New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-21

John Lane COMPANY
7'hi, modest sheaf Of memories ana
impressions will rank permanent!
among the best Of the many tributes
Maid 10 Whistler since his death. MI
Wa knew the artist well. but does not
.,,sin, n have invented him. II is clear
that be believes Whistler TO have been
. man Of genius, and the spirit per
vsdins these pages is one OF warm ap-
preciation. but there is here none oil
that naive soHcitude Tor the srcG,
mans fame which. IN some quarters
has EXPRESSED itself through fearIU!
and wonderful bearings Of the drum
The VALIDITY Of the Whistlerisn hypoth-
.,is js taken Tor granted. Wien OLD
episodes OF all acrimonious nature crop
out. as they seem always bound 10 co
they are touched upon in kindly iash-
ION. with good taste and with dignity
The result is a really engaging study.
Mr. Way offers us no full-lensth por-
trait. but his sympathetic sketch Is
Ufelike and persuasive. It IS SpeclaliN
valuable in that il shows Is somethlnS
q, what Whistler VAS in his purely Ar
tistic character.
Mr. Way is the son OF The man whose
knowledge OF TYPOGRAPHY was u greai
.ervice 10 Whistler when the la,ter Wa
making his FIRST experiments with that
process and during many OF he wears
OF his mastery Of IT, We are told, &C
cor6!ngly, o: developments in us career
cbserved ~ first hand since the
,ounger way had constant oppor-
entities 10 follow the artists proceed
inss They began in 1875, and it ap-
resrs that in uthoGraphy as IN other
Maths. Whistler vas scrupulousl! care
,yl 20 make due and proper prepare
lions" lie had 10 know exactly what
he ,css about, snd in Mr. Way &C
count We are struck oy mo ar'isis
,horoughgoing methods. re IS Inc
,arv soul or conscience, type OF per
lsct rsctitude in art. We have h'sro
60 much Of him as 2 mere worker OF
miracles that it IS good 10 hear some
think. now and then OF Ais capac.t.
for taking pains. and Of thst humility
In him which it takes great aris' 10
fss'. He once described 10 MI. HsE
subject which he saw one winter even
ins. 50 absolutely beautiful ana so per
,sct picture "a courtyard With
statue in &. ! think that il was nor
rossib'e FOR him TO draw it. And ne
also told his Young friend that there
are some things. ss the Venus De MILO
for instance. which in themselves are
rAr.ect and which it would be vain ["
frv 10 reproduce" There are anec-
dots, IN tbs book which illustrate his
bnush;y pride, the scorniul manner N
which he fought for his own hano
The story is told that Lady Meu1, VINO
vas posing !n Russian sables for her
PORTRAIT one day sent her maid 10
stand f5r her in The furs. Whistler
j promptly painted the maids face III
p,sce ot The MISTRESS. But Mr.. Way
has OIL the whole, little Of this sort OF
thing 10 put before az. lie prefers 10
tell Us stores Ike the following
e1.u ,oyer forget lesson which lie
- 80 one evening" We had left tie
,,,o;o yyhen IL was quite dusk. ana we're
Waking alouc the road b. the gaIutns
~ Chelsea Hospital. when ne ouoQs"1ts
s.opued. and POINTING 10 ea0Tp p,,,iIc
II;i6inQs iu the distance, an Ola puoIc
bouse AZ the corner Of road Win VIII
lows and shops showing Go.oen ush,s
through the gathering MIST OF ~ 20 80
IsTc ANYTHING 10 sketch or make notes
on offered him my note DOOR. 20 30.
30 30 quiet" vas the answer, Sio $50, $50,
lonr pause, he turned ara Wa.S ;s N. ,Ls
rav. ards: then. with his back 70 me
Gene az which 1 vas looking, ne 500
Nor. see II I have learned H. az
rspssted a full description or the sC. l,',
even ss one might reoeat Loe,'. ~
I'd soon there came another picture
vhicb appealed 20 me ever Ore t..sm
tbc former ! Tried 20 call ",s alte!!tIo!!
70 II. but he would no. .ooA Tine a. q IN p
rn,. DAYS vas a. the studio agar, AM
there on the easel was the rea 1zSl'oH u
tho picture.
II has been suggested that Whistler
NAV have trained his memory for eX-
ploits like the foregoing by the system
~ De Boisbaudrsn and that he BE-
uoyed these things could be taught "e
NAV infer from one OF M. Ways mem
cries When whistler came back from
his visit 10 Venice in 1879 he was
very keen about a new system of
drawing which he said had come upon
him quite suddenly and which would
enable any one understa nding It al
wsvs 10 make o. fine and interestins
pjcture." His head was always seetn
ing with ideas. Il is interesting 10 Sc
as one sees IN a book like this, written
~ a fre1uenter Of his workshop, how
his effects. his technical Drocesses
we're invariably thought out. Il have
nesu tod" says Mr.. Way, that ii was
his custom 10 have Indian muslin cur
tains hanging over the windows Of the
room he used for painting in at Lind
say Row. and thus he got a very dlf-
fused light without any definite
SHADOW" His connoisseurship in pa
per where the printing Of his etchings
was concerned, and the manipulation
OF the press is an old story. Mr.. Way
reminds US, too Of the masters par
ticularity In respect 10 the canvas for
his paintings. His genius was sensi
tive 10 the very last detail that went
10 The making OF work OF art and *
sts~a IN, fa..r