New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-04

Perhaps the most impressive Of the
notes made in Spain last summer by
Ernest Lawson, and shown at the
Daniel Gallery, Is one entitled Even
ing In this dignifed canvas Mr..
Lawson would seem TO have concen-
trated the essences of a mood quite new
20 him. We can admire II almost
without reserve. II has all of the old
qualities and II has, TO add much
needed variety 70 the sequence Of his
work, a new point of view. In the old
work We found him an objective ideal
Ist filled full of the splendOr of nature,
finding gay qualities always IN her.
finding a voluptu0us significance n her
every aspect. This was an opJlmlst
painting-an optimist caressing the
things that came before his eyes and,
except for the careess, cOntented 20 put
them down as nature had arranged
them. Technically he was tben nearer
20 the impresslOnlsts or more partlcu-
iarly 70 Twachtman, his master. than
he is now. But then he has never been
trictly speaking a techniclan, never
been prey for any scholastic dogma,
nor ever been given to research IN any
sense intellectual. His manner of
painting. his composition, suggests That
1t was born of pure chance or OF
gradual inconsIdered evolution. There
is no precision IN II; there would seem
20 have been no foresg ht employed IN
the construction of particular pictures.
These come into their sometimes so
elemental construction by pure good
luck OF happy coincidence. And whlIe
there has always been an extraordinary
lightness and verve and variety IN ms
color, there has also always been
great clumsiness in us drawing, as
though il was accomplished with dll-
fcultv. and thing 20 be gotten over
with quickly as possible so that. the
iov Of playing with color might have
no shadow hanging over u. ne
shadow. nevertheless, must be bother
some more often than not, and through
Il and through their lack OF precoh-
;eived plan his canvases must 20
through many changes before they ar
i've a. the conclusion which shall he
satisfactory 20 him. As a matter o.
fact we find him pIlIng color on coIor
as il to attain through modelling
rotunditv Of form beyond the circum-
vention of his book of values.
In the pictures from Spain this model
ling in bass-relief, though u Is proba-
bIv quite unnecessary. is continued. Inc
evening" while thickly belabored with
niemert does certainly not depend Tor
color upon its depth or thickness. Here
we arc tempted to raise question OF
doubt. Perhaps the painter D., cla,hng
us. He knows what we expect Of H.m'
he gives us a canvas on when ne mas
tanned the contents Of many heavily
loaded brushes. But it is very possible.
that these loads arc not Of the body OF
the color and merely the ground for an
enamel glazed on aftcrward, and a hoaN,
an insincerity The texture OF tins
canvas in any case. resembling an en-
anel. is unpleasant. Our pure painter
is learning the tricks Of the game and
making use Of his knowledge. And yet
VIC may demand too much Of him. In
this picture he has added. a. we de-
clarcd before. nov note to the sum
Of iovous ones he has already given
us. This ono has the temper Of Spain;
a suggestion of Goya and possibly OF
Zuloaga. II is the reverse Of Joyous.
l. plays an air somewhat mournfuL l.