New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-10
Art
Paintings and Studio Proper
tics of the Late William
M. Chase
BY ROYAL CORTlSSOI

In art. a. ia business. sentiment Is
supposed TO bc taboo. hut there arc oc-
casions when IT. cannot be ignored
Such an occasion Us offered by the OK
/ hibltion At tho American Art Gallcric,
Of tho painting and other objects lcf,
by tho late william VI. Chase. Recent
| ly. i'm the presence Of the collection
shown In his mcmcry AT the Mctropoii-
tan Museum. 10 seemed natural enough
TO detach all thought Of his work from
Incidents Of his personal history. To-
day 10 rs otherwise. The rooms arc
filled not only with Chasc's pictures.
but with those from other hands which
he admired with the tapestries. furni-
turc and ccllancous curios by which
he was surrounded when he was busy
with the brush. There arc painting Of
tho old Tenth street studio, which wa
probably the most celebrated place OF
IFS kind m the United State They
give Us glimpscs of the shaggy white
I hound with which tho artist used to
take his walks. Studio properties OF
all sorts help. as the figure OF, That
handsome dog helps, to bring back
vivid sense Of Chasc's picturesque indl-
,idualty. his positive gift for living
the life Of the artist. Was there m
this faculty Of his a family histrionic
element? Perhaps And it only serves
10 lend another plea ant edge to aFcc-
tomato remembrance
10 Is a great thing TO he in love with
Your profession. to cXtort from il
constant stimulus. constant happi-
ness. and 70 do this with such SINGER
ity that your zcst IS communicated TO
the beholder. There are moro than p
hundred Of Chase's own paintings in
this show. all kinds OF paintings por-
traits finished and unfinished. land
scapes, interiors, studies Of still life,
works done early and works done late.
Some are failures. Others show him
at his best. You my track him from
the big Sunlight and shadow in
which he years ago painted the por-
trait of his friend Blum, very much in
the conventional mode of the Salon.
down through all manner Of phases, un-
til you reach the easy, polished crafts
manship of his maturity. There are
anv number Of these clever flashing
things which invite IA TO pause as we
pause before MY Daughter Dieu
donne." for example. the tall canvas
that is all dainty whites and browns. ,
We note the facle grace of the por-
trait. the swift brushwork, the deco T,
rative fair everywhere apparent. But
more compelling than the appeal of any |
single painting is the gusto disclosed /
by them all. the fever Of productivity, /
the temperament Of the artist af1rming 4
itself with a kind of gladness. There |
are failures, as we have said, but there /
is nothing dull. One feels, rather, the I
quick impulse of painter perpetually .
eager to make a. new experiment. +.
Sometimes it defeats him. or fatigue
intervenes and the canvas Is put aside. /
But in every case the Joy OF attack
leaves its interesting mark. The col ,
lector who wants som ethng Of Chase's
that is characteristic" may easily COM
petc for il if he will come to the sale. /
set for the afternoons of May 10 and /
IS and the evenings of May II 10 Il,
inclusive.
The same personal note that is so /
persuasive amongst this artists own |
works plays its part where the numer- /
Gus pictures by his contemporaries are !
concerned He did not often buy their I
full dress compositions. He was more T,
interested in the casual pieces. the /
sketches and similar fragments when /
reveal the character Of painter when /
he is off his guard. Few Of these can /
vases are to be designated therefore !
as "imnortant." but most OF them are /
very warmly 10 be commended 10 the /
discerning amateur Again we are con |
fronted by the overpOwerlng mass OF /
sheer numbers. and make no pretence /
Of describing exhibits one by one. II IS /.
enough to say that the exhibition fairly I
brims over with examples. usually /
small in scale and always spontane-
ouslv representative, OF host OF such /.
types as an artist especially apprecl- !
ates Boldni. Blum, Alfred Stevens, I.
John II. Twachtman. Nollon. Phil May, .
John Lavery. Ernest Lawson, Henry
Muhrman. George Sauter, Roybet I.
Fortuny, Villegas, and so on, almost in /
definitely. It is always technically |
capable material that Chase sweeps up |
into his net-true painters stuff. Does /,
he happen upon a quite unfamiliar /,
modern, such as the K. Artal of lie /,
Blanchissage"? Then we may be sure /
that he gathers the picture in for a /
GOOD reason. because. as in this IN |
stance, It is brilliantly well done.
The old masters are not. on the /
whole. exciting, but there are good pict- F!
ures amongst them some of them /
extraordinarily good. The portrait by I
Cotes. on the threshold Of the cXhibi- F.
ton. is a gem. The Guard from the /
Yerkes collection is another. And I
many Of the older canvases, like the /
"Florentine Palace" of the early French I
school, tho "Wcll Stored Larder" OF ]
Dutch origin. and old Spanish carved (
and painted altarpiccc No. 71Sl, and /
several Of the portraits bearing no
names. have the SAVIOR of quality which /
atones for their want OF imposing rank !
So it is with the antiquities, the chests. 4
cabinets. chairs and other impedimenta. |
They may not be museum pieces" but (
they are authentic and delightful SOU /
venirs Of the past. Above all, they are /
delightful souvenirs of Chase.
Like the palcttes displayed in one Of |
the rooms. they recall his background. /
his atmosphere. his endless activity in /
the sphere Of art and artistic things !
II ought to be a remarkably successful !
sale, for II is full Of prizes. prizes for !
all sorts Of collectors. Some of the /
museums. We imagine, will be on the !
lookout for such relics of the formative !
period of our modern school ms the /
paintings Of Duveneck and Frank Cur |