New-York tribune., 1921-04-17
Diverse Types
Work Out of Doors, Portraits
and Other Suhiects

From time to time in the large exhi-
bitions, especially in those Of water
colors, Mr.. Henry B. Smell brings the
observer to a pause, impressing him
with the sincerity and adequacy of his
work. In the first show of his own that
we recall having seen in long time, a
show at the Arlington gallery, he brings
all his familiar qualities to the front
and somehow invests them with a new
interest. We had not hitherto enjoyed
such a sense Of his range. He can
paint feeting bit like the "Road to
the Ferry" giving it abundant vitality
and, as happens in this case, charm
of color--or he can paint full dress
study of boats, such as the Drying
Sails, St. Ives" making a positively
weighty composition out Of it, He is
not an exemplar of style, but his work
manship is so fluent and so good that
it pretty nearly carries him to the level
Of style. His picturesqueness par
ticularly to be noted in his paintings of
fishing boats, is absolutely unforced.
There is great wholesomeness about his
work, the truthfulness and vigor of
nature faithfully reproduced. His ex-
hibition is welcome.
Another artist who presents a col
lection of his canvases where he has
usually been known only for the iso-
lated picture is Mr.. Charles C. Curran,
at the Howard Young gallery. His sa-
| hoc hoon tho nortraU2l Of
graceful feminine types studied in the
open air, girls painted at full length,
but at much less than life size. His
figures have not been exactly on the
scale of miniature, but they have
been small enough to fix him in habit
of craftsmanship more polished than
broad, craftsmanship that has tended
to be a little hard. Of late, however,
his work has gained in elasticity. He
has taken his charming young models
up to the top of mountain, perching
them in the air, against the wind and in
strong light. The breeze that futters
their white garments has crept into
his attitude toward his art and bettered
it., giving him more freedom, little
more gusto. He has been emboldened
to paint in larger terms, as in "The
White Pine" His small figures remain
the most successful, vivid, likable i'm
ages against sparkling skies.
Both pictures and portraits go to
make up the collection which Mr.. Tru-
man f. Fassett has at the Folsom gall
lery. The former include two nudes,
deftly drawn in pastel and bathed in
charming color. There are one or two
other decorative pieces, such as the
Poetic Meditation" which affirm the
artists talent persuasively enough, but
his best work is unquestonably done
in portraiture. His excellent drawing
is we'll illustrated in the "Ida Bostel
mann; he shows some constructive
ability in his two portraits of men, es-
pecially the one of Mr.. John B. Stanch-
field, and he exhibits a really striking
man." The merit of this, resting pri-
marily on good composition and draw
ing, on the thorough painting of the
head, gains much, too, from the sump-
tuous color scheme. Flesh painting,
costume and rich background are all
painted in full color, boldly and SIM
ply, and the whole is skilfully harmon
ICED. In his other works he is, as we
have said, clever. In this canvas, in
his portraits of men and in the spirited
sketch, "a Boy" he has solid substance.