International studio (49.1913)

In the Galleries

IN THE GALLERIES
With the Academy in full swing, the
Philadelphia Exhibition, and as a bonne
bouche the Pittsburg Exhibition, the art
season is gradually drawing to a dignified conclu-
sion, but in the meanwhile there is plenty to be
seen in the galleries, which have felt no need of
putting up their shutters on account of the interest
extended to the Fortress at Twenty-sixth Street
and Lexington Avenue.
A remarkable display of interiors by Walter
Gay has been held at the galleries of E. Gimpel &
Wildenstein. It seems almost a pity that so con-
summate an artist should restrict his talents to
the extent of only limning tenantless spaces, but
when we look at the brilliant array of oils and
water colors depicting all kinds of interiors, from
cosy dining-room corners to stately salons and
vellum-filled libraries, the interest grows with each
succeeding picture. Mr. Gay is a splendid
draughtsman and colorist and wears the mantle of
a European reputation. Nothing baffles his skill,
whether tapestry, woodwork, marble, damask,
statuary, bric-a-brac or stuffed birds. All that is
graceful and inanimate, from a teakettle to a
Chinese god, bears the hallmark of his peculiar
genius, and makes the exhibition well worth see-
ing. Among the most notable numbers are No. 2,
The Green Salon; No. 10, The Drawing Room; No.
31, showing part of a Venetian gallery, the wall
being paneled with works of art, and No. 37, en-
titled Fantaisie Chinoise.

The work of Albert Rosenthal was on view at
the Ralston Galleries during the first half of
March. There were twenty-six numbers, all por-
traits and figure studies, done with considerable
dash and in good pose and tone. Among the most
striking portraits are the Chief Justice of the
United States, Hon. Edward D. White, seated in
his robes of office and facing the spectator with
scrutinizing gaze and with a square set of his pow-
erful jaw; Mrs. Alice Whitaker, a three-quarter
length portrait in outdoor costume. Perhaps the
best picture is Miss Jeanne MacDonough, flesh and
background, the glossy hair and treatment of
arms and hands being very well carried out. Mr.
Rosenthal’s studies, entitled Flora and The Blue
Bonnet, are especially good.
Eighteenth-century paintings made way, on
February 17th, at the Fischer Galleries, for
an exhibition of the latest paintings and por-
traits by Hubert Vos. All of these canvases,
with the possible exception of two, are fresh
from the studio. Harmonie was in last year’s
Paris Salon; it represents a young woman at
a pianoforte playing a harmony amid harmoni-
ous surroundings, not jarred at all by the pres-
ence in shadow of a young man watching
her with reverential eyes. There are some
excellent portraits, most noticeable being Mr.
and Mrs. Jay Gould; the former in flannels
holding his racket. Mrs. Gould who, by the way,
is the artist’s daughter, is in out-door costume,
hat wreathed with rosebuds and face wreathed
in smiles; a curious feature of this portrait is that
the black spotted veil disap-
pears if you stand at a short
distance. They are speaking
likenesses cleverly painted.
Atmosphere is an interesting
composition of the two-pic-
tures-in-one type, a husband
and wife who are respec-
tively author and artist are
working each in the desired
atmosphere—he in the sun-
light, she in the northlight.
The conflict between the two
lights is charmingly depict-
ed. There are several half
length studies of Dutch
peasants; one is particularly
striking, an old Zeeland
peasant woman sits musing
over her absent children,
scattered about the world;
the open bible in her lap


Courtesy of the Macbeth Galleries

BY CHARLES MORRIS YOUNG

THE OLD COVERED BRIDGE

XLVI