Paintings of Great Beauty At the Exposition

All the Noted American Artists Represented in a Great Collection

Many Have Several Pieces of Work.

Press View Was Held today and the Art Gallery Will Be Open to the Public Next Monday.

September 14, 1901

The Exposition Art Gallery at the Pan-American was opened this morning for Buffalo and visiting newspaper people. The opening will not take place until Monday. The art-loving public has been waiting with much curiosity to see what sort of an exhibition upon an extensive scale could be made of American art exclusively. The exhibition is made and it is surprisingly good. American painters, sculptors, architects and engravers are all shown at their best. It will be hard to find a noted artist who is not represented by his best work.

Approaching the Art Gallery one is struck by the noble contour of the equestrian statue of Gen. Sherman by Augustus Saint Gaudens, shown now for the first time in America and destined for Central Park in New York City. Directly in Front of the Art building is the massive bronze statue of the God Pan by George Grey Barnard and two seated figures, one of Hahnemann, by Charles H. Niehaus, and the other Dr. Pepper, by Karl Bitter.

Standing on each side of the door are two life sized lions by Eli Harvey. Entering the gallery the visitor finds himself in a vestibule with but a few large pictures on the walls, "The Angel With the Flaming Sword," by Edwin H. Blashfled; "Moonrise," by Robert Reid, and "Summer Clouds," by Charles H. Davis, being among the number. Standing at the entrance of the great sculpture court are copies in plaster of the bronze allegorical figures entitled "Painting and Sculpture" and "Architecture," design by Daniel C. French for the Hunt Memorial in New York City. Turning, however to the picture galleries at the right the visitor is surrounded by many works of American artists residing in England, though among them are hung a number of works by Americans living in the United States, the hanging having been done with an eye to the general harmony of the galleries and the graceful symmetry of the grouping and pictures on the walls.

Among the artists represented in this room are Frank D. Millet witha group of five. Edwin A. Abbey with his splendid work entitled "The Penance of Elener, Duchess of Gloucester," opposite which hang six masterly works by John S. Sargent, the distinguished portrait painter. Grouped with the Sargents are a number of charming landscapesby W. L. Lathrop. Beside the work by Mr. Abbey hangs J. J. Shannon's picture entitled "Miss Kitty," which was the recipient of the first prize at the Carnegie Institute a year ago, and next to it the famous portrait of Gladstone by John McClure Hamilton. In the next room hangs a group of four works by Alexander Harrison, including his celebrated work entitled "Le Crepuscule," which was awarded a $2000 prize at the American Art Association in 1885, and which is now the property of the St. Louis Art Museum. The center panel of this room is occupied by a group of five oils and two water colors by James MacNeil Whistler, representing him in the various styles of work for which he is celebrated. Above his group hangs a landscape by Charles Caryl Coleman, well known in Buffalo, and a decorative work by Kenyon Cox entitled, "Poetry and Art." Other notable works in this room are by Howard Russell Butler, Walter Shirlaw, Edith Mitchell Prellwitz, Henry Prellwitz, Dana Marsh and Robert Henri. John W. Alexander is represented by a group of three large works, the central one being a work entitled "Autum," awarded the Carnegie prize in the late exhibition at the Society of American Artists in New York City.

Entering the fourth large gallery the eye is at once struck by the large work by Charles Sprague Pearce.

Next to this work hand two fine works by Garl Melchers, showing rich coloring and strong design. Adjoining Melchers' works hangs a strong work by J.S. Bisbing. Nearby is the canvas entitled "Loading the Caravan," by E. L. Weeks, a particularly fine example of this well-known artist's Eastern subjects.

Julian Story shows a group of three, including two portraits of his wife, Madame Eames.

The center of the large gallery is occupied by a large composition by Walter Gay, the subject being "French Breton Peasants at Prayer," well-composed and subdued in color.

