An Art-Lovers Guide to the Exposition Part 7

Ives by Victor S. Holm. 3. Bust of William Howard Taft by Robert Aitken.

4. Henry Ward Beecher by John Quincy Adams Ward-a dignified and well-known life-size statue.

Along the south peristyle are (at the right) 1. Piping Pan by Louis St.

Gaudens. 2. Flying Cupid by Janet Scudder. 3. Muse Finding the Head of Orpheus by Edward Berge-a marble well expressive of gentle grief.

Orpheus, sweetest musician of Greek mythology, after failing to recover his beloved Eurydice from the underworld, in his sorrow scorned the Thracian nymphs, who in their anger dismembered him. His head was washed up by the sea and found by the sorrowing Muses. 4. (At the left) Michael Angelo by Robert Aitken, showing the master-sculpture at work on one of his famous figures. 5. (At the right) Young Pan by Janet Scudder. 6. (At the left) Wood Nymph by Isidore Konti. 7. Young Mother with Child by Furio Piccirilli. 8. (At the right) Wild Flower by Edward Berge. 9. (At the left) Eurydice by Furio Piccirilli. 10. (At the right) Boy and Frog by Edward Berge. 11. (At the left) Dancing Nymphs by Olin L. Warner. 12.

Idyl by Olga Popoff Muller. 13. An Outcast by Attilio Piccirilli. 14.

(Beside the doorway) Youth by Charles Carey Rumsey. Before the doorway is to be placed The Pioneer Mother Monument by Charles Grafly.

About the rotunda are: 1. (Outside the southwest archway) Thomas Jefferson by Karl Bitter. 2. (In center of rotunda) Lafayette by Paul Wayland Bartlett-the statue given by America to France. 3. Lincoln by Daniel Chester French, a dignified portrayal that cannot be justly judged from the plaster model here exhibited. 4. Relief by Richard H.

Recchia, representing "Architecture." 5. Commodore Barry Memorial by John J. Boyle. 6. Relief by Richard H. Recchia, representing "Architecture." 7. Princeton Student Memorial by Daniel Chester French a n.o.ble treatment of a difficult theme. 8. The Young Franklin by Robert Tait McKenzie. This is a fine conception, in which the sculptor has escaped from the conventional path of monumental portraiture. 9. (On walls of west archway) Reliefs by Bela L. Pratt, representing "Sculpture." 10. (Outside west archway) Portrait of a Boy by Albin Polasek. 11. The Awakening by Lindsey Morris Sterling. 12. (Beside northwest archway) William Cullen Bryant by Herbert Adams.

Along the north peristyle are: 1. (Beside main doorway of gallery) Beyond by Chester Beach. 2. The Sower by Albin Polasek. 3. The Centaur by Olga Popoff Muller. 4. Boy with Fish by Bela L. Pratt. 5. (At the right) Returning from the Hunt by John J. Boyle. 6. (At the left) L'Amour by Evelyn Beatrice Longman-a marble wherein the woman's figure is tenderly beautiful. 7. Garden Figure by Edith Woodman Burroughs. 8.

(At the right) Fighting Boys Fountain by Janet Scudder. 9. Soldier of Marathon by Paul Noquet. 10. (At the left) Youth by Victor D. Salvatore.

11. (At the right) Primitive Man by Olga Popoff Muller. 12. The Scalp by Edward Berge-an unpleasant bit of realism. 13. (At the left) Apollo by Haig Patigian. 14. (At the right) A Faun's Toilet by Attilio Piccirilli.

15. Duck Baby Fountain by Edith Barretto Parsons. 16. Maiden of the Roman Campagna by Albin Polasek-a figure instinct with the spirit of the antique.

On the circle at the north end of the peristyle are: 1. (At the right) Young Diana by Janet Scudder-a young G.o.ddess of the hunt, conceived in modern spirit, with remarkable freedom and grace of movement. 2. Great Danes by Anna Vaughan Hyatt. 3. (In walk) Sundial by Harriet W.

