New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-26
ART ITEMS.

If all the classes OF our countrymen contribute as
largely toward the Patriotic Fund in proportion 70 their
means and their numbers, as our New-York artists
have done there will be no lack Of the snews Of war
10 put down the Shareholders rebellion. Immediately
after the Presidents proclamation issued, some OF
the leading members Of the National Academy held q
pettng at the rooms Of Messrs. Kersett Lang, in
Broadway, and organized Committee for contribu-
tons from the artists OF NewYork toward prosecuting
the war; The result has been very large collection
Of original paintings and drawings which will be sold
Ut auction the 29b inst at noon, in the Rotunda OF
the Merchants' Exchange, and the proceeds viii be
handed over 70 the proper Committees. Nearly all
our artists have contributed original work. and some
Of them have given The pets OF their studies, the
precious little dsrlings of moments inspiration
A labor of love (Which gold could never buy" Mir.
Kense has contributed Of bis ovelest little land
scspes; Mr. W. II. Beard, beside one of his finest pic
lures called Reflection" has painted one expressly
for the occasion as full of human and jovia feeling as
one of Hogarth's happies efforts, which be calls BEEF
for the Southern Army" 1t ought TO bring good
price. Mr. Eastman johnson has contributed one Of
his characteristic pictures which was 10 the last EXbbi-
ton of the National Academy, and Mr.. George l..
Brown has offered one of his tive hundred dollar land
landscapes "Tbe Field" and " The Brock" Gignoux
contributes "Niagara;" Mr.. Hicks his "Gipsy Girl'
and bead Of Edwin Booth; r. w. Hubbard Il " Lake
George;" Durand Study from Nature" Huntington
his beautiful head of Beatrice; G. G. Fish pastel
"Summer Iime;" Edwin White "Tbe Student"
Mr.. j. NJ. FaIconer charming little landscape GOD
England" with characteristic paintings from Gee. A.
Baker, j. w. Caslear, H. A. Loot, j. NJ Hart, 5.
Colenau Rowse, Warren, a w. Griswold, Benson,
Barrow Wenzler Staigg, Ebninger, Terry, IIszeltine,
Carlin, Suydam, Sonisg Brevoort, W. Hart, John
Inmsn, Colyer Tbsrndike, Lang, L. W. Nchol-, Bel
lows, Jameson, Blauvelt, Ogilv6, Bierstadt, c. G.
Thompson, Mignot j. G. Brown, w. o. Stone, H. p.
Gray, and medallion from Lsunt Thompson There
are about seventy pictures in all.
Mr. Hicks has finished full-engh size portrait
f Edwin Booth in the character of Iago, which Las
great merit icture well portrait 1t isvery
striking in color.
Browns picture Of the Bay and City Of New
York" which was taken out to London by Mr.. S. w.
Nichols. present To the Prince OF Wales, has been
scct pied by bis Royal Higbness, and is now on ex-
tibon in Mall under the supervision Of Conaghi,
he print publisher.
The Christening" by Knaus which wss ex-
nibited few months since at Goupils gallery in
Broadway, without finding purchaser, has lately
been sold in London for $500 a. sale of paintings
st Gsmbart's, small cattle piecs by Rose Bonheur,
70 by l6 inches brought 81 800 and small picture by
G. X. Leslie at the sale sold for 400 guneas
The exhibitions of the French painters in Paris,
and of the Roya Academy in London, opened on the
6rst Of the month, and If the critics TO be relied
upon, both exhibitions are inferior to any previous
oDes But We do not rely upon the opinions OF critics
h such cases. They always cay the same thing. If
they judge truly, all art ought by tlis time TO be ut
terry extinct. Instead Of this animal depreciation,
know that art Las greatly improved of late years in
Paris and London, as well as in New-York.
Two yeas ago Faguani bad three pictures rejected
from the Paris Exhibition; they portraits of
Madame Boissy Guiocioh), Queen Christina and
Prince Czartorski but this year his por;ait of Carl
badi, which he went to Naples to paint, has been ad
mted. Among the other American exhibitors in Paris
are Mr.. E. H. May and Mr.. c. p. Cranch Of New
York. And ii is said too that their pictures are well
hupg which is more than be said Of any American
pictures which have been sent TO the Royal Academy
The LONDON Nluaratsd Neus devotcs supple
uent 10 the ROYAL Academy Exhibition, and gives a
history Of that institution, and portraits Of all is Pres
dents In speaking of West it is needlessly depreca-
tory and seemingly, because be was an American.
TIE very common is repeated OF stating
that the cause why West was not kni. hted
was that, being Quaker, be could not ac-
cept title. But West was not quaker, though
lis parents were; and lie never refused title
Of kmghthood, for the reason that none was ever
offered to lirt his predecessor, Sir Joshua, was
kIighted and the King wthed to confer bsronetcy
uTon Wet his election BFesident Of tie
Academy. The painter modesty refused IL, or rather
- =. IL \ -
for the same reason that Southey refused similar
bonoT-lecause be had fortune TO support the dig
py of the tile 1t has often been stated that West
refused a knigbthood on the ground of his Quaker
principles but the facts as we have stated them.