New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-20
Paintings by A. V. Tack,
{. w. Hawthorne and
Robert Reid
SALES OF PICTURES,
TEXTILES AND ARMS
Incidents in Crowded Pc
Rod of Exhibitions, Chief
ly Native Artists Work
BY ROYAL CoRTISSOZ.

I DlStlc or similar eCcentTcltl. VINO pays
/ intelligently with ideas and attempts
/ in a sane. serious manner 20 beat out
a style. Such an artist is Mr.. A. v.
Tack, who has some Of his recent paint
ings at the Kraushaar gallery. For
some time this pupr Of La Fargo and
Merson disclosed talent without any
great originality. Then he began 10
/ develop some new qualities, and though
the group Of allegorical compositions
which ne brought forward about two
years ago was not altogether success
I full it indicated that ne was making
progress, feeling mis- way toward a
/ really personal means Of expression.
+ Now he IS nearer than ever 70 his goal.
He Is still in an experimental phase
and consequently uneven. The portrait
Of Ellwood Hendrick, remarkable as an
essay in Characterization, shows the
painter still hampered by mannerism'
at odds with his pigment and leaving
mis- tones thick and coarse. The Mrs.
Lister Carlisle" lighter in key, is more
gracious in color and yet not quite pure
enough. The seycra! Romantic In
ventions." as ne calls his three or four
subject pictures, hover uncertainty De
tween the delightful sphere in which
ne conceived them and the clogging
carthiness Of q method not fully mas
tered. But there are two y HJasleS
here. two "ChlnOlseues, Whlcn "OHlu
alone demonstrate that Mr.. lack is
about 70 come into his own, If be IS not
already in control Of ms true meter.
They are landscapes. both, Landscapes
half observed and half invented. a
delightful sense Of design IS suggested
BY them. an even more delightful sense
OF color, and above al, they reveal PEI
sona.ity. q point OF view a lresH S a.,
I charming pictorial idea. We wlsh M
Tsrg would abandon the other problems
on which he is engaged and give NM
self I'D for time 20 the working out
OF the hypothesis so beguiHngiy aa-
vanced In these two beautiful! pictures.
Mr.. Charles ". Hawthorne has per-
roitted himself AZ the Macbeth ga4leIS
the rather dangerous venture OF
retrosDec-ive exhibition. borrowing Tor
Tho purpose some twelve or nlteen
, pictures from public and private col
iections. We say dangerous because
ne is still a young man. and IN thus al
rrming himself he subjects ms art 20
almost too severe test. Moreover
ya-rosnecrive exhibition should be
more complete, more fully representa-
tive. than this is. On the other hand,
The naintings here give an adequate
erourh account Of the later develop
rnents in his work. and in regard 10
those leave q good impression. LOOK
ing back over mis- contributions from
the time OF his first appearance, we re-
call the immediate success OF ms teen
meal adroitness in the handling OF
realistic subjects, and then the gradual
perrneation Of his work by very me
and sometimes even touching sentl-
nent. He grew in seriousness, in ten
derness. in idealism. These are the
traits By which. we infer, he chooses
% stand or fall on the present oeca-
sion. The realist IS in evidence, but
our attention is directed more particu-
lsrly 70 the spiritual qualities when
ne has sought 70 express IN physiogno-
mics stamped by religious, maternal or
romantic emotion.
This subtler motive Of his Justines
itself in the best manner; that IS. II
hfGIc Nt4Ar lnl4lhssa=- ''i--~r-
seen before losing nothing Of their
+ old. wistful appeal. On the other hand
and this is where the danger afore-
said croDs out-the concentration o.
so many Of Mr.. Hawthorne's canvases
raises some doubt as 10 the depth OF
mis- inspiration.
/ Regrouping his characteristic fig
ures. he achieves q certain vitality IN
design, yet is less varied, and there
fore a little less poignant. IN emotion
than we had hoped he would be. Those
serene faces Of his, types OF a dell
cately sad revery. carry shade less
conviction when taken together. Inc
/ wide-opened eyes. still eloquent Of true
feeling, are also, in q vaguely troubling
way, significant Of something peril
ously near to q formula.
On the whole, II seems as II IL would
have been wiser for Mr.. Hawthorne TO
have waited a few years longer for
an exhibition having, like this one, the
character OF a summing up. And the
same reflection Is invited in the do
main Of purely technical matters.
There is no question OF his ability, or,
By the way, Of the richness Of his
color But this collection places the
emphasis too much upon the smooth
habit which he has cultivated in the
treatment Of more or less symbolical
themes. The flashing deXterity which
is also part OF his admirable equip
ment Is illustrated here and there, but
not in sufficient volume.
At the Rose gallery Mr. Robert Reid
makes another exhibition OF the "por-
trait impress sions' 20 which ne has lat
terly devoted himself, vivid, summary
sketches, uniform IN scale. 10 which
the lighter. gayer resources OF this
painter are peculiarly well adapted
Leaving the canvas in the background
untouched. he portrays his sitter with
4 due regard for composition and, in
fact. with q very happy arrangement
Of line and mass. but with complete
Indifference 20 the ordinary conven-
tionslities q portraiture.
The subject IS hardly posed" but
seems rather 90 have been seized IN
some casual yet Characteristic mo-
meut Color plays always a light,
gracious part IN these dainty decorative
lmprcsslCIs, never dominating the
scheme. bit adding 70 q an enlverlng
note One familiar study Teappears.
me brilliant head OF ire actor George
Fawcett. but the rest Of the twenty
FIVE portraits are new. Those OF men
and women confirm the excellent i'm
preeyior Nj Reid has left before. The
eight az ten portraits OF children eU-
( nose his skill from new angle. He
tas gained m the Interpretation OF his
I little models. securing the evanescent
I'D enchanting atmosphere belonging
"a them with d frmer and Al the same
time more sensitive touch. The por-
traits OF children round out his Au-
tbority in "a field which from the be-