A group of three rich-toned pictures at the right shows well the work of Eugene Vail, while Walter MacEwen is represented by one large painting, the subject being taken from the early history of the United States, the theme being a Puritan maiden who is charged with witchcraft fanaticism, the whole scene illustrative of those times.

The work entitled, "Light Nights in Norway," by John Humphreys Johnson, shows that artist at his very best. The subject is simple but very strong and full of delicate color.

In the corner of the gallery occupied by Mr. J. Humphreys Johnson's group of three also hangs the well-known work entitled "Atala," by Lucius Hitchcock, now resident in Buffalo.

In one of the smaller side galleries can be seen a medley of figure subjects with landscapes and marines will interspersed. Prominent among the figure works is "The Son of Mary," by Elliot Dangerfield, and "The End of the Day," by Sergeant Kendall, which was awarded the second medal at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh last year.

Two richly colored landscapes in this room are by Charles Warren Eaton. A meadow scene, with sheep returning to the fold, is by Carlton Wiggins.

Two brilliant marines by Charles H. Woodbury, and three pictures by Louis Paul Dessar, Daniel Huntington's portrait of Bishop Coxe, and the portrait of Thomas C. Platt by Thomas Wood, are also in this room. Other men represented in this room are F. K. K. Rehn, R. M. Shurleff, Frank Duveneck, Hugh H. Breckenridge, William H. Howe and E. L. Henry, James S. Smillie and Thomas Eakins.

In the second small room can be found a group of works by Albert Lynch, the representative of Peru in the Pan-American Exposition. Beside his group hangs the figure of a French peasant by Miss. M. Campbell McPherson, the Newfoundland artist.

In this room, next to the exhibits of the South American artists, hang three landscapes by William A. Coffin, Director of Fine Arts, while adjoining his works are pictures by Charles C. Curran and Henry B. Snell, the assistants to the director.

On the opposite wall hangs a group by the well-known artist, J. C. Brown, showing four of his characteristic works. Nearby is the work entitled "The Hum of Mighty Workings," by Karl Hirschberg, the well-known Buffalo artist.

Four moonlight landscapes represent the works of Charles Melville Dewey.

The original for the very successful poster entitled "Spirit of Niagara," by Mrs. Charles Cary, hangs in this room also. Near it are three works by another Buffalo artist, Lars G. Sellstedt, one the portrait of himself, the other a portrait of Mrs. Sellstedt, while the third is his well-known portrait of President Fillmore.

Two beautiful landscapes, hung one over the other, are by Leonard Ochtmann. Beside them is the dramate work entitled "Charge of the Battery," by Gilbert Gall.

Two strong portraits of men hang in this room, both by Thomas Eakins of Philadelphia.

Crossing the sculpture court and entering one of the small galleries on the west side of the building the visitor finds that the quality of excellence is continued on the same high plane. There are strong portraits by Eastman Johnson, William H. Hyde, Augustus Franzen, William Thorne, Benjamin C. Porter, landscapes by Ben Foster, Willliam Sartin, Edward F. Rook, W. Elmer Scofield, Worthington Whittredge, Charles A. Platt, W. L. Metcalf and Arthur Parton, marines by Howard Russell and F.K.N. Rehn, cattle pictures with figures by Lyell Carr and C. Morgan McIlhenny, ideal decorative works by Will H. Low, Kenyon Cox and Louise Cox, while Henry Golden Dearth and J.H. Twachtmann both have find groups of landscapes with one figure picture each. A small room is well fitted with choice water colors, the most prominent being a group of 21 subjects painted in the Bahamas and Bermuda islands by Winslow Homer. These works are most characteristic of the rugged strength of that distinguished artist. To the right of this group are wintry landscapes by Leonard Ochtmann and Walter L. Palmer. The latter artist is also represented by other works, among them beign two views in Venice, "La Salue" by moonlight and by sunlight. Above is "The Lace Maker," by Mrs. Alice Hirschberg, a Buffalo artist.

Many other beautiful pictures are shown, but they are too numerous for individual mention at this time.

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