New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-26

10 beat out style. This eXhlDltloh
e. not colorless, mediocre, as an eN,
hibition of pictures from the koyal
Academy would be. But neither is II
exactly thrilling. II represents eN-
periment rather than Achievement
Tho work of a school In transition. ~
the old incertitude. the old want OF
balance which betrayed Watts and
Rossetti. still at work among the very
artists who pride themselves on AT
least knowing what they are about!
II is Mr.. William Orpen. the young
Irjshman who is very much OF
leader. as leaders go in the New ing
Iish Art Club. who most sharply raises
this embarrassing question. Nheh ne
had the Knoedler gallery TO himself
with a quantity Of paintings, coupe
Of wears since, we found him sug-
e-esfive of the Salon but little sug-
gestive Of the Academy, too. lie GOES
not now remove that impression. ine
qualities that rescue him from lhe
old conventional crowd are those Oh
the fluent craftsman, the man VINO car,
draw with some personal force anu
charm. Witness his Young Woman
a swift study of the nude. ne h0td-
tion of form is full and free. nc
touch Is engaging. Ii he had sent ohly
drawings TO the show, with, peinaP.'
the little sketch in oils, Looking
Toward the Sea-" the casual oDSefEeI'
who had never seen his "oih Del1lc'
would very naturally conclude that
Mr.. Orpen was an artist with Whoh
would be we'll to reckon. But a
Western Wedding" "A big canvas, ~
bere 20 nut the spell IN danger. ke-
Il. % 81
vokes. among other things. niue
amused speculation on the attitude OF
the artist toward criticism. That ne
will very rarely accept it from the
lavman everybody knows. Following
Wbistler's dictum, he is sure that II
il onlv Of value when 1t comes from a
brother in the craft. But we wonder
sometimes, If he ever gets u from
that source, and, getting II, prohts by
II Was there no one IN the CLUB 10
noint out 20 Mr.. Orpen the essentia!
absurditv OF this wedding scene OF
II is not the conception that Is,
sbsurd-the cheerful mixture OF
priests, peasants and pigs at the 1901
~ the roadside cross, with motor
car introduced for the sake OF a mod
ern note" and the stone walls OF inc
reipbborine fields set forth beyond
with map-like accuracy. In his pant
ing of these details Mr.. Orpen does
sound Justice 10 them, as details, ana
in fact, some Of his figures and heads
are masterfully drawn. But "hat
turns the thing into artistic farce IS
The staccato handling Of the color
scheme. the repetition Of high-keyed
naasages all over the canvas, so that
,nstead Of being held together the
details aforesaid clatter about IN
rsucous disharmony. One can mag.
inc his having dreamed vaguely OF
icing I'm this work the tradition OF
eome Italian primitive, say Piero deiIa
Frsnccsca. and then having gone ~
Inc problem without the iaintest sus-
melon Of the real meaning OF ltallan
srt This ~ not, strictly speahinr,
A picture. II rs quaint collection OF
unrelated parts The hobby horse on
The left. mounted by the farmer WIN
hi. wife behind him, puts the last
touch 10 an impossible production.
Vel there are episodes In II, as we
have said. Of the most admirable
teebniaue. and the bar Of blue well up
In The scene which denotes the pres -,
enc. Of the sea has almost msgieai