Frishmuth. 4. Bondage by Carl Augustus Heber. 5. Boy Pan with Frog by Clement J. Barnhorn. 6. Sundial by Gail Sherman Corbett. 7. Three fountain groups in one basin, all by Anna Coleman Ladd. Of these the Sun G.o.d and Python has been especially admired as a spirited and graceful bit of work. 8. (On the lagoon side of the circle) Mother of the Dead by C. S. Pietro-a sincere and powerfully realistic work, and quite unlike anything else in the outdoor gallery. 9. (In walk) Chief Justice Marshall by Herbert Adams. 10. Destiny by C. Percival Dietsch. 11.

Sundial by Edward Berge. 12: Daughter of Pan by R. Hinton Perry. 13.

Head of Lincoln by Adolph A. Weinman.

Along the roadway to the left, as one leaves the circle, are two sculptures: Bird Fountain by Caroline Risque, and Prima Mater by Victor S. Holm.

North of the lagoon are: 1. Fragment of the Fountain of Time by Lorado Taft. 2. Nymph by Edmond T. Quinn. 3. Dying Lion by Paul Wayland Bartlett. 4. Rock and Flower Group by Anna Coleman Ladd. 5. Whale-man by Bela L. Pratt.

On the island at the north end of the lagoon is a fountain by Robert Paine.

The Fine Arts Galleries

Do not visit the Fine Arts exhibits blindly, without knowing what they are aimed to show; and do not try to see the whole exhibition in one day. First understand the scope and arrangement of the displays, and then follow some definite system by which you are sure to get the best out of each individual section. It is better to see one part thoroughly than to carry away a confused impression of the whole.

The scope of the exhibit is limited to painting, sculpture and print-making, except in the Oriental sections. In painting the primary aim has been to make a representative display of contemporary work. Most of the galleries contain only canvases painted within the last ten years. But in order to correct the common misconception that American art is entirely a thing of today, without historical background, a few rooms are given up to historic works of the various early American schools, and to works of the foreign schools that have influenced the development of American art.

The arrangement of the galleries should be mastered before one starts to study. In general there are three divisions of exhibits. At each end is a group of foreign sections, and the great middle s.p.a.ce is given up to American art. The accompanying diagram is designed primarily to make clear the location of the several divisions. The visitor will find it worth while to remember that a main central corridor runs the whole length of the United States Section. By continually referring to this corridor, one can keep one's bearings fairly well.

The method of seeing the galleries that is suggested in this guide is based on the official cla.s.sification as far as possible: the foreign sections are taken in order, and the historical section is treated in that chronological sequence which the directors intended to show forth.

But there is no system in the arrangement of the twenty-eight general rooms of contemporary American work, In treating these the guide aims to suggest tendencies and influences, rather than to point out this or that canvas as a good or bad one. Nevertheless it is believed that every really important picture or artist is individually mentioned-so that one who has used the manual consistently may be sure of having enjoyed the cream of the collection, at the same time gaining the wider knowledge of the main currents of development.

It is necessary to use to a certain extent the arbitrary subject-divisions, such as portrait, landscape, and figure painting; and to refer also to realistic painting, which tends to depict things as they are, as opposed to the academic, which recognizes the wisdom of conventionalization or idealization. But the most important distinction, for the student of contemporary tendencies, is that which concerns the term "Impressionism." This name in its original and technical sense applied to the works of the men who, instead of mixing shades, placed different colors side by side on their canvases to give the effect of the right shade at a distance. As the experiments of these artists were directed chiefly to the solution of problems of light, the term naturally was widened to include that whole division of painting which is concerned with atmospheric aspects and color harmonies rather than with subject-interest and line composition. Terms which express the same idea in general or in part, are "luminism" and "plein-air painting."

Impressionism has had more effect on the current of art than has any other movement in history. Not only in the handling of light and in freshness of coloring has the whole of painting been profoundly changed, but there is a general tendency to paint the impression rather than the actuality, the harmonious effect rather than the literal fact-and these things are notably ill.u.s.trated in the Exposition galleries.

