New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-21
Thirty American Paintings
Shown at Macbeth Gallery

The Macbeth Gallery holds its an
rual exhibition Of thirty paintings by
thirty Americans and reminds US Of
an Academy show in which only the
better painters among the regulars
were presented There is nothing here
10 excite superlative comment. The
painters, as painters 90, are good
painters. able TO consistently send
forth. out Of their studios, good pict-
ures at regular intervals. Mediocrity
is a hard word. There are. Of course,
exceptions; exceptions this time in
the persons of Mr.. Childc IIassam. Mr..
Robert Henri Mr.. Arthur B. Davies
and Mr.. J. Alden Weir. Just as these
men have been known 20 show very
good pictures. so have they, as a mat
ter of balance perhaps, been known to
show very bad pictures. II Is fact
Of quite common knowledge that the
higher a man aims the greater may
be his failure. But we are not here 20
90 over old aXioms. These men, be-
sides. have not contributed failures.
Mr. Hassam's "Bailey's Beach," has
unusual warmth and richness of color,
sparkling atmosphere; in Mr..
Henris Mexican Gypsy Girl" VIC
must admire the freedom of the hand
ling and the sppreciative kindness of
the record; in J. Alden Weir's, "A Bit
Of Old Nassau one Of the rare can
vases from his brush IN which he
has permitted the permeation Of sun
light. there is the usual textural quail
ity personal treasure, and a de-
lghtfu refinement.
Mr.. Davies contributes Spring In a
Valley" which precedes his present
STYLE by several years and is romantic
without being too persistently exotic.
Its rhythm, which appears to have been
arrived at unconsciously, IS Inc and
favorable contrast TO those OF the pres
ent cubistic tendency, the rhythms OF
which arc obviously born of mathemat-
ical and conscious calculation. Mr..
Benson's Mother and Child" in the
atrical yellow sunlight, upon white
beach, lends little evidence OF reality,
although in the mother we recognize
a distinct American typo perhaps we
have seen her OH magazine cOvers-re-
corded by a gentleman who must refuse
his impulse permission to override the
clearly marked bounds of etiquette.
This is decidedly a Bostonian picture.
Mr.. Daingerfeld's REST in the Wilder
ness" is wilder, wilfully. We wonder
if his symbolism aims 10 convert the
religiously disinterested. This would
be making art tool OF propaganda
and scarcely fair TO art. His angel,
however, is rather faint-heartedly
drawn, and the sky, dull and gray and
thick. is quite dead. There is greater
promise in Charles II. Davis's by the
Pasture Wall" with its big active tree,
and in the Hills Of Litchfeld' that
Ben Foster has painted IN cool and yet
fat grays. Mr.. Trieseke's THE Morn
ing Room" aud Mr.. Miller's "Reminls-
cences" are the happy and the pretty
pictures Of this group. Some others are
more serious of aspect, less inclined 10
dabble In sugar, TO proceed hand IN hand
with frivolity. 10 delight in the super
fetal. There is Charles W. Hawthorne's
"The Blacksmith's Daughter" IS an ex-
ample Of ardently serious painting, and
Of a serious subject also. Painting is
not all spontaneous fun. and life not
ali laughter, even though biacksmiths'
daughters, gathering symbolic flowers,
NAV resemble Italian Madonnas.
Among other contributors arc Emil
Carlson. Louis Paul Desssr. Paul
Doughcrty. Charles Warren Eaton. Al
bert l. Groll. Carl Melchcrs, Willard
l.. Mctcalf. Herman ~ and J. Francis
Murphy, Ivan Olinsky, Chauncey r.
RYDER. William Sarain, Gardner Sy-
mons, Dwight W. Tryon, and Frederick
j. Waugh. whose "Storm-Monhegan' rs
an exceptional example.
Eleven portraits by Marion II Beck
cit are shown at the Modern Gallery.
The Cezsnne tradition which they carry
on is COMPROMISED by an almost equal
needing OF the tenets OF the school -