Year: 1873

PRIVATE VIEW OF THE EXHIBITION OF THE
ARTISTS FUND SOCIETY.


| The Artists Fund Society was instituted in
1889 and chartered in 1851 IN which latter year held its


first Exhibition that the present Is the thirteenth.
There are 76 numbers in the catalogue, representing
about contributors OF whom one only Mr. c. Muller.
contributes a carving in marble. No. 2e. and one sends
an engraving Of Bakers excellent likeness OF the
late Mr. Kensett No. 76 This engraving, beside
that 10 is neatly framed has autograph OF Mr. Ken
set attached IL. adding TO its value memento of
the esmable original. Among the paintings there is
one by Mr.. Geo. C. Lambdin, No. g. which deserves
purchaser who will know how TO value its deli
! cate, true, drawing and sweet pure color IL
| is the best OF Mr.. Lambdins three contrbu-
| tions 20 tho Exhibition, but No. Ga ia also
pretty Mr.. Lambdin has been doing clever work
Of late, though not much OF 1t has been shown TO the
public Mr.. ID. Huntington, the late President OF the
Academy has lfesize head which he calls Beatrice"
and though the painting OF the draperes and accessories
is somewhat on the c0arsest the face is uncommonly
spirited, ,and is good a piece OF this artists
work often gets chance to buy in
these days There three small pictures by Kenset
and of them, No g. is characteristic example of his
way Of looking at Nature. Mr. Geo H. Boughton sends
two pictures Miranda" No. q "LOiterers," No H..
The miranda" is not, TO our thinking,
well named. but the painting is in the
artists well-known manner, and represents him
fairly enough. One hardly knows how to describe
Boughtons work to do justice to its good qualities
and yet not fail Of his shortcomings He ought not to
have allowed such picture "The Loiterers" TO be
by the public it is perhaps nothing more than the
hint for picture 10 be painted some day but the pub


lie cannot judge Of that and only sees how unsasfac-
tory IL is. The miranda" the other hand, is
carefully painted but is only piece Of pleasing color
and outlines the suggestion of face not without inter
est There is drawing it whatever, and to judge
by it and much of BOughtOns later work, we should
guess that BoughtonI had IL IN mind to rest
content with as little suggestion of "whati is
under the skin" as would have satisfied G0tto or
Memm while at the same time he is thinking OF the
Venetans when he TO color His aim is the ex-
preston Of sentiment and feeling OF human character
he knows but little. His instrument has but few strings
and is OF range but he gets out Of it all the
music 1t is capable Of.


When we have named these few pictures. we have
named all that with the largest charity think il
allowable 10 speak we'll OF. and OF these
we must speak with bated breath. In opinion If the
artists do think worth while to put forth ef
fort in the of their institution, 1t would be
wiser TO wind up the affairs of the society with all possi
BILE speed Cannot artists who have regulations to ose
that they put them in serious jeopardy when they
send out such pictures these into the world with their
names attached to themi OF artists who uu
known or who too well known have less reason for
holding back but it not their works that bring people


to the sale 1t is the of Kensett and Durand and
Huntington, OF Boughton and Lambdin, or East
man johnson and clifford, of Cropsey and Whit
tredge. STILL men of little mark and OF
hitherto small performance might learn the wis


dom of always doing their best and there is no telling
what might be the magical effect some one or al OF


these artists whom the public has so long been USED 10


forgetting should suddenly turn over new leaf and do


their level best They might at least do IL Tor the Artst


Fund 1t is their own society, and the money it
can make at these annual sales the better will be for
such artists may unfortunately some day need hcIp
But 10 Judge by the ordinary run OF these exhibitions
the wellfOdO artists have made up their minds that
they at least Will require help and so as Is
human they take, nor pretend TO take
the pans to send anything good, while the poor
artists are so used TO being snubDed by fortune
that they cannot believe any effort Of theirs Will ever
bring them right again. Neither OF these ia pleasant
picture to contemplate. but the Artists Fund Society
forces TO look them year. and to reflect now
much good the artists might do To themselves and to


public eager 10 pleased and generous to those who
please It, il only they had the will to find the way.