New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-23

in Its technical brilliancc. Tho nor
trait nt tho Metropolitan is Of "A slightly
over order. inferior TO IL in breadth
and In the suggestion OF spontancity,
tut II is still long way from en-
pnasizing the purely mechanical side
81 'opley's method Reserved IA il Is
IN style. conventional, even, I'm the
treatment Of tho drapcrics. and a little
dry In color. IL nevertheless discloscs
The man who could manage paint"
IL Is on that solid basis of mastery
workmanship. far moro than on his
faclle exploitation of tho courtly
eighteenth century tradition. that he
reared his claim TO style. lie survives
and winninCly appeals TO us because he
knew MS trade and knew IL as an ar
Nst. man of taste and feeling
Alluslon was made here last week
10 tho pictures by Mr.. Sargent, which
have also been added lately TO the
collections at tho museum. IL Is in
teresting to note their alliance. nj bot
tom, with the work Of Copley. Mr.
Sargent is a modern Of tho moderns.
but he is faithful to tho ideal Of his
so different predecessor. Ho is mas
ter Of his craft. With him. indeed.
Virtuosity is coming TO be more and
more its own reward. From his por-
traiture II is difficult, II not, in fact.
quite impossible, TO exclude considera-
tons OF subject Now that he has, re-
leased himself from the bonds of that
form of art and in the intervals Of
mural painting follows his own sweet
will, it is as if he were amusing
himself with tricks Of sleight of hand.
The "Tyrolese Interior in oils, which
we have already reproduced, IS an
astounding performance. Moro dex-
4 terity in the notation Of form. OF
/ light and shade. could no further go.
And the water colors are perhaps
shade more dazzling. They are notes
Of travel, sketches Of roadside cruel
fix in the Tyrol, Of bit of architect
ural carving in Spain. Of sail boats idle
in some sunny Southern waters. Of an
obscure Venetian canal. The impress
sion they leave is Of bright light and
color. of swift observation and even
swifter execution. the very antithesis
l of Coplcy's slow process. One would
say that in the heat OF such prodigious
technical feats mere beauty would in
continently. ovaporate. But beauty
stays, for Mr.. Sargent has not the emo
ton TO paint unless II Is there, and
from the play of his skill and his
taste there energies once more that
miracle of style to which we have re-
ferred in speaking of Copley. Men
with their sensitiveness TO the genius
of their medium. cannot go wrong.
The artist not thus endowed suffers
disadvantage from which he may
strive in vain to divert attention. af-
fording the beholder, perhaps. any
amount Of pleasure, vet failing TO give
him that satisfaction which endures.
IL is a fact of which we are appositely
reminded by the pictures which Mr..
George Luks is showing at the krau-
shsar gallery. There IS one way 70
extract q stirring emotion from this
exhibition. Look In it for a whole
some. contemporaneous sentiment, for
current truths of urban nature frankly
and forcefully expressed, for techni-
cal method uncompromisingl direct.
Mr.. Luks will not disappoint these ex-
pectations. He, too, knows his craft
as he understands it-and he az clearly
knows his own mind He Is very
human in his sympathies. His shabby
types are portrayed with a grasp upon
character making them almost articu-
late. When he paints an open air
market scene like his Houston Street"
the canvas seems 10 hum with the life
then. we are sure-of veracity and
power. But where is the grace Of art.
the Imagination. the delicacy. which
without violation Of its spirit would
transfgure this raw material? II Is
ignored by Mr. Luks.
He cares only for the unlovely fact
and for the ruthless exercise Of his
robustious brush; he does not appear
70 care for either the one or the other
as an artist. His pictures wear an ar
OF having something extra-artistic
about them. as though their interest
resided away from all that goes TO the
making Of work Of art. Technicians
scorn the Literary" picture, saying
quite truly, that anecdote has nothing
to do with good painting. There are
examples OF technique which leave the
same impression. We saw some OF
them in the German wing Of the Rel
singer collection. The technique, 10