New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-04

Lady Watten"; Joseph Sfrede Duplcs-
sis's "Reniamin Franklin Gilbert
Stuart's Mr.. Webb. ST.. Of County Dom
egal. Ireland" and Mr.. Webb. Jr..'
and. By Rembrandt Peale. one Of the
"porrhOie" portraits c. George Wash
ington. With the Brooklyn Museums
exhibition Of the work OF early Ameri-
cans and this show aud the promise
Of the possibility Of another 20 come
az the Macbeth gallery, we may soon
know our early painters quite as well
as We do the more famous ones from
across the water.
The two Copieys. mentioned before
20 these columns, the most dignihed
pictures o. -nis collection. were eNecut-
ed after the Boston painter had left
America 20 spend the remainder Of his
life in England. and show. by compari-
son 20 his earlier work. that the new en-
virOnment added greatly 20 his accom-
plishment, added breadth 20 his treat
ment and wealth 20 his color, wealth
without corpulence. These canvases arc
convincing. They present CoDley grown
20 full. expressive manhood. helped by
European knowledge and influence over
the boundaries Of the provincial art OF
America.
Rembrandt Peale -l77s-ls60 in the
"porthole Washington was grandilo-
quent in phraseology and could be
found wanting in poise. This example
IS in a perfect state. IL IS almost brill
liant in color and the decorative treat
ment. the arabes1ues Of line that are
especially marked about the eyes. while
they seem hammered, a part of an arbI-
trary plan OF attack. nevertheless add
strength and vitality 10 the sculptu-
rescue modelling of the head Wash
ington. who was painted 50 often by
SO many men. was never seen apparent
ly by two Of them alike. At the Brook
Ign Museum. where there are. among
many others another portfolio Wash
ington. Ian sdowne type. and the de-
lightful full length BY James Wilson
Peale. are 20 be found as many opIn-
ions as there are tastes-a review OF
his character which might be political
or merely human and cXplicable
enough as matters Of analysis 80 II
the divergences would stop here. But
they DO not; were his eyes black. dark
blue. light blue or brown In thu
Enrich portrait they are light blue,
and the character is consistently Of a
man with eyes Of that color And We
find here. too. a realism that was not
tempted by heroics, THAI dared to re-
port a sotteninC Of the flesh IN colors
a little ford. even vulgarly forid.
The Duplessis Franklin" as a study
in character and as piece OF painting
is the freest OF these pictures and,
not excepting the magnificent Copley's,
the least self conclous. This carries
realistic aims along with good natured
informality Duplessis found himself
doing this portrait before a mar, ap-
parently, in whom was an inspiration
20 frankness. He gives us the Bon
homme Richard" that the French liked.
in an easy, natural pose, looking out
of kindly eyes, the lids OF which are
beginning 20 droop. his mouth drawn
up at the corner, perhaps quizzically,
the top buttons Of his vest undone 10
lend him greater comfort. He wears
gray suit, and the light, clear note that
Frenchmen were painting at time
when the Engiishmen were subduing
their pictures in liquid amber pervsdes
the picture. Stuart was more OF the
English school. His portraits here are
delightful in quality. in painter virtues,
though we find in the Mr. Webb, Jr.'
an insistence upon the high light az
the point of the nose that is urfor-
tunate. Mr.. Webb. ST.. wears plum
colored coat, the lapels of which are
lined in blue and orange silk that adds
a needed note of life % n scheme.
Rembrantesque, which centres the light
upon the face. In both these pictures,
excepting the jumping high light Of the
Younger Webb portrait. the planes are
broad and fat and reserved and we'll
held.
portrait Of "Mrs. West and Child"
by BENJAMIN West, was added 70 the
exhibition after the catalogue had beer
printed. 10 shows the baby on bed
the mother beside her sewing, and n
the background an old man and woman
in a doorway through which one
glimpses a landscape that might have
come from the brush Of North Italian
Primitive A genre picture or religi-
Gus one. DO is more than a portrait. It's
color IS limpid and rich.
The exhibition Of Portraits by Note
worthy Artists of To-day" at the Rails
ton gallery includes works by, Gustav
Brock. John Da Costa, Sidney v. Dick
inson, Nine. Lenique 3. Erancheyilie,
Robert David Gauley, Sergeant Ken
dali. Maurice MOlarsky. +. Luis Mora,
Pierre Tartoue, A. Muller Try, william
!. Whittemore and S. J. Wolf. Our
portraitists might turn 10 our land
scape painters for a lesson in freedom
Here we find few canyases 90 excite
more than a passing interest. Mr.. Ds
Costa's The Dancer" and Mr.. Dickin-
sons Portrait of Giuseppe Trotta,
shown az the last Academy, ard Mr.
Nora's BLACK, Gray and Rose" are,
perhaps, the most successful Of the
group from the pictorial point Of view,
and Mrs. Molarsky's "Mr. r. II. Davis,
Jr.." from that Of the portrait.