DOI Heft:
Nr. 145 (April 1905)
DOI Artikel:The International Society's Whistler exhibition
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20711#0240
The JVhistler Exhibition
THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIE- Over five hundred etchings had been brought
TY'S WHISTLER EXHIBITION, together ; and in addition to these about a hundred
and fifty lithographs, besides numerous studies and
It was a right and natural thing for the drawings in pen and ink, black and white chalk,
International Society of Sculptors, Painters, and and lead pencil. This part of the exhibition,
Gravers to hold a collective exhibition of the works though by no means complete, was probably the
of their deceased former president, James McNeill most perfect, the oils," water-colours, and pastels
Whistler. With his death there departed from our being a selection only of the large number of works
midst an artist with a remarkable individuality—an executed by Whistler in these mediums. Sufficient,
individuality displaying itself eminently in every- however, were shown to enable the student to
thing he touched, and which left hardly any field judge of the methods he employed,
of artistic expression unexplored. We look in vain for any soul-stirring work of
The influence of Whistler upon the art of his high dramatic power. We look in vain for work
day has been greater than that of any of his con- in which the artist has, so to speak, lost him-
temporaries. He was a painter in oils and water- self in the effort to attain the highest excellence,
colour, a pastellist, a painter-etcher, a lithographer, Neither in his etchings nor in his lithographs do
and a decorator ; he essayed everything, and in we find the fullest expression of the capabilities of
everything made a separate reputation, and added those mediums for varied line and tone. In his
to a name destined to endure long into the pastels and water-colours there is an absence of
future of art. And yet it
seems but a short time
since his work was mis-
understood, not only by
the public at large, but by
the great majority of his
critics. To-day the public
are beginning to learn
and, to some extent, to
appreciate the value of it,
while the great mass of
art criticism is now ranged
on his side. It had be-
come almost a matter of
necessity that an exhibi-
tion should be held of
the varied products ot
his talent. It was not
sufficient that those who
desired to become ac-
quainted with his work
should see at times an
occasional oil painting or
an occasional water-colour
or etching. It was es-
sential that these should
be brought together that
they might be all seen at
the same time.
In the exhibition to
which we now have to refer
a larger amount of this
work had been collected
than might at first have
been thought possible. portrait ok j. mcneill whistler from the etching by paul helleu
224
THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIE- Over five hundred etchings had been brought
TY'S WHISTLER EXHIBITION, together ; and in addition to these about a hundred
and fifty lithographs, besides numerous studies and
It was a right and natural thing for the drawings in pen and ink, black and white chalk,
International Society of Sculptors, Painters, and and lead pencil. This part of the exhibition,
Gravers to hold a collective exhibition of the works though by no means complete, was probably the
of their deceased former president, James McNeill most perfect, the oils," water-colours, and pastels
Whistler. With his death there departed from our being a selection only of the large number of works
midst an artist with a remarkable individuality—an executed by Whistler in these mediums. Sufficient,
individuality displaying itself eminently in every- however, were shown to enable the student to
thing he touched, and which left hardly any field judge of the methods he employed,
of artistic expression unexplored. We look in vain for any soul-stirring work of
The influence of Whistler upon the art of his high dramatic power. We look in vain for work
day has been greater than that of any of his con- in which the artist has, so to speak, lost him-
temporaries. He was a painter in oils and water- self in the effort to attain the highest excellence,
colour, a pastellist, a painter-etcher, a lithographer, Neither in his etchings nor in his lithographs do
and a decorator ; he essayed everything, and in we find the fullest expression of the capabilities of
everything made a separate reputation, and added those mediums for varied line and tone. In his
to a name destined to endure long into the pastels and water-colours there is an absence of
future of art. And yet it
seems but a short time
since his work was mis-
understood, not only by
the public at large, but by
the great majority of his
critics. To-day the public
are beginning to learn
and, to some extent, to
appreciate the value of it,
while the great mass of
art criticism is now ranged
on his side. It had be-
come almost a matter of
necessity that an exhibi-
tion should be held of
the varied products ot
his talent. It was not
sufficient that those who
desired to become ac-
quainted with his work
should see at times an
occasional oil painting or
an occasional water-colour
or etching. It was es-
sential that these should
be brought together that
they might be all seen at
the same time.
In the exhibition to
which we now have to refer
a larger amount of this
work had been collected
than might at first have
been thought possible. portrait ok j. mcneill whistler from the etching by paul helleu
224