International studio (59.1916)

Ernest Lawson


WINTER

BY ERNEST LAWSON

RNEST LAWSON
BY A. E. GALLATIN
A strong school of painters has of
late years grown up in America, in which
the landscapists much more than hold their own.
This particular group is to-day certainly equal to
that existing in any other country. Wyant,
Inness and Martin were among the pioneers; the
present leaders of this very numerous school in-
clude Childe Hassam and Alden Weir, who may
be termed the veterans, insomuch that recogni-
tion came to them some time ago and that theit
place among the more important of contemporary
American painters is firmly established. These
two artists possess not only individuality, style,
sensitive vision, a splendid colour sense, but also
freedom from mere cleverness and any taint of
the academic.
With regard to the landscape artists who have
only very recently come to the fore, whose repu-
tations have yet to be won, there is one painter

who easily detaches himself and rises well above
his fellow artists, who possesses unmistakable
genius, individualism, and true inspiration; I refer
to Ernest Lawson. Another artist, not far behind
Lawson in accomplishment, who also belongs to
this category, is the brilliant Hayley Lever.
Lawson enjoys the unstinted admiration of
those artists whose opinions are most to be valued,
the critics have been unanimous in paying the
highest tributes to his ability, the amateurs,
although the class, as distinguished from collec-
tors, in America is an extremely small one, have
been eager to obtain examples of his work. Rec-
ognition by the larger public has, however, as yet
been withheld, although, now that their opinion
has been formed for them, the public is rapidly
coming to see the genius of this man, collectors
are on his track, the principal museums are ac-
quiring his canvases, the exhibitions accepting
his pictures and awarding them medals. Within
a year the Metropolitan Museum, ever ready to
welcome the really vital in contemporary paint-


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