ART.
THE INSTITUTE OF PAINTERS IN WATER-COLOURS',
53 PALL MALL
Tim year's exhibition of sketches and studies at the Institute. of Painters in Water Colours, corresponding to the one which is now being held at the Gallery of the Old Water-Colcmr Society, is, notwithstanding the absence of several of the best members, somewhat above the usual average. The absence of both Messrs. Gregory and Herkomer from the list of contri- butors, makes a considerable difference iu a gallery where figures are always too sparely represented ; but there are still' left Mr. J. D. Linton, Mr. George Clausen, and Mr. Henry Stock, all of whom are doing good work in the direction of figure painting, of an original and peculiar kind. The same' inability to understand what a" sketch " or a " study" imm seems to, prevail amongst the members of the Institute, as among those of turned out with a calm security that no fault can be found with the Old Society, and by far the larger proportion of the works it. And, indeed, this is its greatest condemnation,—which are very elaborately finished pictures of small size, though to paradox we shall leave our readers to explain at their leisure. Ilia the works of Mr. Harry Johnson, Mr. t. M. Whimperis, Mr. J. D. Linton's work consists of three examples, all single and Mr. John Absolon form notable exceptions. figures,—a woman in greyish-white satin, trimmed with red, and
We purpose to mention only a few of the more interesting a red cap ; a woman in yellow ; and a man's figure, in grey and pictures, and will take these, as far as possible, in the Catalogue brown. All of these are fine in their way, and, be it understood, order. The room is so small, that our readers will have no quite the strongest work in the Gallery. They are more than difficulty in referring to any mentioned work. Miss Gow's the usual costume-model style of picture ; each is an endeavour "Beggar my Neighbour " is the first figure composition of any to realise some definite scheme of colour, and the work in all importance. It is for water-colour a large, lightish picture of three is instinct with a gravity and earnestness of intention two children playing " beggar my neighbour " in a somewhat which have few parallels among our water-colour artists. We :Esthetic sitting-room ; and perhaps its greatest fault is that cannot pause here to enter into detailed criticism of these works, both children and room have a somewhat dressed-up but may sum up our opinion of their relative merits by saying look, the very packs of cards being fresh from Messrs. Good- that the woman in white is the least pleasing, and perhaps the all's or De la Rue's manufactory. "Hyper-criticism, this," most complete of the three ; the lady in yellow the most sue- we can fancy the artist saying ; but, after all, in a subject where cessful ; and the study of the man the most refined and powerful, the dramatic interest is so very slight, no means should be though the slightest in execution.
neglected of making the work thoroughly naturdl, as well as Mr. George Clausen is, apparently, changing his style for one pretty. If we ore to have children playing at cards, let us have which shall substitute for his early blues and greys, varying the children and the cards as we should see them. For the rest, hues thrown into alternate relief and shadow, in a manner the work is ladylike, and refined, and prettily coloured, the which appears at first sight a little capricious, but is certainly painting being better than usual in subjects of this class, and effective and powerful. His " Waiting for the Ferry " is one of there being a touch not of feeling, but of originality, about those strongly contrasted pictures of light and shade which come the composition which redeems it from insignificance. If any out so well in a woodcut, and is, indeed, a thoroughly success- one wishes to see to what height of execution it is possible to ful example of a common-place subject brought into the carry this class of work, let him examine the small drawings region of Art by its treatment. Another specimen of the same by Mr. Townely Green in this collection. Fancy what pictures painter is his " Cleaning Day—North Holland," a Dutch would be produced by Fred Walker having lost his imagination servant-maid scrubbing a huge brass water-jar in a cottage and turned miniature painter, and you have as nearly garden. If we might venture upon a suggestion to this young as possible a description of the style of Mr. Green's work. painter, it would be that his faces are too wilfully ugly ; he The drawings by this master attract us in spite of ourselves, seems to refuse to paint any woman who has not a broad, snub —their delicacy, their perfection of finish, their prettiness of nose, thick lips, and round cheeks like dumplings.
subject and conception, are so great that we almost forget, and The two finished pictures by Mr. John Absolon should be certainly forgive, the absence of any deeper feeling than such noticed, for the truth with which the artist has given the effect
as would be fitting for Christmas-cards and sweetmeat boxes. of heather upon the distant hills, in one case, in ordinary day- Mr. Harry Johnson is beyond doubt the most brilliant light, in the other, at sunset. Mr. John Fulleylove (whose sketcher of whom either of the Water-Colour Societies can work we do not remember to have seen before) sends two boast, and in this winter's collection he is seen at his best. Italian scenes, both carefully worked, and with considerable " The Walls of the Wye " and " The Wyndcliff, Wye " are feeling for colour. The one called" Cypresses—Siena " is a very ketches which not only give the fullest and, considering their delightful piece of careful drawing and painting.