For the sake of the visitor who comes to the gallery with practically no knowledge of art, a word may profitably be said about critical standards. First remember that there are many qualities which may make a painting worth while: pleasing design, beautiful color, a compelling expression of emotion or thought, or a poetic suggestion of a fleeting aspect or mood. It is necessary to judge each particular work by the artist's intention, and not by untrained personal tastes. Before pa.s.sing judgment learn to know the picture well. You may find that you have been attracted by something superficial. On the other hand, you may find that the seemingly less attractive picture, which has been recommended by people of trained judgment, grows more and more pleasing with riper acquaintance. Go slowly, study thoroughly what you study, and keep an open mind-for that way leads to the widest enjoyment.

United States Section: Painting

The United States Section consists chiefly of contemporary work, but includes a small historical section, which is to be found to the left as one enters at the main doorway. It is in this part of the exhibit that one should start.

The Historical Section consists of two well-defined parts. The first contains examples of foreign schools of painting that have influenced American art. The second contains the works of American painters from the beginnings to the early Twentieth Century. The Foreign Historical Section occupies rooms 91-92 and 61-63.

Gallery 91-Early Schools. A gallery of old paintings, chiefly of the Italian, Flemish and Dutch Schools, designed to suggest the earliest roots of American art. Practically all the canvases are mere echoes of the "old masters," and they may well be pa.s.sed over hastily by all but the most thorough historical student.

Gallery 92-French Influence. This gallery and the next two are designed to show works of those schools, chiefly French, that have had direct influence upon American art. On wall A is a painting by Courbet, interesting in the light of that artist's influence on Whistler's early work. But most important here are the examples of the Barbizon School, romantic landscape painters of the mid-Nineteenth Century, who had much to do with the development of the Inness-Wyant group in America. On wall B are two canvases by Corot, both badly placed, one of which (1486) is typically poetic and beautiful. The examples by Daubigny and Rousseau on wall C are not satisfying. On wall D the two Monticellis suggest the source of some of the rich qualities of the work of Keith and similar American painters.

Gallery 62, adjoining 92, shows the best example of Barbizon work, in Troyon's beautiful "Landscape and Cattle" on wall C. On wall A is a small painting, interesting but not characteristic, by Millet, who influenced the whole world of art toward sincerity. On wall B is Sir Laurens Alma-Tadema's "Among the Ruins," sole representative here of the English School of "polished" painters that strongly influenced a number of American artists. On wall D are two very interesting portrait studies by Franz von Lenbach, intended to suggest the influence of the Munich School on American art, before Americans began to flock to Paris to study.

Gallery 61-Recent French Influence. On wall A is an uneven collection by Monet, the greatest apostle of Impressionism. This group, with the exception perhaps of the sea-sh.o.r.e scene, should be studied thoroughly, in regard to the technique that juxtaposes colors to give the right resultant tone at a distance; in regard to the general tendency to subordinate subject interest to the expression of fleeting aspects; and in regard to the masterly handling of light. No other group will be referred to so often in connection with the American galleries. On wall B is a typically joyous canvas by Gaston La Touche, who carries Impressionism into figure work. On walls C and D are other examples of the Impressionist School, by p.i.s.sarro and Renoir and the English Sisley.

On wall C is a portrait by Eugene Carriere. On wall D is a panel by Puvis de Chavannes, who has influenced modern mural painting more than any other artist. This picture has the typical union of the cla.s.sic feeling with very modern technique, but it is representative of de Chavannes' manner rather than of his whole art at its best.

Gallery 63-English Influence. This is the richest of the historical rooms. Although there is a scattered collection including the names of Van d.y.k.e, Guido Reni, Tiepolo, Ribera, Velasquez, Goya, and Turner, on walls A and B, the important thing is the fine collection of the English portraitists. Here are examples, many of them among the finest, by Hogarth, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Romney, Lawrence, and Hoppner. It is hardly necessary to point out the close connection between the work of this English group and early American painting, since a visit to the adjoining gallery 60 will show how the first important development in the States grew out of the art of the mother country.

The American Historical Section covers the entire development of American painting from the beginning to the early years of the present century. To obtain the proper sequence, one should start in room 60, working gradually down to 57, then visiting 64 and 54.

Gallery 60 contains a profusion of fine examples of the early portrait school, which was so closely connected with English art of the time.

Gilbert Stuart, the most important figure, is represented by an extensive collection on wall A. In this room, too, are canvases by West, Peale, Copley, and their followers well into the Nineteenth Century.

