The New York herald., 1922-01-01

HleTltOrlOuS student WOrK. Friends
artists perhaps may bite, but not the
are necessary TO stampede the throng,
and even the rumor of something
sensationally strong in the way Of
technique will occasionally do it, but
the merely meritorious is chiefly for
parents.
JS In the present collection there are
no water colors to be compared with
those OF Winslow Homer, John Marin.
Robert Blum or John La Fargo. In
all the list of exhibiting artists there
is but one who seems to do with his
,medium that which he sets out to do,
sand that is Mr.. Hassam. whose little
group stands out distinctly from the
lwalls of the Vanderbilt Gallery. The
spirit of play is remarkably absent
itrom these productions, and there is
never hint of the spontaneity that
lis so large part of the charm of the
sinasteriy Brabazon drawings now on
lview in the Scott & Fowles Gal
leries Direct contact with life is an
other thing that the artists appear to
.shun. and except for one young mans
picture Of barber shop there is
nothing in this line either.
4 Do we have no ideas and have we
no assured workmen? We do. we
must have; and it can be the task of
the combined societies to ferret them
out. II the organization would play
a large part IT. must confront boldly
the conditions which are entirely diff
ferent from those that the societies
had to deal with in the palmy days.
Then, the Twenty-third street show
was a water color emporium. 1t was
the place to buy water colors. Since
those days long lists OF enterprising
dealers have appeared upon the scene
who have found out how to induce the
best men to let them have the pick of
their portfolios. 1t is merely the SELL
ing proposition. OF course. The best
sketches usually go where the best
chances for selling are. So 1t be-
hooves a society that would be i'm
portant in these days to sally forth
with energy upon the hunt. and then.
having found something, to expend as
much energy again upon the selling
OF It. Good exhibitions, as the most
successful dealers will tell you. do not
happen by themselves.
-
portant. is liberality in the acceptances
os works of art. One or two of the
most brilliant living practitioners Of
the art of water color owe nothing
whatever to the societies. Is not that
absurd to have a public. dealers and
critics acclaiming geniuses long before
the societies consent TO accept their
drawings? The society should err.
when It errs. upon the side of liberality
rather than upon the side of pighead-
edness.
There remains a word or two to be
said about individual exhibitors. Mr..
Hasssm. Mr.. Pennell and Mr.. Chaun-
eey +. Ryder are three veterans who
have been induced to participate. and
OF these Mr.. Hassam takes such hon
ors as there are. Mr.. Pennell sent
some tiny Views Of the lower end of
the city seen from Brooklyn. They
are fluent and clever. but no so satis-
factory az those from the same series
that he lately sent TO the Brooklyn
Museum. Blrger Sandzen and George
H1rt also took part in the Brooklyn
show and, like Mr. Pennell, were bet
ter there. Mr.. Sandzen is evidently
going In for the strong" but, except
~ the one called "The Great Stone
wall" he Is more noisy than strong.
Mr.. Hart's bathing party is rough
and ready version OF what was prob
ably in nature a jolly enough scene.
but he has scarcely been enough in
earnest himself In regard TO his party
20 meke.it widely interesting.
Raymond Perry is one OF the few
figure painters who has thought IL
wsrth while TO venture outside OF his
studio for a theme and his barber
shop has more than one suggestion in
it.of what might accomplished by
artists who would combine exploring
with art. His picture. however, is
uierely literal It could have been
humorous or It could have been
character study Heaven knows funny
enough things take place in barber
shops. John II. Frazier vies with Mr..
Ssndzen in the effort to bo strong"
and in the desire to put II upon paper
With "A bang seems TO forget what the
bsng IL about. lie appears. however,
70 no an artist with possibilities.
william Kat Is a name that is
signed 10 some small aquareIes that
arc agreeable and have a true feeling
10 the medium. other studies that
deserve notice are Cottage in Wales"
by clifford Adams; Summertime" by
Frank Hazel: Looking Across" by
Mary Nicholson MacCord; strife"
ny Glenn Newell: Path TO the Shore
by Mary Roberts Ebert; "Quay,
f.hloggia.r by George Elmer Browne
'swatering Trough" by Walter Cole:
ssr)ctagon House" by Richard G.. Gillis.
NPihk House Deerfelds." by Stanley
y Rowland: "C'amp IN the Woods" by
dcorge Pcarse Ennis "Birch Trees"
by Georgia Ennis; "In Sherman Glen"