New-York tribune., 1921-11-06
Tradition
Our Debt to 1t in the Eighteenth
Century

To tell certain painters of our time
that they have bad manners would be
to both enrage and puzzle them. What
they would want TO know, have man
ners 10 do with artF Some light is
suggestively thrown on the subject by
the group of about fifteen early Amer
lean portraits now hanging in the
Knoedler gallery. It brings back the
tradition OF the eighteenth century,
English in origin, but developed here
as part and parcel Of the American
habit of mind. Manners had much TO
do with the evolution Of this tradition.
They received their initial impetus cen
turies ago in the courts Of the world.
1t is easy enough &c find bourgeois
types in the history Of European por-
traiture, but this branch of art was
nevertheless peculiarly the property Of
the nobleman. Titan was d painter Of
kings and princes. SO was Velasquez.
So was Rubens. His mode, enriched
by that Of Van Dyck, was filtered down
into the school Of Gainsbo~ough and
16TLlD4QS, ALL tUiOQsu -s-e-b 1N-.OH-,
supported by an aristocracy, it Was car
ried over into the land Of democratic
ideals.
Politically we might be as reyolu-
flonary as We pleased, but socially ve
Retained for long time the impress OF
English custom and this exhibition en-
fhasizes the influence Of our forbears
across the Atlantic. 1t has the signiti-
kance of kind OF moral force. Art
without technique is worthless art, but
tt is a fact that art cannot live By
technsque alone. Spiritual elements
snter into it's makeup. a painter IN
scnsibly expresses the sentiment Of his
era. Thus these eighteenth century
artists reflect the walk and demeanor
Of a period far more accurately than
some moderns mirror their time when
they 60 out with malice aforethought
TO paint what they call "actualltles- A
polished manner was an actuallty in
the period Of Ben jamin West. 1t didn't,
as We lave indicated, cover the whole
ground. Look at Vests big portrait OF
the three Drummonds. 1t is laborlousl3
built up, too Iaboriously. On the
other hand. its refined distinction Is
beyond cavil.
Il is for their refinement, their GOOD
taste, thar quality of balance ana
measure, that these canvases are espe-
ciaily 70 be studied, for manners re-
acting upon technique. Consider fof
moment the nervous disguietude per
meating SO many contemporary por
traits and then muse upon the lessoH
Of reyose as the early Americans un-
derstood il. Is it not virtue of really
LASTING charactere 1t means something
more than the Interpretation OF sub
ject as subject Out of the serenity OF
en- ghteenth-century painters concep-
tion Of his subject there flowed dignl-
ted composition, Judgment in the han
ding Of draperies, discreet coloration
and respectable draughtsmanship That
re did not always lift such traits to 4
plane Of high artistic eloquence is no
yepudiation of the value of good man
ners to workmanship; it simply means
that the individual lacked genius. In
the absence of that sublime spark the
Tradition to which we refer was OF i'm
mense service. Copley, for example,
stumbled upon something like inspira-
ten when he painted the great portrait
IN the Hartford Athen8am; but on the
eonmoner occasions which were more
characteristic of him he could paint
The y ohn Gray Of this exhibition, not
masterpiece and yet a fine thing.
With Stuart we como upon the type
u which tradition and genius are not
mfrequently commingiea. Students Of