DEERFIELD PAINTERS' ORIGINAL WORK.
Exhibit of This Year Has Not Been Surpassed by Our Home Painters.
This year the exhibition given by the Deerfield painters reaches a standard
which must be considered excellent and fully in accord with Deerfield traditions.
Augustus Vincent Tack appears in a new role. With but one portrait among his
seven canvases, it is as a painter of landscape that he comes forward this year.
His canvas "In the old world" breathes the spirit of the Deerfield
hills in the light of a happy June morning. Besides being technically a very
direct study of values in high key, it reveals the largeness of the country
with a sympathetic understanding. In the "Thunderhead" Mr. Tack has
achieved a masterpiece. Aside from the idea of the composition which is symbolistic
extremely, the painter has accomplished with art which seems artless, one of
those rare bursts of spontaneous expression which make for truth and the joy
of life. This little picture is one of the very best achievements of Mr. Tack.
His impression of Fifth avenue in a snow storm is very "New Yorky."
The color and charm as well as the spirited stroke in the several interior arrangements,
which he also shows again, go to prove the happy vein of the painter.
Of the contributions of Willis Seaver Adams, the "Connecticut valley"
is perhaps the most charmingly characteristic. It is a quite poetic expression
of a not uncommon motive. On the other hand the two small landscapes, "Antwerp"
and "Harmony in Grey," are quite unusual arrangements and extremely
distinguished ones. The silvery glamor which pervades so much of Mr. Adams work
is here quite in evidence. These landscapes are highly sensitive and refreshing.
So is the great stretch of brown October of Spencer Fuller. We seem to breathe
the air of the coming autumn night.
Elbridge Kingsley is represented by three groups of his well known interpretations
of nature which he names severally "Spring," "Autumn," and
"The Pool." They are all truthful transcriptions of various moods
of nature out of doors. Mr. Kingsley's technique is so delightfully original,
and naive that one is instinctively aware of the great fun he must always be
having with his work. Mr. Kingsley shows in one of his wood interiors a bit
of blue green, which is a joy. The woods shining through the tall arch of a
bridge are quite the color of turquoise. His oaks in autumn suggest in their
harmonies of brown and orange the charm of rich old tapestries.
Quite different and in a contrasting key are the Deerfield landscapes of Mr.
Schwett. They are filled with sunlight, the happy mood of a spring day, and
in their position on the wall of the barn studio seem like windows letting in
bits of the sky and the hills outside.
Will Hutchins contributes several interesting and much studied landscapes.
His point of view is that of the intellectual painter, which is capable of the
highest things when we remember Burne Jones, Boeklin and Whistler. Mr. Hutchins
is going forward rapidly in his work with a definite purpose. There is mystery
and poetry in the very symbolistic "Northern Sea." One feels that
he saw it from Iona or the island of Mull. The same big realization of nature
is also apparent in the "Sunrise in the Appenines." Of quite contrasting
tone, but also very pleasing is Mr. Hutchins' bit of autumn landscape under
the rock of Pocumtuck.
Ethelbert Brown's 10 landscapes show a wide variety of subject and a happy
appreciation of sunlight. His painting of a clearing in the woods is accomplished
with much truth and beauty of color. Of a like charm is the pool reflecting
trees and illuminated by the morning sun, while his "Sunrise in Brittany"
shows a very pleasing arrangement of browns and yellows.
We note with pleasure Miss Miller's distinguished still life "The Koenigs
blau Vase" and wood interior. Miss Whiting's delightful "Birches,"
the lovely color in the landscape studies by Miss Balch, and Mrs. Pastene's
sketch. Also the etchings and colored drawings of Louis Orr and Richard Black,
and the mural panel of Ruel Crampton Tuttle.
And lastly we mention that which honors the exhibition most of all, the three
miniatures contributed by Mrs. Lucia Fairchild Fuller. The international reputation
of Mrs. Fuller has long since become a matter of pride to her countrymen, and
in these exquisite little portraits the artist, as always, shows that the art
of miniature painting may be large and strong as well as fine and beautiful. | 
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