New-York tribune., 1922-02-12
Gilbert Stuar,
a Remark able Collection OF His
Portraits

Stuart has appeared bcfor. III the
series of portrait exhibitions at the
Union League Club, but tins month he
mas tne walls almos. to himself. The
only other artists represented are Sfni
bert. with an Interesting though con-
vent'onal portrait Of Stephen Da Ian
cey; Jeremiah Theuss. whose portrait
OF Josias Allston is a rather dry affair:
Trumbull, who is no more inspiring in
his portrait Of William Rogers Wash
Ington Allston and Copley The Copley
IS charming half length Of Gawen
Brown, the father Of Mathe1 Brown.
dellghtfui in It's pure pinks and blues
and its polished draughtsmanship.
Allston's portrait Of himself j., of value
as record. Otherwise it is Of no great
weight 1t will be Observed that none
OF these things is in any way a brilliant
performance. They leave the field M
disputed to Gilbert Stuart.
One portrait Of his alone in THIS ox
hibtion would affirm his MASTERY. He
belongs, on the whole, TO the mood of
tradition. and so there is essentially
break between hm and what we call
American art; but technically this can
vas might claim to represent the an
cestry Of every merely good painter vo
have ever had. That is 70 say. the "M r..
Richard Yates is remarkable for its
surfaces if for nothing else. Stuart
manlpulates graYs with the taste aud
adroitness Of the painters who have
come from Nalesquez. His tone IS SUI
perb and for the connoisseur Of work
manshlp there is extraordinary refresh
ment in the handling, in the c1isp vet
full-bodied manner in which the color
IS lald on. Also this is a striking essay
N the study OF character. in the pres
entation Of a personality. Not Rev-
nolds or Romney or any other member
Of the British galaxy ever made more
alluring pattern of paint OF a more di-
verting record of a lovable human figure.
There is companion canvas Of the
lady's husband, painted in the same
year, portrait striking a richer
deeper note Of color, and in one of his
brother, Lawrence Reid Yates, Stuart
returns TO his wonderful grays and his
delicately caressed surfaces. There are
sixteen Of the masters portraits hump
Two or three, like those of William
Thornton, Edward Stow, Stephen Van
Rensselaer, and Matilda Caroline Cru
ger. are pedestrian affairs which dis
close the popular artist filing d COM
mission with no more than the minimum
of ardor. For the rest he seems to have
drawn upon his best resources The
portraits Of John Jacob Astor. William
Constable. the youthful MIS-. Andrew
Dexter and the picturesque James Lloyd
reveal tie happy and confident brush
man. lending individuality to technique,
breathing both life and beauty into
ms work
There is a phase of these exhibitions
which the lover of old New York will
especially appreciate. The portraits
bring back presences that We're once po-
tent IN the professional, business ana
social life Of the city. With them there
returns, as We have indicated more than
once in notes OH the Union League
shows, the aroma Of bygone epoch, the
carriage and demeanor OF some Of the
most honored leaders in our past. But
this exhibition. more even than any of
its predecessors. underlnes The magical
power Of art. Stuart's genius pervades
the room. One is conscious chiefly OF
his ability, his distinction, his sense of
beauty. He holds his own magniticently
with the British school of the eighteenth
century.