Gallery 59 contains chiefly the work of that barren mid-century period when portraiture and landscape painting alike became hard and labored.

Insofar as any foreign influences can be detected here, they are of the "tight" schools of England and Germany.

Gallery 58 contains some interesting work of the latter half of the Nineteenth Century-notably the paintings by Eastman Johnson, an important figure of the time when American art was finding itself.

Albert Bierstadt's two landscapes are typical of the so-called Hudson River School, the mechanical forerunner of the Inness-Wyant group. An interesting contrast is offered here by H. J. Breuer's "Santa Inez Mountains," a contemporary landscape that is full of the freshness and light of present-day American painting.

Gallery 57 shows another great step in advance. A generous portion of the s.p.a.ce is given to Edwin A. Abbey, an American-born artist who really was more a part of English art. The exhibit shows clearly that Abbey was greater as ill.u.s.trator than as painter, the finest things here being the exquisite pen drawings. Wall D has five paintings by John LaFarge, who by his work and by his theories greatly influenced American art at the end of the century. Worthy of study, too, are the more modern landscapes of Theodore Robinson.

From this room one should turn back into the central line of galleries.

Gallery 64 contains historical American paintings that range through the latter half of the last century and into this, with such well-known names as Parrish, Gifford, Hunt, Wylie, Martin, the Morans, Eakins, and even the more recent Frederic Remington. Such pictures as F. E. Church's "Niagara Falls" (wall A), J. G. Brown's "The Detective Story" (wall B), and Thomas Hovenden's "Breaking Home Ties" (wall D), are typical of what was accepted as the best work a generation or two ago.

Pa.s.sing through room 65, one should next go to 54.

Gallery 54 is the most important in the American Historical Section, for it shows the work of the men who really emanc.i.p.ated American painting from the old hardness and tightness of technique, and from the old sentimentalism. Wall A is given up to the work of the late Winslow Homer, who has been called "the most American of painters." The seash.o.r.e scenes alone of the things here are representative of this big man at his best. Wall B has a varied a.s.sortment by lesser painters, but ones of importance: Blakelock, Currier, William Morris Hunt, and Fuller. On walls C and D the very important canvases are those by Inness and Wyant, men who were deeply influenced by the French Barbizon School, but whose individual achievement marked the first great stride toward the bigness, freedom and lightness of present-day American landscape painting.

Contemporary American Painting. Leaving aside the one-man rooms for the present, it is just as well to turn from the last historical room, 54, into 55, and progress in natural order through 56, 65, 85, 66 (the central hall), and 80. The contemporary rooms north of the central hall can be best visited in three groups, each following the official room numbering: first, 67 to 74; then 43 to 51; and finally the detached section at the far north end of the building, 117 to 120.

Gallery 55 has a well a.s.sorted collection of contemporary canvases, but includes no outstanding features.

Gallery 56 is a typical modern American room, with good landscapes in the work of Breuer, Borg, Davol, and Stokes.

Gallery 65 contains some of the best American figure paintings in the building. The finest group is that by Cecilia Beaux on wall D, which well displays that remarkable artist's brilliant technique and "flair."

It is notable how many of the really virile paintings here are by women -many of them of the younger groups. From Marion Pooke's polished but free "Silhouettes," and Alice Kent Stoddard's appealing "Sisters," to M.

Jean McLane's joyously brilliant canvases on wall C, there is a wide range of achievement and promise.

Gallery 85. On walls A and B are five canvases by Horatio Walker that are worthy of attention. But finer are Charles W. Hawthorne's four paintings on walls B and D. Their bigness of conception, sincerity and soundness of technique mark a coming master. Wall C is given up to a display by Charles Walter Stetson, which shows, more strongly than any other in the American section, that tendency to the decorative and the idyllic which is to be noted as so strong in recent painting. On wall D are three works of George deForest Brush, a man who has been but little influenced by the more radical tendencies. "The Potter" is interesting for the painstaking and minute finish of varying surface textures.

Gallery 66-Central Hall. Although the important places here are given to sculpture, there are a few very interesting paintings: some representative landscapes, and at the ends decorative panels by Alexander Harrison and by Howard Cus.h.i.+ng.