New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-01

An exhibition which ought to prove
one of the most important of the sea-
son is to be opened at the American
Art Galleries on Monday, December 8.
This is the Allied War Salon, which
is to bring forward several hundred
paintings, sculptures, drawings, litho-
graphs and posters, all linked in one
way or another with the great subject
filling the mind of the world. 1t is
good to know that some of the most
brilliant of foreign artists wlN be
represented; for example, Forain and
Stein len. But the feature which may
be expected to dominate is the collec-
ton of two hundred drawings by men
of our own school, depicting the varied
abroad. These were made by tne Of
fcially appointed draftsmen,' who
were commissioned as captains in the
engineers for the purpose, Ernest
Peixotto, William j. Awkward, Harry
Townsend, Wallace Morgan. George
Harding, Waiter J. Duncan, Harvey
Dunn and j. Andre Smith. The net
proceeds of this Salon will be given
to the Art War Relief.
The Grolier Club has never organ
lied a better show than the one it
has just opened and will continue I'M
books and engravings illustrative of
the arts of the architect and interior
decorator, which is to say that it is
dedicated to ideas Of good taste. The
masters of the eighteenth century pre-
vail, but space has wisely been found
for some OF their predecessors. Thus
with such types as Serlio and Palladio
in Italy, with Philibert de L'Ormc and
4 Du Cerceau in France, we may trace
back TO the Renaissance those fundal
mental principles which ruled the later
schools, including the English cabinet
makers. The exhibition is brought down
to the dawn of the nineteenth century,
to the "Practical House Carpenter" of
William Pain, published in Philadel-
phia in 1897 and the similar compen-
dunn which Owen Biddle brought out
in the same town as late as 1917. With
in the wide range of this collection it
is possible to observe infinite variations
of design, and, in some cases, notably
that of eighteenth century French
Orientaism, play of fancy having
little to do with the austere standards
of classical art. Yet the lesson Of this
exhibition. taken as whole, lies above
all things in its affirmation Of classical
law, the law OF balance, measure, per
feet proportion.
The Renaissance, with its dependence
upon tho five orders, showed the way
The later Frenchmen grated gayetyr
lightness, charm, upon the ancient ira
dition without violating the latter;
they demonstrated with superb SKILL the
possibility of fusng invention with
discipline, grace with something like
academic authority Common sense as
we'll as artistic instinct was at the bot
tom Of their success. There is: world
Of meaning in the title OF that famous
book for which Moreau supplied the
illustrations, "Monument du Costume
on Tablean de la Vie" The
eighteenth century craftsmen were al
ways coming back to life as veil as
TO art. The student Of this ext lhltion
will miss half its point If he tais to
observe in the buildings, decorations.
vehicles, furniture and so on which FIJI
it the elements of both 8 social and
an artistic tradition, not only beau
tiful moment in the history of design
of style, but the form and color Of q
great moment in European civillza-
ton. On the evening Of Thursday, De
cembsr s, Professor Charles r. Rich.
ords, director OF Cooper Union, will
deliver an address at the Grolier Club
on the subject of the exhibition
Apropos of the Grolier books and
prints, and the soclal pageant Whlcn
they bring to mind, those who are in
tcrested in such things will find an
other fascinating page from the same
story at the Knoedler gallery, where
n notable exhibition of English por-
traits has been hung. This is I'M
commonly varied in scope. 1t opens
/ with little sporting subject BY
/ Stubs, an open air portrait of "Mr
Poyntz of Bath" and the daintiest o!
family groups by Wheatley, him of the
"Cries of London" 1t eliminates II
q magnificent canvas by Raeburn, the
"Professor Andrew Dalzcll," perfec'
specimen Of the Scotch masters sin
certify, directncss and cool, easy crafts
manship. There are minor as we'll as
major types in the show, the crsE
almost sleek workmanship Of Sir Ma
thaniel Dance doing the best it can t.
/ hold it's own against the looser power
| of Romney and Sir Joshua. The
Romney, civilian Washington" by the
way is most beguiling canvas. But
It is for the spirit of the ensemble
rather than for the particular interes'
of any Of its pictures that we would
commend this exhibition. The reader
coming from the Grolier Club vii
! bring impressions summed up in ths