New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-08
ART EXHIBITIONS
A Remarkable Souvenir of the
Late William Hunt.

A Remarkable souvenir OF the
Late William Hunt.
Among the exhibitions which are clos
ing the season at the Anderson galleries
there is one. Just opened. of paintings and
objects Of art from various estates. The
late Mrs. William NJ Billiard and Mrs. F..
#. Coe. Of New York; Mrs. Jane +. Love-
Joy OF Pittsburgh; DR.. John Van der
Peel, Mr.. George F. Martin. and other
owners are represented In the extremely
miscellaneous array of over eco pieces.
The sale will be carried through three
sessions on the evenings of May 10 and
20 and the afternoon OF May 2.
The paintings here, taken as a body,
leave no very brilliant impression. There
are excellent examples OF Vibert. Isabey.
Goubie, J. A. Meunier. Kammemerer,
Tojetti and Sanchez Perrier. but these by
themselves would hardly serve to correct
the general atmosphere produced by old
fashioned, conventional pictures of the
sentimental sort. There is. however, one
work which counterbalances these. and,
indeed, gives solid Importance to the ex-
hibition. 1t is a painting by the late Will
lam Morris Hunt, ono OF the best paint
ings he ever made. His famous Bath
ers" is no longer at the Metropolitan
Museum, having been withdrawn there
from and sold to the Worcester Museum.
II would be fine thing If the example
now on view could be placed permanently
in the Metropolitan.
Hunt will always be reckoned as one
Of our few "old masters" He was not a
great artist but he was unquestlonably
a painter OF distinction. One of his great
merits was his strong feeling for the
tradition developed by the French natural
istic painters who made memorable the
earlier decades OF the nineteenth century.
He was of the type OF J. f. Millet,
ardent in the study of nature. given
whole-heartedly to an ideal OF simplicity.
and lowered, in a measure, with Millet's
gift for expressing the facts OF the visible
world with a kind of transmogrifying
touch. He had style. 1t is this more than
anything else that makes beautiful the
Horses and Cattle Ploughing" in the
present exhibition. The tawny tones
which prevail in the scene are not. per-
haps. the most sensuously attractive in
the world, but on the other hand they are
true and they form fine harmony. The
big sky is superb. And the group giving
the picture its title ir not only well de
signed, well placed. but is painted, drawn.
with a remarkable breadth and individ-
uality. The realistic subject is set forth
in a quite simple. realistic manner. yet
the effect is of swift generalization
Minor details are forgotten In the grand
unity OF the thing. Historically, as we
have indicated, this painting has a
peculiar significance. To the student of
American art there must always be some
thing exciting and inspiring about the
fact that Hunt was painting in just this
way at Just that time-in 1876. But moro
important. OF course, is the intrinsic
weight and fineness OF the composition.
its vitality, it's richness in sheer artistic
quality. Decidedly, this picture makes"
the exhibition
DR.. Alexander Harrison and his brother.
Birge, are holding a retrospective exhibi
ton OF their pictures at the Fine Arts
Building. 1t will last until May II. Re
cent paintings by John Mason are on
view at the Arlington gallery. The Cor
ham Company is showing small bronzes
and garden pieces by number OF Ameri-
can women sculptors. At the Enrich gal
lery the Egyptian collection Of r. De
Rustafjell Bey may be seen. 1t discloses
the result Of ten years of work in Egypt
and comprises prehistoric sculpture, relics
he no known
ing >on canvas, and other objects OF an
cient art.
Next Wednesday afternoon the New
York School Of Applied Design for Women
will hold its class day exercises. There
will be addresses by Mr. Carroll Beck
with and Mr.. Arthur Hoeber. The TWEEN
ty-second annual exhibition will open on
the following day and will last for the
rest Of the week To-day and tomorrow,
at the Art Alliance Studio. there will be
held an exhibition Of work by advanced
art students. This show has been made
possible by the cooperation of various
art schools and clubs.
The work Of the Municipal Art Gallery
goes on with admirable energy and with
the success that It deserves. over 5000
visitors saw the seventh loan exhibition,
which has just been closed. 1t is followed
by one OF drawings by Orson Lowell and
paintings by the teachers of drawing in
the public schools The Camera Club is
showing photographs OF Miss Maude Jay
Wilson, and the photographs of the
Panama Canal by Miss Edith II.
Tracy, some OF which were recently re-
produced In The Tribune. The City Club
announces that it will continue until May
Is the exhibition of Mr.. William c. Corn
wells "Luminos."