New-York tribune., 1912-03-20
MR.. SARGENT AND SOME OTHERS.

There is an exhibition at the Knoedler
Galleries of forty-ive water colors by Mr..
Sargent. II is not so surprising as was
the one which he held here under the same
auspices few years ago, but that IL
simply because we were initiated then into
the brlliance of his doings with the most
vivacious Of artistic mediums. And still
acquaintance with these pictures leaves
one a little breathless-breathless I'm fol
lowing the slelght-of-hand Of so remark
able virtuoso. II Is an old truth. which
we never tire Of emphasizing, that every
medium has it's special genius, and that
among them all there Is none more eX-
acting than water color. There are draw
ings in this show, drawings of the figure,
which recall Mr.. Sargents work In oils
inasmuch as they illustrate his diabolical
mastery OF form. Looking at the girl who
sits at the left Of the doorway in The
Garden Wall" you cannot but be reminded
Of some OF his portraits Nevertheless.
first and last the thing that YOU observe
is the painters wonderful sympathy for
water color. his command over all its
secrets. his ineffable certainty Of touch.
What Mr Sargent does not know about
water color is hardly, We are inclined 10
think. worth knowing. For the connois-
seur OF the medium his use Of It promotes
artistic bliss Moreover. his astounding
ability is put at the service Of An eve
that devours natural beauty. He paints
the buildings Of Venice and Genoa, the
gardens Of Florence, the cvcopeau blocks
Of marble I'm the quarries Of Csrrara, the
white statue in some sunny villa or the
wine skins hanging under an humble
Italian roof At the villa Falconiere he
makes a drawing which should rejoice the
soul OF an architect. and in tho Alps he
paints pictures which would have satisfied
Ruskin I'm his roblest fervor for the gran
deur Of mountain structure. Everywhere
that he goes MIR. Sargent finds light and
color. and without effort he carries the
dazzling beauty OF both into his water
colors II is a great comfort TO see this
exhibition one rests upon it's sure power
as upon the playing of some absolute mas
ter in music In the same gallery there
arc a hundred water colors by Mr. Edward
D. Bolt. few OF them done I'm London,
Paris and New York, but most of them
records of Italian travel. They disclose a
certain pictorial faculty and respectable
tcCnnltdI tQOlpIn'Hts bul lll'S HAiA'l 'O'''
bly, from their proximity 10 Mr.. Sargents :
drawings The latter. to he sure, are OF
character to Kill almost anything hung
in the same room.
For a long time Mr.. William J. Glackens
has been known as clever and original
Illustrator. Occasionally when work or his
turned up in an exhibition of paintings ne
has seemed 10 be hampering himself by
trying Ia do in pigment what he has known
how 10 do with the pen Now AZ the Madi-
son Gallery nc has a show Of about a
dozen pictures which he has gone out OF
doors TO paint. and has painted with all
his faculties alert TO the appeal OF nature.
II is instantly obvious that he has made
at last, the right start. He sees things as
they are and not from precenceved
point Of view. lie gets the truth Of life
into his work. gets II th"r" with sim
plicity and an intimate fragrance only
accessible TO a painter Of genuine gifts
His work is not perfect. There are crudl-
ties Of color and Of drawing In II: there
is wooliness about his surfaces now and
then which one is bound to regret But
these are trincs when man is getting out
Of sea and sky what Mr.. Glackens Is get
ting out Of them. when his painting Is so
sincere and 90 tlngling with the joy OF
life r. &.