New-York tribune., 1919-06-11


the stands and maintained them at the
contract price to the city Of $4,000.
needed to make 1t successful. Witness
the we'll conceived Sacrifice" by Mr.
Charles Sims, or Professor Moira's
luminous hospital triptych. The scenes
IN both are most smpathetically real
lied. The workmanship in both is at
least adequate. But one asks for some
thing more than adequacy, one asks for
creative force, for style, and these
precious elements are absent.
Nor have the new" men, redressing
the balance established by the Royal
Academy, done anything to supply the
stimulus we miss. The "Gas Attack"
painted by Gunner William Roberts,
and the "Canadian Gunpit," painted by
that celebrated Vorticist, Lieutenant
Wyndham Lewis, have undeniable vi
tality, but we cannot say that either
is in the least beautiful. 1t is a point
which these successive war salons sug-
gest that the artists have sadly over
looked. No doubt; as we have said, the
nature of the war has handicapped
them, but individual taste and ability
have something to say in the matter.
An artist with a sense of beauty in
him will extort beauty from the ugli-
est chaos. For proof look at Mr.. D.
Y. Cameron's "Desolation," panoramic
view of Flanders about KENNEL We
have seen finer things from his brush,
but in this one there is at any rate
faint SAVIOR of charm, it is not only
persuasive as record but it is in
the best sense of the term a painter
like piece of work
The Smaller Canvases
For such work the visitor to the
show who is discreet will explore,
indeed, not the huge "show pieces"
but the smaller canvases and the black
and whites. We have cited in friendly
wise the painter Of the RAILWAY Cut
ting" Mr.. Leonard Richmond. He re-
veals merit in that canvas, especially
in his handling of great mountain
forms, but thoroughly to enjoy him
one must turn to his numerous little
pastels. In them he is still the compe-
tent workman and he has a fresh,
beguiling note of his own into the
bargain.
An admirable contributor, too, is the
Belgian, Lieutenant Alfred Bastien.
Eis color is good, when he works in
color, and his drawings are capital.
He has talent. Wherever his work
turns up it lightens the effect of the
wall. Equally exhilarating are the
many studies of cavalry by Mr.. A. j.
Munnings, and the positively sprghtly
little paintings by Mr.. Algernon Tai
mage. If the show as a whole had the
nervous energy which is displayed by
these gentlemen Canada would be in
luck. There are some brilliant DESIGNS
by Captain Spencer Pryse, Lieutenant
II. j. Mowatt is represented by number
of fine drawings, and Maurice Wage
mans, Frank Brangwyn, C. r. w. New
inson and sundry others help to make
the black and white section interest
ing.
There is, finally, a curious and ad-
rlirable little group of paintings from
an earlier period, important as relat-
inf to figures in Canadian history.
Vests death of Wolfe" is conspic-
uous in this category. Grouped around
1t are portraits by Romney, Reynolds
ana Lawrence. The Romney is his
famous portrait of Joseph Brant, the
Mohawk Sachem, souvenir good to
see.
ln contemporary portraiture, by the
way, the show is numerically very
strong. Save for Charles Shannon's
bewitching princess Patricia" how
ever, and an occasional canvas like
Major McEvoy's "Lieutenant H.
Strachan,' most engaging impression.
of a youthful hero, the portraiture,
like the military painting, is more life
like than artistcally thrilling.
Final Judgment Must Wait
The collection at the Anderson Gal
lerles forms only part, as we indi-
Gated at the outset, of the great mass
of material, which is to be concen-
trated in the museum at Ottawa. A
final judgment upon "Canada's War
Memorial" must, of course, await the
installation of all the pictures together.
and it will be seriously affected. we
dere say, by the ultimate arrangement
adopted Paintings executed for an
architectural setting will naturally be
improved when they get it. What now
seems confused will fall into place and
make a better effect. And vet it is
impossible to consider the show with
out rejecting upon the fundamental
Truth that for great war pictures YOU
need great artists
There is much talk about the need
for a collection of war pictures by
American artists. In respect to nor
traits of the leading soldiers and
statesmen something has already been
arranged for, and other commissions
will doubtless be given. Absolutely
weighed, the idea is unimpeachable.
But its truth test can only come if we
resolutely face the problem of finding
men unquestionably competent to paint
the right kind of picture Enthusi
asm for the scheme will be terribly
regretted some day if 'impulsively we
allow it to foist upon the United States
quantity of fatty mediocre compost
tlons. Allied sentiment is bound to
meet the Canadian exhibition with
nothing but applause, brought from
TIE heart. Cool criticism will take it
rather as pointing the truth of the
axiom that it is we'll to make haste
slowly.
BROOKLYN Hears Hopkinson