The New York herald., 1921-05-01
ACADEMY
ART EXHIBITION
IN IDEAL FORM
Progressive Element Re-
duces Number of Pictures
With Quality Improved.
PORTRAITS BELOW MARK
Landscape Section Strong, but
Of Sculpture Least Said
the Better.
Special Gable to THE NEW YORK HErALn
Copyright, 1891, by THE New YonK HxnALn.

Special Gable to THE NEW YORK HErALn
Copyright, 1891, bv THE NEW YonK HRnALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
London. April 30.
London Observer. writing for THE NEW
York HERALD on the spring show at
Burlington House, says that the series
OF snubs given by those in authority
to the ultraconservative Royal Acad-
emy when It came to placing oom-
missions for official war paintings. to-
gether with the slow, steady hammer
Ing away by the more reputable critics
appear to have broken down the Chi
nese wall that had so long kept the
academic dignity from the progress
sive outside world. The election to an
associateship of the erstwhile enemy,
Augustus John, was the first indica-
ton Of new order OF things.
The exhibition, which win be opened
to the public tomorrow, he says marks
complete victory for the steadily grow
ing progressive element at the Royal
Academy. The selecting jury has ap-
piled the broom with cruel impartiality
Public favorites who had been regular
exhibitors OF their uninspired wares for
decades and for whom one was accuS-
toned to look out In places which had
come to be considered theirs by right
have fallen victims to this effort at re-
habilitating the tottering reputation of
the Royal Academy.
The bold progressive spirits who are
responsible for the change are fully Jus
titled by the result of their brave effort
Reduced In numbers to manageable pro-
portions. the exhibits are presented in
ideal form without overcrowding Each
picture is detached from its neighbors
and each wall Is a carefully planned
pattern. For once the Academy can be
viewed without discomforting features,
and the average work attains a stand
| ard of unprecedented excellence.
| Sir william Orpen's Portraits.
| Popular verdict win unquestionably
| favor Sir William Orpen. His six por-
traits almost jump at the visitor through
sheer force of color contrast-brightest
pigments against resonant black back
grounds-and forceful modelling. but the
| trained eye remains dissatisfied by his
| excessive sickness and that ease OF ap-
plying a formula which threatens to be-
come hammered and mechanical Still.
| his best piece, the portrait OF chef In
cap and apron. contains some still life
passages worthy of Manet's brush.
Mr.. Sargent's portrait OF Gen. Fowke.
his solitary contribution. win come as a
| shock to the masters admirers. II Is so
undistinguished that It might be by Mr..
ouless or by Sir Arthur Cope. who Is
responsible for n gigantic group vi
twenty-five "Sea Officers OF the War"
| including Jellicoe and Beatty In pan
elled interior-an impossible theme
treated with tact and seriousness but
without the touch of genius needed TO
do justice to so formidable a task
Anyhow the picture has not the showy
vulgarity of Mr.. Salyisburys equally
huge Funeral OF an Unknown Warrior
in Westminster Abbey" Such things
seem beyond the range of any ifung
painter.
Artistically the most remarkable pic
ture of the whole show is Mr.. Glyn
Philpot's allegory. The Journey OF the
Spirit" Here for once is a strictly pic
torial conception that disdains the use of
hieroglyphic symbols and finds express
sion in organized design and the emo
tional use OF color. The three nude fig
ures striding over a stony wilderness
across cloud banks with mysteriously
luminous breaks OF light are Michel
angelesque in proportion and distortion.
The whole thing is thrilling and ma
jestic.
A ffasterIy Nude.
In contrast to this expression is the
treatment of a nude In Mr.. a. Kellys
'Siesta." This may be quoted as a
mastery example OF realistic treatment
OF the human figure, neshy, throbbing
and related TO It's surroundings.
The late william strang's Venus
and Adonis" supplies a comic relief
none the less comic because the hurnor
is unconscious A vicious looking
Venus with toes turned in, an Ill shaped,
ugly Adonis and very tame boar form
the central group in decorative land
scape OF rather primitive type.
Primitivism indeed Is the fashion OF
the hour. There are scores OF painters
who derive their style from Giotti, Bot
tlcelli and other early Italians. Among
their numbers are men like Harry Nor
ley. whose adaptation OF Botticsllian
types Is particularly graceful In .-rhs
Night Passeth; the Day Cometh.~
The most powerful ser,ou. portrait.
deep In psychological insight and force
ful I'm the handling OF pigment, Is Mr..
GriefrenhRgen's "Sir Rider Haegard."
Another associate OF the Royal Academy
let's down his institution In series OF
ladies' portraits that can only cause
merriment. His brush seems 10 have
slithered the pretty pigments into which
II was dipped over n soapy surface, and
the result bears ridiculous resemblance
TO chrysioleum paintings on china.
The landscape section IS particularly
strong this year thanks mainly 20 the
Efforts OF Mr.. Charles Sins. Mr.. Arnsby
Brown. Mr.. A. Ailinson. Mr.. u. Y. Cam
erou (who has sacrificed his usual aus
terity 70 an extraordinary opulencs in
color). Mr.. A. Talmage and Mr.. @. oiau-
sen, the indefatigable searcher and OK
permenter
or sculpture the least said tho better.
II leaves one with the impression that
tho sculpturesuue is alien 70 the British
spirit. There are not ten exhibits that
deserve serious consideration. The rest
arc only fit for an Italian campo santo
or suburban conservatories. or course
there IS a deluge OF war memorials
khaki copied IN stone bronze and pias-
ter. and bayonets sticking out in every