New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
By Royal Cortissoz


A collection formed by dealer is
commonly expected to be very miscel-
laneous in character, to contain "some-
thing to suit all tastes" But the col
lection formed by Mr. ~ <. Montross,
which has been placed on view at the
American Art Galleries and is to be
sold at the Plaza next Thursday, has
about it not trace of the commercial
tradition just mentioned. 1t is a body
of threescore and ten American pict-
ures expressive of nothing more nor
less than an enlightened interest in
our school. The standard it illustrates
is one sympathetic to good painting.
And the ensemble admirably enforces
the point that good painting, in the
American school, is usually synony-
nous with an original point of view.
The landscape men more particularly
in evidence are Tryon, Murphy and
Hassam. There are dozen examples
of d. W. Tryon on the walls, and
though his later manner is we'll repre-
sented the special interest of the group
lies in its reflection of the earlier
phases of his style. The influence of
his French training is obvious in the
older canvases, in the free, broad def
milton of forms and in the pervasive
gray light. But even while he was in
harmony with his Partisan masters he
was developing quality of his own,
quality both of color and of atmos-
phere, and especially he was finding
out and Interpreting with great truth
the special note of the American coun-
tryside Nothing could be more direct,
more racy, than such pictures as the
"Apple Blossom Time" or the water
color of ga New England Pasture" In
imaginative sensitiveness this group
of MIR. Tryon's pictures might be said
to culminate in the beautiful Autumn
Twilight" dating from 1911, but nei-
ther in design nor in charm of land
scape sentiment does this surpass the
larger painting hanging near by, the
"Near the Shore, Moonrise," done in
1887. 1t is catalogued as one of his
Every important works." and the phrase
is just. In pictorial unity and distinc-
ton he has never done anything finer.
Very quiet, even subdued in tone, this
is in essence one of the most brilliant
things in American landscape. Mr..
Murphy's six examples include
couple of early crisp water colors that
have technical adroitness, chiefly, to
commend them, but the oils are works
in the later manner which has won him
his repute. 1t is the manner of an
artist for whom pigment has taken on,
of itself. a certain poetic charm. II
the "Sunlit Stubble," the "Golden Al
ternoon," and most of all perhaps il
the "Old House," the rich impasto
Yields an effect like that of dusky
ivory. He is faithful to his landscape
motive. conveying, for example, in the
upland and Valley" peculiarly vivid
impression of observed facts, but all
through this quartet we are conscious
Of nothing so much as of beauty OF
painted surface.
Mr.. Hassam's traits are shown at
diverse angles, he, too, being repre-
sented by works of widely different
dates. The sparkling study of shipping,
"The Italian Bark, Gloucester" car
ries us as far back as 1896. In this,
and in the opalescent "Frenchman's
Bav. Mt. Desert" he was developing
his impressionism in a very light
blond key. In other pictures he is If
ANYTHING more luminous, but the web
of tone is more complicated and richer.
Witness the delightful "Water Garden
OF 1903, packed with flowers, by the
way, but generalized into winning
simplicity. There is piquant nude IN
the Hassam group, "The Butterfly" but
his strength is best manifested In the
landscapes, in the "October's Gold
with it's plangent color, or in the dainty
little memorandum of "News Depot,
Cos Cob" By the late Robert c.
Minor, in whom the solemn music of
the Barbizon movement reyerberated,
there is a noble "Sunset," and the best
tradition of our older school is brought
back in two landscapes of no great