The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-19
NEWS AND COMMENT IN THE WORLD OF ART

vases of Homer Martin, in Art IN Amer
Tea. Frederick Fairchild Sherman Of
gers the following analysis Of his style:
"A satisfying serenity is one OF the
most lasting virtues of some OF MS
recognized masterpieces. Others are
pervaded by a pensiveness that Is just
as persuasive an element in their ulu-
mate appeal as is color or design. In
the Harp OF the Winds 1t is the ar
rangement, the composition, that nus
the picture with music, and in another
canvas il is resonant and reverberating
color. In the Haunted House the de-
serted dwelling casts a spell Of melan-
choly over the scene, and in another
canvas the atmospheric development
produces the same effect. In the large
view of Lake Champlain the solid
earth sustains the. joyousness that
lights the distant skies, and in the
'Blossoming Trees a similar joyous
ness is insinuated through an IMPROVE
sation of the transitory loveliness of
the burgeoning Of spring.
Martin was too conscious Of sthe
dignity of nature as the hanfiwork OF
God ever to jeopardize the authority of
his Interpretation by an attempt to
picture supreme manifestations of
earthly grandeur. heavenly cataclysas
or direct sunlight. That art has its
definite limitations he was aware al
ways. and he chose to work within
them. AS a consequence, he never
painted a blatant picture or one OF
puerile sentimentality. Whatever he
did was done seriously, and sobriety is
trait that is common to all of his
works, those in high key as well as
those lower in tone.
"In his lesser as well as in his greater
works evidence is not lacking of the
pertinent fact that they were abso-
lutely constructed in their entirety as
| we'll as carriedaout to the last detail
! with a conscious realization always of
what he intended them to represent,
enibody or suggest in the way Of realis-
tic Interpretation, abstract beauty or
human emotion. The pleasure of mere
painting never interfered with the
main object of his artistic creation
However subtly he might manage the
expression of the rarer and finer shades
of feeling by a skilful manipulation OF
delicate variations of value, 1t was
never in any way at the expense Of an
| always definite insistence upon the
dominant idea of his picture. The
precious passages of color which IL
Illuminate his pictures are natures. not
his own. The peculiar charm of his
later canvases is very much the result
of his clairvoyant gift of counterfeit
ing evanescent atmospheric effects, sc
that the spectator reacts naturally to
whatever mood of nature is expressed
| Until his visit to France Martins
drawing remained measurably tight
and his painting generally smooth an6
uninteTesting. He shared with hi;
American contemporaries a preference
/ for imposing scenes, and unimportanr
details he often finished with unneces-
sary care. Subsequently his techniC
changed entirely: the early tighthess
gave way to gracious freedom ant
the. smoothness that was formerly
monotonous gaye way to a surface
that seemingly radiated the light IL
prismatic refiec3ons of broken color
His view became more restricted anC
his composition simpler.
"'The Clam Diggers-V illerville.' B.,
picture that has never been publicl,
exhibited and is practically unknown
Is a companion to the we'll known
'Mussel Gatherers,' which in shee
beauty 1t surpasses. Instead of look
ing inward, as in the latter canvas
where the view is blocked by the wal
OF rising ground in the immediat,
! foreground and the ominous SIX,
above. the view is seward. screened
by wide eXpanse of softly lumin
Gus and beautiful sky of pearl,
tinted cloud, relieved at intervals b,
glimpses OF delicate blue. The we
reach of shore in the foreground Ii
no less ably indicated than the simple
loneliness of the summer afternoon
and the whole composition epitomize
the prevailing character of the Frencl
coast. The canvas as a whole ma!
also the significant charm of a pictur
painted con amore and at a single sit
ting. There are no indications o
alteration and it seems almost to retail
the pristine beauty Of work fresl
from the easel of the artist. It Is
highly characteristic production. from
the idiosyncratic group of two mel
carrying the, basket of CLANS TO tn
black rocks where the gentle sur
sweeps the sandy beach. William c
Brownell. who was with Martin il
France and his closest friend durin,
the last twenty years and more of hi
life, says: The canvas shows a beau
tiful sky, the horizon line is charac
teristically soft and indefinite and tn
black rocks accents that are of tn
precise kind I have heard Martin sa,
ne was particularly fond of. TIL
handling of the whole canvas is also
genuine signature in ITSELF"