Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1839-05-30
National Academy.

The history ct this Institution, and OF It's lcadnS
conductors, has been a history Of arrogance,
folly ignorance and insolence almost beyond par
alel. Not long after the society was well under
way in its operations, the four or five individuals
we mentioned the other day, Omen Of the most COM
mon place ability,) Inman, Cummings, lngham, Du-
rand, and Morton formed themselves into a cqae,
and by dint Of winding and twisting, and schcming,
and doubling to any and every extent and shape,
trived to get the rcns of into their own
hands will it be beloved that the first act Of their
management was an attempt to degrade several men
Of worth and talent, from the rank of academIci
to that of associates. Yet such was the fact; and
the following gentlemen we're reduced accordingly.
". L. Danforth. !. Erazee,
Kembrandt Peale ~ Rogers,
lthiel Tour, ~ T. Thompson,
W. wall, &C. Wright,
Some Of these were among the twe -four founders
Of the Academy and yet all these reducedto the
rank Of associates Nor did their manGuvres and
doings stop here; they met In unholy conciave and
resolved to reject every applicant for the rank of
academician thereafter, which determination has
been faithfully adhered 20; and every artist, mat
ter how eminent his talent, has been uniformly re-
iected, with but one solitary exception where the
clique made virtue Of necessity, and made gen.
teman academician TO prevent the formation of a
new academy, Of which he was to have been the
sdent In addition TO this of arrogant be-
havor they have rejected this season, the following
talented artists as associates:-
Gambarislla, J. X. shegogae,
l.. p Clover, J. Bessncnt,
w " Powell, Catherwsod,
q. Hite, Doughty.
This movement is the more astonishing to those
who know these artists, because OF most OF them,
doubt Of their superior talent exists even in the
minds Of antagonist artists. Hte, as a miniature
painter is far before Cummings, whose style is very
inferior, and whose miniatures are incorrect. The
only persons elected associates were Huntingdon,
Harris, Mooney, and weinedel; of whom Hunting
don alone can be considered TO possess talent sufi-
cient t. entite him to the rank And these proceed
ngs but part of the ubiquitous system OF excls.
tsng ever since they had the least power, and which
they will continue to practise so long as the public
continue to patronise them
The system pursued by the Clique Is precisely the
same that has been pursued in this city, by some OF
the bankers and miserable politicians and Ignorant
doctors Of laws and Of medicine. As IN finance, ply
sizes, aud politics, so is IT IN painting the same
spirit Of arrogance, empty pride, ignorance, and mo
noroly, is seeking for supreme sway. IL Is an at
tempt Of these monopolize the best business the
name the empty honors, the good society the eating
and drinking the folly, and IN short any thing how
ever ridiculous monstross, so long as Il is an ex-
elusive monopoly. Ii was in strict accordance with
this system that Inman commenced his attempts TO
abuse the independent criticisms OF the press upon
the trash he and the clique have this year sent TO the
Academy Such a movement as that Of a painter,
under his name, in his brothers paper, attempt
ing to puff his own works and to cut up those who
did not de the same unparalleled in the history Of
the nsWspAPcf Pfcss.
In short, If this clique be not immediately broken
up, and reduced TO their own station, the academy
will soon be broken mp, and new one founded on its
rains in which genius and talent OF the highest or
der will meet proper encouragement. At present,
there is not particle Of the highest order OF genius
amongst the whole clique. Asaproof OF their folly
and csmpetescy, they have rejected statuary from
the exhibition; the clique in their power and wis
dom have decreed that sculpture is not one OF the
Gne arts; that Phidias, and Canova, and Chantry,
and Flaxman, and Thorwaldsen, were and are insig-
f.lf slosr TIM gfang
and that such productions arc unworthy place in
any exhibition controlled by the clique. And yet
where in this city shall go to find the highest or
der Of genius displayed in work OF artl To the
National Academy No! To the Apollol Mo- But
to the Stuyvesant Institute where the beautiful sta
tue OF Victoria by Stout, stands supreme above all
the works Of art the city contains We must have
new gallery organised Immediately, where statsary
and painting sister arts, may stand side by side,
eonteadng Tor the palm Of excellence and the award
Of talent asd genius.