New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-12
In the Art World

c. Lewis Mitchell. decidedly a Scottish
painter. is shown at the Arlington gal
lery. The titles have a sound Of TO
nance which the pictures rather ro-
manticsliy, perhaps sentimentally, |
carry out. They present ar attack
upon nature from the literary angle
for the story there is in II. which we
in this land of landscape painters pure
and simple must ever receive with q
degree of skepticism. not invariably,
perhaps, justifable. While Mr. Mitchell
does tend to lend a story-to lend,
that would mean, an extra interest 10
his record Of landscape, of a bridge,
river. a winding babbling brook, a
broken down road he continues to hold
an interest in the color record and an al
most too minute one in the topography
Of forms. His color range is more elias
tic than that of most American paint
ers, though it is not so consistently full
and resonant. His scruples may re-
strain desire for greater breadth OF
treatment; ne must record everything
before him, the accidental stones or
pebbles or tree stumps that happen
rather unfortunately on the face OF
nature and seem to want TO prove her
a bad housekeeper, and the other acct
dents of like significance which will
occur in the best ordered households.
These do not add TO the continuity Of
his arrangement, but ruffle its SIM
plicity, break into a sweep Of line and
destroy moment Of peace. His
"Struan Bridge" is perhaps the richest
and the most consistent in harmony
of color and line and plane; the most
complete picture. In others here we
find bits that are charming and that
make us regret that their note should
be lost in a medley. There are bits
like this in the "Killin Bridge" and in
the Roman Road TO Ballater," where
in the color is good throughout, AL
though it tends to pallidness. The in
teriors are generally more successful
than the landscapes, but in them pre-
conception usually initiates against
real research. with the result that they
resemble numberless other painted in
teriors and especially those of the mod
ern Dutchman; a resemblance here car
ried out in the tone and not in the
treatment, for Mr.. Mitchell is in no way
free with his pigment.
Paintings by Mr.. Frank Osborn are
at the Mich gallery for a few days
more. They show many influences, and
only now and then a spark to indicate
that the painter will some time come
out of the sea of hero worship into
his own. OF the latter class the "Por-
trait of Woman" looking out animat-
eddy, curously, from beneath a wide
hat, is perhaps the best example; Of
the former class there is the italian
Woman" to remind US of Randall
Davey; the back yards of the "Mon-
day." to remind US of John Sloan; the
ELSA" of George Bellows, and the
Wood Interior" of some of those
sketches done at Monhegan, casually,
by Robert Henri.
Forty-four crayon drawings of the
nude and studies of the head by Pro-
fessor C. T. Hawley, of Syracuse Uni
versity, and etchings by Oliver Posfay
are at the Print Gallery. One drawing
of the head and one of the nude by
Professor Hawley would have sufficed
to show the extent of his findings. They
are all done with clever scratchings
of crayon from left to right, or vice
versa, with entire want of interest in
the individual model and with little
or no heed to the texture of flesh and
the play of muscle. Mr.. Posfay has
more curiosity and less ability. His
pictures, which now and then, as in
LA Petite Levee," have color, are quite
as informal as his titles. of which here
are a few: "The Refractory Rose"
"The Lady with the Swans Neck" "A
Little Sketch While Waiting for the
Printer" "The Scotch Nudes" "The Big
Newport Girl" "The Little Newport
Girl" "The One with the Lurid Eyes"
"The Girl with the Beautiful Back" and
more Red Hair"
The current exhibition at the Mac
dowell Club includes works of B. D.
Belts, Caroline Bean, Blommers,
George Pearse Ennis, Louise Hagen,
Hans Kownatzki, ROBBIE F. Osborn,
Dent Robinson, Julia Graydon Sharpe
and George B. Shepherd Landscapes.
portraits, street scenes, figures in paint
and in sculpture are in this fetero-
geneous collection. No effort was
made, to all appearances, 20 get pict-
ures that might hang together without
clashing or even to get a nearly even
level OF merit in the works contr buted.
Few Of the pictures are impressive, few
indeed would seem to have circum-
vented the ordinary professional IA
cility. Mr.. Dent Robinson-"Land-'
scape" and Reflections" nude in a
very dark rooms the exception,
though in the latter of these oanvases
we may be led to the conclusion that
he approached his subject too much
as does the good student remembering
the lessons of his master and need
for uncompromising fidelity. Mr..
Kownatzki, who contributes sever. can
vases and one piece of sculpture, is a
capable painter, unfortunately blessed
with but an ordinary point of view.
Louise Hagen's Indian Study" is
fluent piece of painting, done in the
manner of Henri. A portrait of Mr..
James Brady. wearing a white waist
coat and the inevitable diamond. is by
Mr. G.. B. Shepherd. whose Evening,
Cafe L'Avenue," is his most inter esting
canvas.
Mr.. Charles Bayley Cook shows
number OF paintings and sketches at
the Ferragil gallery. He is Of the
Woodstock group of painters, and, with
great many of his group, is apt to
place precise marking above subtler
atmospheric qualities. He shows land
scapes in which river scenes, ship
masts and warehouses, bravely red,
predominant.