New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-12-07

them that he could also etch . good
plate. In successive seasons, ~ = few
new prints Of his have appeared, they
have confirmed the impression he
originally conveyed. Now at the
Kennedy gallery he again presents o
collection Of his etchings and dry
points, adding as usual several new
pieces, and once more his triumph is
complete. It is complete, that is, ae
regards the studies Of wild fowl which
predominant. His figure work is dis
tinctly uneven. Only a scant hand
full Of his ventures In this direction,
the lovely man," and the equally
lovely Head" (No. 1S), are really
worthy Of him. But the duck shoot
ing subjects are superb. One does
not need to be q sportsman to appre-
ciate these beautifully drawn designs,
so full Of life, movement, charm. On
rare occasions they have a decidedly
decorative character, suggesting that
the artist has had some contact with
the japanese color print. The anus
ing "Herons in a Pine Tree" offer a
case in point. More often the senti-
ment OF Mr.. Benson's work is purely
the sentiment of nature. 1t is work
that wears we'll, increasin. in interest
as It comes from time to time into
view. We know Of no one save Brac-
quemond who has delineated the fowls
OF the air and shore so we'll, and Brsc-
quemond never had anything like Mr..
Benson's freshness and variety.
When the Scandinavian exhibition
was held at the American Art Caller
les in 1912 and Mr.. Edward Munich
among others, was introduced here, we
wondered why in the world he used
such dull tone, and why he achieved
absolutely nothing in line, in compo-
sition, In color, that was in the slight
est degree distinguished 1t seemed
then that what troubled Mr.. Munich, as
it troubled so many of his country
men, was simply an indurated coarse
ness Of grain in the very body and soul
OF Scandinavian art The collection
of his Autographs, etchings and Wood
cuts which may now be seen at the
Bourgeois gallery leaves this judg
ment unmodified. Mr.. Munich is 6
type Of decadence in the substance Of
his art. The morbidity Of his theme:
could easily be overlooked if it were
balanced by aesthetic beauty. But, lk1
so many Northern artists Of the kline
made familiar by the exhibitions of thu
Berlin and Munich "Secessionists," h,
Is heavy-handed draughtsman. Their,
is no gertrude about his line, which
seems to tumble after form rather thar
to bring out it's secrets with the firm
ness, the, clarity, the simplicity ant
the quality Of style which are neces
sary in the graphic arts. He has on
outstanding merit, the vitality of
realist who sees life with sympath,
and records it with certain vigo1
Unfortunately, for him, life needs t.
have something superadded to it if
is to give lasting value to work 0
art; it needs style and beauty. Neithe
of these do we find in Mr.. Munich
prints. In only one out of the three
score, in the Autograph of EVA Gu
docci and Bella Edwards" does tn
crude talent which he seems to pos
sess produce really beguiling effect
In two of the smaller rooms at tn
Knoedler gallery there have been hun,
about hundred of the etchings an
dry-points of Muirhead Bone. Hi
clean, almost bleak draughtsmanship i
JOY to see. It is most obvious.
victorious in his studies Of architec
ture. There are few impressions O.
building operations in which Mr.. Bon,
uses the skill of the virtuoso, extortint
kind of linear poetry out of mere
piled up scaffolding. He can work 1
little miracle with the edge of plank
But we have heard too much of him
on occasion, as the artist Of the toul
de force. His best work has beer
done in landscape. There, though he
lacks Cameron's romantic warmth, hi!
restrained picturesqueness is If any
thing more distinguished, and his line
is purer, stronger. He reminds Us O.
that saying of Whistler's, which car
never be too often repeated: "The ar
fist is known by what he omits." Ths
defect Of his quality is a disposition
to turn austerity into dryness. He il
sometimes Rembrandtesque in his pre-
else definition Of ground forms, blu
he lacks Rembrandt's breadth. 1t i
something, however, to have got int
ones work a hint that savors of tn
Dutch master.
Upstairs, at the Knoedler gallery
there is an exhibition of paintings il
tempera, mexican in character" b.