New-York tribune., 1910-11-10
ART EXHIBITIONS
Pictures by C. w. Hawthorne,
Jules Guerin and Others

There is sometimes a u-tta s;a,.
about exposing at the right angle IT, ,oa1
/ ing quality of an artist who ba, -. 90,
ative faculty in him. This NAV n,a,if.-.
itself in thoughtful inventions ~ :. 60
tonal fervor. or in Just the Lnoadt,- -
pigment into pattern OF sens1yous bas,,+v
Possibly he may have more .ha, ona =.
these resources, and then II is occ.sto,a1I,
battling TO determine which is in +b. asoer-
dant In any case he gives voi, abo,-o oil
things a sense OF having brougb, some
thing new into being of having exnressa7
fresh vision of the visible world The
freshness is there because the vtsi,,, l., b4z
own. even though he may not have arrived
at the full statement OF his Individuality
Perhaps he has ideas 70 which he cannot
quite give form. and so ne reveals moods
tendencies, rather than definite concen
tiOns- j does not greatly matter The
energy Of the maker is there the Touch Of
the painter to whom every new picture is
an adventure. tingling with a certain spirit-
ual reality. Some such suggestions as these
are bound 10 come to the observer of the
work of Mr. Charles W. Hawthorne. who
has an exhibition of ten or twelve recent
paintings at the Macbeth gallery There
IS unusual interest in what he does From
season TO season his character as an
artist develops. making the appeal that
only deep-rooted vitality can enforce
His ideas, for example. are not those
significant OF constructive imagination.
he does not build up elaborate designs.
vet he is Enthusiastically man who feels
and thinks Take the most gravely pom
dered picture in the room, the one repre-
sentins a boy and girl standing side by
Youth: it wears the title by perfectly
obvious right. and yet we have never seen
a subject of the sort treated with less of
the mere story telIer's purpose. You
wonder for q moment II the felicity Of
the thing is traceable 10 the delicately
fixed pose TO the sympathetic interpreta-
ton of adolescence. or to the subtle at
mosphere in which the figures are envel-
oped. but presently YOU realize that the
secret lies in naught save the artists truth.
his ability to put human life upon his
canvas. How far he lost himself in reverie
on the beautiful spirit Of youth we do not
know but il would not be surprising to
hear THAI II had not arrested hin, in any
metaphysical sense at all, but had un-
consciously crept into essay in pure
painting The distinction. OF course, be
tween work like this and an unemouonal
exercise in technique is due TO that creative
faculty already mentioned. The man who
has il cannot do sOulless work. His pas
siOnate interest IN his art reacts upon his
whole conception of a given picture so that
il takes on d more than sensuOus beauty
1t is interesting to recall in rhe presence
Of this painting the manner in which Rom
ney and Hoppner especially, amongst the
eighteenth century Englishmen. were wont
TO treat much the same motive They were
faithful 10 their period, and an exquisite
artifciaIity is flung over their enchanting
portraits. Mr. Hawthorne in this Youth
of his, and In pictures like the Blue Girl
and the ''Girlhocd, is, in his turn, delight
fully full of his own time and place, an
American with all Of the fortnight and
even rude simplicity that is natural to some
Of US at least Note the sincere painting
Of the arms and the bony structure about
the throat in the "Girlhood" 1t would
be hard 20 beat for its Uncompromisins
and yet curiously sensitive realism.
The pictures at which We have just
glanced show Mr.. Hawthorne at his best
because in them his pictorial purpose and
his technique work together in absolute
harmony. His rich. resonant color. in the
handling Of which he has made extraordi-
nary progress, and the firm but delicate
modelling Of the youthful heads and faces,
would seem to have some intimate rela-
ton with the idea. the impression. he has
sought 10 convey. You feel that his au-
thority is sure because his interest is clear
and has behind IL an jngenuoJsly whole
some resolution. There are one or two other
canvases here in which you family discern
an adventurous purpose, the execution Of
a tour dc force rather than the denotement
Of sheer delight IN beauty. Take the 'Rov
With Gaff-HOok. or the Man With
Dip-Net," the latter more particularly.
Here, working on a considerable scale, the
artist fails to convince YOU that he has
anything of moment TO say, that his emo
tions have really been stirred. and once you
have savored his clever workmanship you
find the rest cold. dry. and empty of artistic
meaning picture like the Blue Girl is
indeed made. thing fashioned out of a
true inspiration. One like the Man With
Dip-Net' spells uninspired Ia bor a skiIful
hand. but that is all. 1t is not matter of
subject; il is simply that one notes an alb
sence Of fire, Of a real reason for stating
the facts with such conscientious effort
In his best pictures Mr.. Hawthorne sug-
gests nothing Of effort and his reason for
painting them is writ large across their
surfaces, in their living beauty.