New-York tribune., 1919-11-06
Art
Mrs. II. p. Whitney's Sculptured
Impressions Of
the War
BY Royal Cortissoz

About three years ago when Mrs
II. T. Whitney held an exhibition Of
her own in the Eighth Street rooms in
which she customariy displays the
works OF other artists she offered tho
public a view Of her art az full length.
The collection OF q score or more of
sculptures was dominated By the "Ti-
tanic Memorial" an impressive statue
pointing 10 imag native resource and
considerable technical aptitude. Other
pieces contributed 10 the affirmation
Of her talent in its complete scale
This winter she makes another cxh-
oiaon at the same place. but it i,
more restricted in scope. Devoted cN-
ciusively 10 themes drawn from the
war. Il IS also confined more or less
70 single manner. Despite the pres
cnce Of some monumental groups--ore
Of them erected in MacdougAl Alley
with good background Of evcrgreens
she elects on this occasion 10 appear
as the producer OF emotiona. sketches
rather than as the sculptor jealous Of
his ART. The decision brings with it
both advantages and drawbacks.
There IS an obvious virtue in the
direct, Spontaneous notation of actuali-
lies observed with generous feeling.
1t is remarked in the preface 70 the
catalogue that these Impressions were
caught out OF wa r-ridden air" and
they have the spirited, sometimes
touching, quality of work thus devel-
oped. In her numerous statuettes por-
traying military individuals or types
Mrs. Whitney practices q very syrpa-
thetic realism. Ner sketches are per-
suasive portraits. In studying the
soldier, posed in tie studio or mag
lNed in action, She admirably inter
prets those matters Of carriage. Of
movement, which are far more essen
tial than the details Of costume and
equipment. There - more, TOO, in
some Of the pieces than clever repro
clction o. fact. Witness the spirit
OF the Red Cross" The ardent. robust
worker mere presented on & really seri-
Gus plane is worth T. wilderness OF the
pretty sentimentalities which are so
often perpetrated in illustration OF q
noble subject. 1t is in sculptures like
this that one recognizes the true VI
tallty Of Mrs. Whitney's work She has
IDEAS and forcefully expresses them. On
ne other hand, she does not express
them IN the figures now shown with
The technical felicity they deserve.
Ihe energy which disclosed itsaf in
The exhibition of three years ago /.
stilI valid. The style. the beauty. me
traits 0f freshness and originality
which We then missed, have not in the
interval been achieved, or, il the sculn-
tor possesses them. they have been
sacrificed 20 sne particular idio.n now
adopted. In the preface aforesaid. bv
Mr.. Guy Pene du Bois. II is remarked
tra1 these Impressions ara not pre-
sented as complete statements. "eacn
smoo-hed and rounded. each rhe.or.-
ca..y correct and it is added that they
n2vc nothing Of that naive consc;en-
t.oasness which asks that the crafts
maN push MS work beyond the point
q his vision" No matter where
craftsman's vision" may stop. his
technique must realize itself, must
denote individuality and skill There
doesn't need to be anything rhe.
corically correct about it. The mas
ter-"crkman leaves his stamp upon
even MS first rough manipulation Of
The clay. The trouble With Mrs. Whit
ney's method in the present exhibition
IS tnot, SO Tar as it goes, II : not SUI
ficiently effective and interesting.
The simple. rough newn style II
sculpture is AT old story. Amongst
the moderns recalled BY this exhlol-
tion Meunier, the interpreter OF Bel
gan miners and IRON workers, Il per
haps the most conspicuous. One
thinks then OF the powerful dgur.nas
modelled by Nahouri Young. But there