New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-10

with which he paints the serene face Of
his beautiful matron. touches the heart
where the shrewd virtuosity Of the Lady
Sarah Bunbury" only touches the mind'
and 20 make our cup Of delight brim over
he puts into the painting Of Mrs. Otway's
white Gress. with its frius OF lace. such
a caressinc touch. such a feeling for the
very genius OF pigment, that We are
thrilled almost as when we are in the
presence of a Chardin or Nermeer The
great full lengths have their legitimate
fame hut this less prctentious canvas
has witchery all its own.
What Reynolds did now and then as
wien he painted Mrs. Otways dress.
Gainsborough was doing all the time. Let
us beware. as has been limited above, Of
the class list. OF the pedagoguc's marks
Of merit DO not let US call Gainsborough
the better" artist But do not, on the
other hand. let us miss the crucial
difference between the two, the one spe-
c.al eift which v.thdraws Gainsborough
into what can only he described as a
little paradise of technique. lie. too, has
his courtly preocCupation Mark how he
poses the Hon Anne Duncombe, after
ward Countess OF Radnor. causing hex 10
turn her head a tri1e to one side, to cross
her hands in the gracefullest imaginable
fashion. 10 advance one adorable foot
adorably. and 10 carry herself, in short
amid the classical souvenirs of lordly
park. with all the enchanting hauteur of
"a daughter OF thousand belted earls.
He is hardly less stately IN his Lady
Petre." though here he fixes an attitude
somewhat more vivacious. and in the
"Viscountess Lisonier" he is again purely
monumental in design. Yes, he knew
quite as well as Sir Joshua knew. how
TO immortalize his sitters as they wished
10 be immortalized, gloriously on
parade" There he, too, was the skilful
courtier. But Gainsborough was painter
born, colorist by instinct, and a colorist
Of the most fastidious taste. These por-
traits Of his have a soft sensuous quality.
They gieam with the loneliness OF rich
stuffs consummately translated into terms
Of paint And for the cOnnoisseur OF
RANT ne has also a magic of brushwork
unriyalled in the history OF craftsman
ship on canvas. That "feathery' touch
OF h!s-there is no other epithet. save this
one which has been worn pretty wcllnign
threadbare-w works an unondng series OF
miraculous passages. over which the
artist gloaungly fingers. and in every case
IL fuses these passages together givins
the portrait its unity, its fiawless en-
velope Of refined tone.
Their, is no mistaking Gainsborough's
pre-emincnce in his special field. He IS
the one subtly sensitive type in the whole
brave company. on a single occasion IN
the present exhibition he seems TO nod
The "Viscount Ligonier.' handsome as II
is and even brilliant IN spots is not quite
worthy Of its companion. You wonder
momentarily, If it was because he found
less inspiration in painting the portrait
Of a man. But that hypothesis does not
hold You have only to turn to the
Charles Frederick Abel" TO see that
when he was happily stirred he could
paint "A man as well as he could paint
woman I'm fact the technique lavished
upon the musicians waistcoat is pure
Gainsborough, the same technique that
dazzles Us in the blue dress Of The Hon.
Anne Duncombe," OF in the unforgettable
"Perdta" Of the Wallace collection.
The Romneys are interesting enough
but not altogether satisfying. In the
Lady Mines" a charming figure charm
ingly drawn is hurt 10y rather duh
color scheme and a strangely perNasiVe
dryness in the treatment Of the surfaces
throughout. The double portrait OF Car
cline NiscOuntess Chfden, and Her Sis
ter. Lady Elizabeth Spencer" could not
helm but make a winning appeal. the t~O
Young women are so fair to look upon,
they are painted with so free brush, and
the rich color in the background intro
duces 50 fresh note. ON the other
hand. the picture IS awkwardly com
uosed and the defect is emphasized by
the lines Of the harp, which arbitrarily
cut the canvas in TWO. Better than either
Of these is the Master Day" an upright
portralt of a little boy in red. II eclpses
the other two because II is the Simplest
and most direct Of them all besides beins
! the purest and most agreeable IN Color
I II helps US TO the question oi Komhey
peculiar significance Technically ne Is
i AN essentially uneven master. il = ROM
nev's sentiment Romneys grace rather
than his power. that has given MN MS
place I'm the annals Of the school. IH.ie
IS but one Hoppner in the show ana 'ha''
the Mrs. Jordan" If htte dead III
some Of the whites. is beguiling III lis
drawing and design and "a Us suaNe'
wholesome style There Is racY sweet
ness about Hoppner In his natural sai'
he is hardly touched by the riga ao'hoi-
: itv of the court. ana yet ne keeps close 10
the tine elegance Of The current inoo''
This Mrs Jordan" -. apart iiV" 10
tone. fully representative OF Rim
4 Lawrence. as il happens pretty near'9
surpasses himself There are '"o po'-
traits. both Of yo1ns girls. ;he Lazy
( Elizabeth Conyngham' and ihe Lazy
Maria Conyngham.' 10 allure Us with ms
4 facue. fashionable charm, and Dy INC
same token. TO weary us with ms sleek
prettiness. But in mis- big canvas. the
/ Mrs Thomson and Her child. ne ior-
gets 10 natter. lets himself 20 with
swceping movement 81 the Lrush. ana
/ paints his large composition IN a large
manner. The picture ~ the memorial OF
happv moment in the career OF an 3ftist
whose best works were just such rare,
episodical achievements. Two hacburhs