Page:Scottishartrevie01unse.djvu/179

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ART IN THE WEST OF SCOTLAND
147


considerable body of artists who are mainly iden- tified with Glasgow. This has been ignorantly attributed to a mere fashion, and the exodus of young students to Paris, with the abandon- ment of the traditions of their predecessors, has been seriously regarded as not only foolish, but unpatriotic, and almost criminal. No charge could be more unfounded. The pursuit of serious study ill Paris has been but an incident rendered in most ctises imperative by an overmastering desire to attain a knowledge of form, as the basis of good art. ardently strive to attain. These among others we deem to be perfect tonality, the intelligent sacrifice of small things in nature if the great trutlis of structure, atmosphere, and dignity of presentation be obtained. To a greater or less degree all these qualities, or at least an indication that they are being sought, is evinced in a considerable number of canvases by young men in the Exhibition. We have not scope for the analysis of all the works in question; there are pictm-es in botii the Loan and Sale Galleries by Messrs. AV. Y. Macgregor, Jos. Crawhall, The impetus which induced the temporary expatria- tion was the discovery that there were greater things in art than were dreamt of in the local jihilosophy. Familiarity with the works of Turner, Constable, Corot, Millet, Israels, Mauve, Mesdag, and the brothers Maris revealed to some the comparative narrowness of aim and feebleness of methods identified with what was called the Scotch School, and while a number of the young men alluded to were able to take advantage of the splendid facilities afforded in Paris, some of the ablest among them have never studied out of the country, but have independently arrived at much the same conclusions as to what qualities in art they most value and must most Geo. Henry, James Paterson, T. Corsan Morton, Alexander Mann, and others well deserving study, but for the present we wish to draw attention to certain pictures by five artists, Messrs. James Guthrie, E. A. Walton, T. Millie Dow, John Lavery, and A. Roche, who are all well represented.

The ' Rev. Andrew Gardiner, D.D.," by Mr. Guthrie, is, we say advisedly, one of the ablest modern portraits in the Exhibition. The dignity of the pose, the distinction in the drawing, the able dis- position of the masses of light and shade, the sub- dued charm of its colour, are most welcome after the perfunctory and mannered portraits of public men we are so well accustomed to. In later works