New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-01
Art Alliance of America
Exploits the Nursery
and Playroom.
AN EXHIBITION
OF PRACTICAL WORK
Paintings and Sculptures Sur
rounded by Toys, Costumes
and Miniature Furniture.
Nv ROYAL CORTISSOZ.

double purpose. Its subject Is arr
as il is associated with the child, and
merely in illustrating that subject II
makes an interesting appeal to he
nublic. BIT it also afarms the practi-
cal policy Of an institution founded 70
exercise really helpful functions. The
alliance exists to smooth the path oil
the artist mad craftsman. TO develop
their economic chances by organizing
their efforts and bringing them into
more favorable relations with their
possible patrons. In the turtherance
of such campaign nothing could De
better calculated to win success thah
an exhibition confined 20 a dehhlle
field Of activity Many an artist has
been casually moved 10 wreak himsel'
upon some phase OF childhood Inc
result of the present display ought 70
be a greater and more serious eNploita-
ton Of the theme. as one OF possioAl-
ties not hitherto appreciated at their
full value. The artistically decorated
nursery is no new thing, to be sure
but il has been left too much to the
manufacturers Of wall paper and furni-
ture The artist has here, and IN
divers other directions. rich oppor-
tunity.
Though the show is largely made up
Of works presented as interpretations
Of the spirit of childhood these paint
ines and sculptures are not, strictly
AS important as the pieces made lot
the child itself. For example we
would bring well into the foreground
the long series Of designs made by
students of the New York School OF
Fine and Applied Arts for childrens
clothes. The drawings are neatly exc
cuted. and in. fact, deserve a word OF
commentator purely on technical
grounds. but the important point Is 'he
good taste shown in the schemes o.
dress proposed. Mrs. Grinager's cos
Tunes similarly assert themselves
The give delightful expression TO inc
idea that child may be made plctu-
resoue without being turned INTO
nitiful figure Of artifce and eXaggerh-
zion All through the exhibition TINS
,,rac,icaI aide OF the subject IS en-
forced There is nothing to beat the
tvnical new" dining table Tor cnII-
dren. supplied with its quaint chai MAJ
its pretty porringers. and even NJ
its centrepiece, this last IN INC snap
Of a most rapturous wlndmili' m
c,rumniest Of Youngsters would Jorge.
no n
his beguilinC board. And as he re-
turned IN II. day after day, there would
surely steal into his forming mlnd
some vague sense of things rehhed
and charming. ., e
II there is a particular section OF
the exhibition which more than any
other takes the beholder captive IL Is
the one presided over by Mrs. u. u
Dravton. She has painted a big irleze
for each of her two walls, and the mo-
tive Of bubbling happiness which Is de-
veloped in both decorations reappehF'
i'm medallons on her window shaueS'
Nav. il crops out wherever she Ca"
Give free play 10 her graceful, humor-
Cus brush. and floods the room as With
a kind Of moral sunshine. She designs
-ovs and furniture. the latter, by the
,yav. provided with cushion coverings
that excite what we can only describe
as An affectionate chuckle. Art? 1t
isn't art alone that accounts for the
absurd woolly dog planted IN the MD
dle 81 a big blue circular rug. Just
human tenderness explains lot OF
Mrs. Drayton's success, tenderness ana
humor.
The incomplete state of the show on
the occasion Of the press view made IL
d;4cul+ 10 see lust what Miss Janet
L.. q
the charm Of promised hedges and the
Lille could readily be taken for granted
and her bronzes were there 10 indicate
much Her fountain figures have a
y.yacitv and sweetness all their own.
Tbev Justify themselves anywhere. but
Of course will gain from the proximity
OF green things and FLASHING water;
clever. too. are the decorations painted
nv Mrs. John Carpenter and placed on
either side of Miss Scudder's EXHIBIT
They strike the right sylvan note. MIS-
Burroughs. Mrs. NOnnoh and a NUMBER
Of others contribute interesting WORKS
10 the plastic wing of the exhibition
Among the paintings perhaps the mosl
impressive canvas IS a copy MI r
Luis Nora's large reproduction or the
great equestrian portrait OF HItie
Prince Balthasar by Nclasquez We
Glorious canvas ard can recall only one
executed bv the Spaniard, Francesca
PradiIa. which was as good as MT
Nora's. Il is not simply that be has
rro6uced a good piece Of painting; he
/ ias caught the subtle spirit OF the
CriginaL That is, of course, one OF the
noblest tributes to childhood in the
Whole range Of art, If not the most
consummate Of them all. 1t is well to
he reminded Of II IN the present cir
There are one or two other souvenirs
of the mast. 4 lew OF Whistler's etct-
NOS ore shown, including the adorable
"Ribi Lalouette." Most Of the studies
~ children are by artists familiar IN
our current exhibitions. Hlgh up IN
the list we would place the head OF "a
girl by Mr.. George De Forest brush
an exquisite thing. with mint or MOI
Rein about it. Miss Mathilde de Cor
doba's prints leave. as always, pc
NDliorIv charming and fragrant impres-
stor There are paintings, too by Mar
tba Walter, Mary Johnson, olive
Push. Louise Heustis, Lydia Field I'm.
met Rosina Emmett Sherwood and Max
feld Parrish which are engaging
.rouob On the whole, though, the
,;ctorial exhibit would have been i'm
rrovpd bv little sitting. painting
of a child ought not 20 be hung mere
merely because 10 is painting OF }
child. Il ought to be good painting.
AMI some have been accepted which, 10
Ill tho truth. are Jess interesting than
tho photographs sent by DR.. Arnold
Centhe and Mr.. Clarence White. Inc
Art Alliance would do we'll 20 CONSIDER
the question thus raised. us eNhiol-
"a