New-York tribune., 1918-02-01
Art
Paintings and Other Objects
in the Fletcher, Oshima and
Clyde Fitch Collections

About a hundred pictures, old and
modern, which are to be sold next
Thursday evening at the Plaza, may
now be seen at the American Art Gal
leres. They are from various estates
those OF the late Isaac D. Fletcher, the
late Charles Francis Williamson, who
went down with the Lusitana, and sew
eral others. The contingent of old
masters is not, Oh the whole. very i'm
pressive. but it includes a few good
things, especially Mr.. Williamson's
eighteenth century French and Italian
paintings. The two dog pictures by
Oudry are excellent examples Of that
digniied illustrator of ''le sport" in
France, the "Environs Of Beauvais" is
an interesting souvenir of Boucher's
dealings with landscape, the anonymous
"Farm" of the French school is capt.
tai bit of luminous painting in the old
academic vein, and the three scenes in
Guardi's rather "fat" manner have a
certain value, though they tell us moth
ing of the Venetian master at his best
The tawny Bennington, "A French
Cathedral" is handsome picture.
But the best items here are to be
found among the modern works, par
ticularly the small specimens OF the
French and Dutch schools. Mr.
Fletcher's decidedly eclectic taste led
him to acquire all manner Of paintings,
some Of them the productions Of medi
ocre types like Knaus, but on the other
hand he appears to have had way of
picking up an occasional gem. Wit
ness the enchanting moonlit "Marine"
by Jongkind, or the delightful study of
a spaniel by Troyon, or the "Wind-
mills on a River" by Jacob Maris,
which is one of the most eXquis &c
paintings by that Dutchman we have
ever seen. In works OF this kind. in
and from other sources, the exhibition
is unusually rich. Monticello, Boudin.
Millet, Jacquc, Wesenbruch, Corot,
these and divers other names of high
reputc are admirably represented. The
Millet "Nymph and Cupid" has d strong
personal interest. 1t is one of those
romantic subjects which he painted for
bread while waiting to tackle the
themes he really loved, q pot boiler, but
executed with the art which he could
not keep from flowing through his
finger tips.
A notable Fortuny turns up again,
the unfinished "Environs de Tanger,'
which figured in the Stewart sale
twenty years ago and was seen in the
McMillin collection in 1913. 1t is a
student to observe as an illustration
of what the brilliant Spaniard could
do when he turned his back on the
bric-a-brac and virtuosity by which
he is chiefly known. By the same token
the student would do we'll to take u
long look at Bouguereau's "After the
Bath His tradition is supposed to
have gone down the wind, and this kin
Of picture exists to day, of course, only
to be patronized BY the dabsters who
have solved the secret of art. But those
will not patronze it, Contemporaries
of his, similarly out Of fashion, have
their places in the show, Schreyer, Bon
nat, Gabriel Max and the like. A couple
Of characteristic military subjects by
De Neuvilc may also be signalized.
The American pictures, by Wnslow
Homer, Childe Ilassam, } Ohm IL. Twacht-
man, A. p. Ryder and others. arc works
Of merit, but are not especially inter
cstng.
The Orentalia, belonging to Mr..
Kano Oshima, and to be sold next
Thursday, Friday and Saturday after-
moons, may be described as mixed. No.
all of the six hundred pieces arc pre-
cisely resplendent. But there is much
that is really fine in the lot. The single
color glazes make brilliant arra1.
There are good specimens of early pot
tery ard there are some notable
bronzcs The enamels also leave Il
favorable impression and there are
some beautiful Chinese rugs displayed.
The third collection here presented is
that formed by the late Clyde Fitch.
1t is to be sold on Tuesday and Wednes
day afternoons for the benefit of the
Actors Fund Of America. The paint
ings, mostly old school pieces, will at
tract less attention than tie furniture
and miscellaneous curios, all indicative
of the distinctly decorative taste of the
playwright ard sometimes of consid-
erable intrinsic charm and value. Tho
books include numerous presentation
copies. The atmosphere of clever
mans hobbies and predictions strik-
ingly pervades the exhibition.
The period of exhibition of William
r. Leigh's western paintings at the
Babcock Galleries has been extended
until February 9. Pictorial though
most of Mr.. Leigh's canvases are. yet
they hold a dramatic appeal and will
always find an appreciative audience
In two of his smaller pictures, "The
Weather Prophet" and "The Close Of