extent, the most accurate information about the places which Sir Coats and Lady Lindsay have each several water-colour they depict, but are, moreover, instinct with a certain poetry landscapes here, which are fair examples of good amateur work. and individuality of treatment which place them almost within The three examples of Mr. Henry Stock are all very elaborately the category of imaginative art. Technically speaking, the ease, worked and careful pictures of the imaginative kind. The and freshness, and certainty with which Mr. Johnson lays on his worst of these is the one of the two lovers, in which the colour colours result in a marvellous specimen of manual dexterity ; is brown and heavy, the painting stippled with a painful and it should be noticed that, fresh and simple as the work is elaborateness, and the drawing of the male lover's lower limbs in its method, it is not in the least meretricious, nor has it the very doubtful. The second work, entitled " Summer's Wraith," somewhat chromolithographic effect produced by many rapid is better painted, with less apparent labour, the execution of the alietchers of the old school of pure water-colour, to which Mr. " Wraith " being especially delicate and fanciful. The third.
as would be fitting for Christmas-cards and sweetmeat boxes. of heather upon the distant hills, in one case, in ordinary day- Mr. Harry Johnson is beyond doubt the most brilliant light, in the other, at sunset. Mr. John Fulleylove (whose sketcher of whom either of the Water-Colour Societies can work we do not remember to have seen before) sends two boast, and in this winter's collection he is seen at his best. Italian scenes, both carefully worked, and with considerable " The Walls of the Wye " and " The Wyndcliff, Wye " are feeling for colour. The one called" Cypresses—Siena " is a very ketches which not only give the fullest and, considering their delightful piece of careful drawing and painting.
extent, the most accurate information about the places which Sir Coats and Lady Lindsay have each several water-colour they depict, but are, moreover, instinct with a certain poetry landscapes here, which are fair examples of good amateur work. and individuality of treatment which place them almost within The three examples of Mr. Henry Stock are all very elaborately the category of imaginative art. Technically speaking, the ease, worked and careful pictures of the imaginative kind. The and freshness, and certainty with which Mr. Johnson lays on his worst of these is the one of the two lovers, in which the colour colours result in a marvellous specimen of manual dexterity ; is brown and heavy, the painting stippled with a painful and it should be noticed that, fresh and simple as the work is elaborateness, and the drawing of the male lover's lower limbs in its method, it is not in the least meretricious, nor has it the very doubtful. The second work, entitled " Summer's Wraith," somewhat chromolithographic effect produced by many rapid is better painted, with less apparent labour, the execution of the alietchers of the old school of pure water-colour, to which Mr. " Wraith " being especially delicate and fanciful. The third.
Johnson (he was a pupil of Muller's) belongs, and most ambitions picture, "The Defeat of Evil," a winged Those admirers of Israels who wish to see his style angel protecting a naked woman from the clutches of a demon, adopted in this country will find pleasure in the pie- is on the whole a failure, but has passages in it of considerable tures of Mr. Hugh Carter, the best of which is, we beauty ; such are the painting of the woman's flesh and. the think, "On the'. Downs,—Scheveuingen." This represents face of the angel. Mr. Stock's work always deserves considera- two female figures, seated on the sand-hills by the side of the tion ; it is very original, and quite free from any tricks by which sea. The figures are carefully drawn and painted, with that to attract the multitude. We hope he will continue to improve peculiar lifelessness of colour which we have learnt to accept as as he has done of late.
characteristic of the Dutch school ; the sentiment is one of We have left ourselves no space to mention particularly the quiet expectancy, subdued by the habit of patience. One remaining works, but must sum up shortly. Mr. Aumouier is seems to fancy that these peasants, fisher-women or whatever more powerful, and perhaps a little coarser, in his work than they are, waited like this yesterday, and will wait in the same way Usual. Mr. Edwin. Bale's little maidens have never been more to-morrow, and so on, through fair weather and foul, to the end softly and prettily painted. Mr. H. G. Hine's landscapes are of life. Take an instance of landscape-painting which makes a little below their usual high average. Mr. G-ow's "Old Coach- no appeal whatever to our feelings, except our feelings as judges ing Days" is a good example of his water-colour work, but one of Art: This is to be found in the works of Mr. W. L. Leitch, gets rather tired of highwaymen riding away from plundered the Vice-President of this Society. These compositions (the coaches,—the subject is "played out." The most thorough word is strictly accurate, for they are compositions of the picture in the exhibition—by which we mean the picture which most careful and laboured kind) possess all the qualities which seizes most strongly and presents most forcibly its artist's used to be desired in illustrated travels, albums, &c., about forty motive—is the "Twilight" of Mr. Lionel P. Smythe. This to fifty years ago. They are elaborately and minutely, rather shows us three women walking up Regent Street in twilight, than well, drawn ; every natural fact is treated with a certain with a background of lighted shops, hansom cabs, &c. The amount of convention. The trees are disposed according to picture should, in our opinion, have been called "Night." For rule, and wave their branches as their master bids them ; every reason, the subject is an unpleasant one, but it is a the clouds surround the mountains in the most pie- thoroughly genuine work of art. ['he darkness Of the air in turesque manner ; the shepherd pipes to his goats or the foreground, and its delicate gradation ; the flare of the gas- leans on his staff in the true Arcadian-pastoral style ; lighted shops, the reckless dash of the hansoin cab,, coining lip Piece by piece the composition is arranged and. balanced behind ; the gait of the women, and the poise of their bodies, both in line and light and shade, and the whole product is then "dainty-thin," all is dramatically and artistically true.
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