New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
Gay, Delightful Sketches
Shown at the Fine Arts
Building.
LIGHT MEDIUMS
LIGHTLY EMPLOYED
The National Association of Por.
trait Painters Raises Doubts
as TO It's Usefulness.
By ROYAL CORTIsSOz.

At this time last year. when every
body was wondering what the effect Of
the war upon matters Of art in this
country would be, we were never;helesi
sure o. one superlat.ye boon-the open
ing Of the Altman collection at the
Metropolitan Museum. Nothing Of like
significance is in sight for the present
season. But the months will be crowd
cd with exhibitions, and war condition
promise 20 make some Of these OF eX
ceptonel interest. There are siga5
that affairs hitherto confined TO London
and Paris will be transferred 10 New
York. In the sale room particularly
this will probably be noted. Mean
while, numerous minor shows Of pic'-
ures and prints are being launched,
and the outlook is ausplcIous.
The New York Water Color Club.
which to-day opens its doors at the
Fine Arts Building, repeats its success
OF year ago. u shows good work, an /
this is well arranged a peculiarly i'm
portant point From the very nature
Of their mediums the water coloristS
and pastcllists must seek lightly 10
charm rather than weightily 10 impress.
If the ensemble they make is not, u.
least, merely pleasing, they are lost.
No one looks in these displays for the
"star' picture. One wants the galleries
70 be gay. delightful One wants -
enjoy clever things, regardless of
whether they may be worth looking NJ
a second time or not. The first feetiuS
but agreeable Impression is everything.
In this reward for the sympathetic Oh
server the present exhibition is rich,
and a perfect Illustration may be citel
on the very threshold. II is Mr.. Frank
HazelPs odd Courtyard, Henley,
which is nothing more than casual
travel note" a sketchboo souvenir
raised to a slightly higher pictorial
power. How neatly drawn il is, how
bright and how lnodestly picturesque
That is what water color is for. in all
hands save those Of some brilliant
master, like Sargent or the late Wins
low Homer and the lamented Robert
Blum. The manner must vary, as the
individual sees his problem. Mr. A. y.
Button, in the little winter scene that
hangs near by, the "Dcciduous Tree
and Conifers,' is all for line and de
sign where Mr. HAZEL is for breadth
and. as regards composition, an almos;
artless uatuIalism. But both these
artists have the same idea at bottom,
to abide by the light fragile genius OF
water color; both have The spontaneity
which is as essential 10 the medium az
Quality" is TO oils.
Ii is gratifying 20 see that no one
has even tried O. paint the elaborate
picture which. as we have indicated, no
one really wants GO encounter, but this
is not 10 say tia; Che walls are with
out episodes suggestive of feeling as
well as of deXtcr.ty. The landscapes,
as usual. include some pieces that are
full Of sentiment. Note, for example,
the romantic spirit OF Mr.. {. ". Eaton $
might. Bruccs Canal" the racy feel
ing in Mr. Walter Gri!hn's Connecticut
studies in which he adds TO the
charm of place the interest Of tree
forms drawn win unusual skill-and
the fresh local accent in Mr.. A. l..
Groll's set Of Cape Cod impressions.
Work like this il characteristic Of the
show. 1t is rodolent of light and air,
Of the truth that lies out Of doors.
One portrait painter counts heavily IN
the exhibition. Mr.. Sergeant Kendall.
All Of his pasteis are done with equal
force and delicacy, and in ."L'Egyp-
tienne" he has quite surpassed himself
achieving a beauty in his color and
fluent certainty in his drawing such as
we have never before observed in his
work. There are other artists who dis
close new powers Mr.. Clifford Beal
proftably arrests attention with his
two groups Of nudes, the Spring
Panel" and the Dancing Girls" There
are good technical auguries in both
works. so good that we wish they were
associated with figures not so hope
lessly unloycly Mr.. j. NJ. Flagg offers
us am odd and not az all uawelcome
surprise. He ia chiefly known through
his pen drawings % the Gibson manner.
Now he sends work i'm color, "St.
/ Paul's Cathedral" and con the Saco
River" and while the latter, limiting
vaguely Of Sargent, makes US hope that
he may this time emulate good model
little more successfully, both pct
ures denote genuine talent.
The frure work. at large. is not es-
pcciaily interesting Mr.. Blumen,
schcin's new version, on a reduced
scale. Of his amusing German Ira
1 gedian." Mr.. BrcyfoQle's pretty "Fih
and Frou Frou" and the dainty fancies
/ Of Miss +. B. Comstock and Miss +.
! Abbott are all acceptable enough, but
/ have no distinction. About the only
/ piece boz this category that touches the
| IMAGINATION is "Thc Expulsion of RO-
| nance" 10y Nr Robert Lawson. That
/ is deity worked out and has humor into
/ the bargain. II Mr.. Lawson will take
pains 90 be himself and avoid being in
! lueuced too much by. say. Mr.. Naxfield