJ Miss Laura Hills, who from year
:, rea- maintains her prinlacy in these
.A,,i,,ors or 70 the work OF Mrs. Lucia
Ill v,o likewise steadily maintains
r. h,vh rank. Miss Hills is commercially
hro06 IN her Mast er 7. L. Shipman," in
sririnr the hope that she is learning 10 let
hsrself 90 as We have always wished she
z,o,ld but the portrait remains a minia-
-rre with all Of that indescribable polish
and nrecision which belong TO the art in
its nurest estate The other work she ex-
hfbits & portrait Of a man, is equally
sure in touch but little harder, little
less personaI in style Mrs. Fuller's min
stures are of notable significance, in that
they preserve the integrity of the art
where il IS especially difficult to save il
in portraits OF essentially linear quality.
On the other side Of that scarcely visible
barrier to which We have alluded she
might swiftly decline upon thin pretti-
ress But IN such portraits as her Miss
Sarah Adam Miss Grace Wrenn' or
Miss Frederick Peterson her drafts
usnship is splendidly firm and as fun OF
knowledge as 1t is of exquisite refinement.
To see what weight as an artist Mrs. Fuller
hss look also AT the modelling of the
Miss Robert Stevenson II is work like
ths that gives importance to the exhibit
tons OF the Society. Very encouraging,
TOO, is the blend OF sUavity and nervous
force in the three portraits by Miss Alice
Bsckngtor-thoUgh one Of these, the por-
trait Of a man, goes very near TO being
small picture rather than q miniature
and there are other testimonies to right
principle and able craftsmanship III Mr..
Baer's 'Nannette Iiebert.'' Miss Streams
The Lace Shawl and Miss Turner's
Cecilia" There is, in short, quite enough
in the collection Of legitimate miniature
paintings 70 Counterbalance the various
pieces which spell convention, or disclose
she mistaken conception of the art at
which We have glanced
Apropos Of convention. by the way.
there Is one point on which the 1niniaturists
invite moments reflection. Why Is it
that even among the best of them there is
evidently not, on the whole much con-
oern for character? Here and there you
catch elimpses of il. Mrs. Marsh. for eX-
ample. appears TO have made the most OF
sn interesting profile in her Portrait
Study" But many Of these miniatures,
including some OF the good ones, look GU
ri0usIy alike SIS there something about
the art 10 render the student of character
helpless? That would hardly seem to be
TIE case, in view OF the evidence supplied
by the old masters. The problem is one
which our school would do we'll 10 con-
sider
The exhibition which Mr. Charles Austin
Heedhsm is holding at the Saimagundi
Club discioses n charming talent, which
would leave a more favorable impression
j this artist were to develop a frmer
foundation on which TO present his very