New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-18
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN
XVIII Annual Exhibition.


A crowd of other and more pressing engage.
ments, as well as the occupation Of our columns
by matters that could not be postponed, has de-
lsyed the continuation of our articles upon the Ma
tiona Academy until to-day. We have, however.
endeavored to make each article sufficiently COM
plete in itself TO be understood without reference
to the others For the rest, we can promise that
the remainder of the series shall appear without
delay.
1t is our purpose, in criticisng the works OF
those artists who are most prominent before the
public to apply to them the test OF the seyerest
truthfulness to the principles that underie and
control their respective departments Of Art In
order to do this, it is proper TO begin with broad
and simple defbition Of the essential componen.s
ola picture. The first elements required in paint
ing, no matter what the character Of its subject,
are beauty and appropriateness OF form, and the ut
most picturesquepess Of treatment. Next, each
object introduced ought TO bear the closest resemb
lance to Nature, compatible with the subject Of the
work, the latter always deciding whether the imi
tation of objects should be minute or general For
example, in all pictures Of stlile the resemblance
to natural objects ought to be exact for otherwise
highest order this exactness is not necessary foe
the reason that the aim Of the artist is 40 longer To
illude the beholder but to instruct him. DC mas
some great fact 10 illustrate some thought or deep
feeling 10 express. and this 10 better effected BY
roo.ns NJ ideal than of natural qualities. 10 the
Csnops bioture, 1.-THE School of Athens for ex-
annie the faces hands snd such portions as are
xro.sd DO not particularly resemble flesh, the
d-aneries are not exact limitations Of any particular
o,si,v or texture, and so all the component parts
n this great work treated ideally, that TO- with
general resemblsnces, and not particular imita-
lions. Thus forming whole to exemplify great
fact in history they appeal at once to the intellect
nd not to the mere perception or senses.
s,illife pictures, and works like the School of
Athen. are the two extremes with respect 10 the
imitation of natural objects Between them there
!. a wide gap. in which all works may be ranged
in their proper places according 10 their own char.
acteristics.
In looking around the Exhibition Rooms Of tina
Academy, weend the principal places occupied BY
nortraits and landscapes which are more numerous
,h,n spv other classes Of works. Although we ara
not at all disposed to set down portrait painting a.
q mean branch Of the art we confess that We md
i. products rather uninterestng and 20, with the
wish 70 dismiss them as speedily az possible, We
begin with the works Of tie older and more thor
oustly established professors in that department
No l2s and No. 1870 are portraits hung side BY
side, as we suppose in order to give the public an
opportunity decidiagon the merits Of the two pic
tures, perhaps on the ability Of the two artists, at
any rate upon the difference apparent between
them. The FIRST is by w. PACE. I.seems bold
and characterize portrait. One can hardly look
upon this picture and believe i to have been pro-