New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-12
ART EXHIBITIONS
Decorations and Other Works
by Charles Gender.

A little more than a year ago there
was held at the Berlin Photographic Com
pany the first American exhibition of
works by the English painter, the late
Charles Gender. In ordinary circum-
stances there would have been no oc-
casion for an early revival OF the subject.
But Mr.. Birnbaum has obtained the nine
decorative panels which enjoyed a kind
OF esoteric repute. some time since. in
the Paris house of NJ. Bing, and this
series has easily justified second ex-
hibition. which includes. moreover,
number Of other things not hitherto dis
played In public. Ii makes charming
episode in the art season. Conder's work
has always been attractive. and il is good
TO see II In a new form.
He was n eclectic and subtly decadent
type Most of his commentators make
the rather obvious remark that he de
iives from the light French school OF
the eighteenth century. but the truth is
that the spirit of his work was deter
mined by influences OF later date. There
Is in him far less of the old regime In its
last years Of gayety and grace than there
is Of the Second Empire. with its sickller.
more meretricous artifice. Gayarni rather
than Watteau is his prototype, and he
differs from both in that where they de-
picted life. illustrating what they actually
saw, he improvised his subjects out of a
somewhat morbid fancy. There are com
positions I'm the present exhibition espe-
cially among the autographs, which show
that he occasionally went to Balzac, TO
Gautier and TO other writer's for his
themes \ few books are also on view 10
present him i'm the role of illustrator.
But, strictly speaking these matters are
irrelevant. Gender was not an artist TO
keep his eye on the object. Even IN his
Autographs. which come closest In sent-
ment TO the figures and affairs OF the
visible world he Is an essentially ire
sponsible designer. playfully weaving his
pretty arrangements OF form, leaving
character TO take care of itself. and pay
ing only a nominal attention 10 the dra-
matte motive which sometimes touched
his sympathles. His Is the atmosphere OF
The Yellow Book" the atmosphere of
rather bloodless ceverness. Of dollhouse
ideas and feeling.
Saturated in the feverish inspiration
that flows from modern luxury and cyn-
csm. he seems the true comrade of
type like Beardsley. but beneath all that
was unhealthy in his art there persisted
a strain OF something like poetic instinct.
He might he never so frivolous. and stu
there would remain 10 him authentic
glimpses OF beauty. Of charm. certain
exquisite daintness was at his finger tips.
at least when he was painting on silk.
The Autographs. curiously disclose very
deliberate and almost heavy touch IL is
there particularly that we see how far he
was from recapturing the elegance and
the sparkle of Vatican. He hadn't
1.-THE OF that masters command over
form. nor had he any of The great
Frenchmans firm. flashing craftsman
ship. Viyacious enough In mood, he
lacked the manual dexterity TO give the
last perfect expression to his debonair
sense OF things. This, at all events, when
he set himself 10 drawing on the stone.
When he took up the brush and hung MS
delicate devices upon silk he could AFFORD
TO do without the nervous force and the
linear precision which we miss in the
autographs. Then. somehow, he was ut
terly Nj ease with his medium and his
talent What he had TO do he could then
do i'm his own way and regardless Of his
limitations, which did not. indeed, count
as limitations. but played into his hands.
so to say as part and parcel of his char
acteristic effect. on the beautiful watery
texture which he loved to choose as
background for his pale tints his weak
nesses were minimized until they almost
disappeared. He did not need 10 paint
pictures in his decorative panels or on his
little fans or 10 concern himself over
much with nuances of FORM IL was
enough for him TO breathe upon those
soft surfaces the faintest, most insuo-
stantial visions.
They are visions OF costumes, OF att-
tude. OF flrtatous comedy, of wholly
mundane frippery and froth. But for
Conder's subject in itself we have no
great solicitude. The main point Is the de-
llghtful way In which he distributes the
elements in his scheme over a given space.
placing his central design just where II
ought to 60 adding here and there with
unerring taste the medallions needed to
balance H. and binding everything togeth-
or with garlands, ribbons and other con-
ventional factors that serve 10 give pre-
ciselv the formal note without which the
decoration. as a decoration, would be In
complete All this is done with won
derful delicacy of color. with fiower-like
strokes of dim rose or blue and creamy
yellow. The pearly silk itself tells beaut-
fully. too in the arrangement of tone.
Nothing could be more exquisite, more
fragile. or more distinguished In its fine,
elusive quality. Gender. as we have
shown. was not by any means a great ar
list But In his rare individualized way
he works a remarkable spell.
The last exhibition OF the season at the
Photo Secession Gallery is one OF carl
catures absolute and relative by
Narius de Zayas II forms a sort OF post
script TO the freakish side of the recent
Armorv show, an affair OF bizarre alb
surdltv. In a few of his caricatures, those
which we suppose are to be taken az rel
alive" Mr. de Zayas treats his figures In
a rational manner and is cleverly anus
ing. The absolute performances sus-
rest the disordered dreams Of some Cubist
mathematician. Travellers back from At
rica sometimes tell weird tales about the
transmission OF news among the natives
IN that mysterious continent. When Major