New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-03
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN,
IF orsIeth Annual Exhibiaion.

PENcILb No. 143; CHAs. n. MOORE.
If we have left Mr.. Moore's picture until the
ios II Is very far from being because it is the least ia
she Exhibition On the contrary, is one of the three
pictures in the collection which take precedence Of al
che Others These three--EAstnan Johnsons "Christ.
mas time" Grswolds Winter Morning, aud Mocre's
~Cattskin vsiiey"-if there pcwer in the Acas
envy to award Medals Of Honor which shouh be worth
striving for Representing on impartial testimony to
indisputsbe merit frcIa entitled to respect
would have to BIO crowned by acclsmatiof There are
no competitors within sight.
Mr. Moores pictsTe does good service in direction
where that service was greatly needed 1t 10 al once
an admirable illustration and powerful defense OF
that method of study which Is much sneered at and
rdiculed-cheay We are very willing TO believe DC
cause it is not understood-under the name OF Pre-
Raphaete "5ut which it weuld be much mere sensible
70 call the "laturalistic realistic" rethod Its
peculiarly consists. smpls, in the patient study OF
Nature for the sake Of thoroughly understanding her.
and of reporting her truly The very head and ffonf
of Pre- Rsphaete offending hath this extent no mora
Here is a small painting whach occspied the whole
industrious Summer Of a young man who thought 40
work that he could do moro important than to 'carr all
be could of this lovely valley and record all that the
bright months taught him. as accurately as no was
able And the picture is signed an over Wit truth.
We know not which portion of it to choose Ion raise
Dor the delcacy of execution, the quiet truth telling,
She evidence Of st~dy go everywhere. hand IN hand
with refinement of feeling sympathy with Nasre and
tho love Of Gods handiwOrk which, elessy makes
II no toll to labor for the sake Of showing
men how beautiful that h ndwork ~ The
springing corn IN this upland Geld, 30
truly decately painted that the eve comes back to it,
again and again; the new born mulleins laying thor
soft against the breast Of their mother earth the
cart path little used between THOSE ruts tho muens
pantains and grass dispute the right Of WIZ the old
gate opening the orchard whose trees show their
sun Aeoked stems and slender sprays Of this years
growth above the bounding wall noss grown and
hchen starred-sn these things worth looking at
bong; It's impossible to enjoy their beauty fully without
being drawn to search for tho original of that beauty
in Nature herself
But there is in the picture than tn foreground
holds tempting it's truth and beauty Let the
eye at viii these valley farns these fields In
filth and meadow. these bouses boweNd in trees
then rest and study thsse horizon guarding, fortress
hills basking in the snn how the long lines across
their front record ineaceable characters the story
of the subsistence Of the great lake that filed the
basin until to-day it is reduced to this singing brook
that winds along In aud shadow TO meet the amper
stream.
We have spoken of this small work all along as "a
picture" but, Mr.. Moore calls it "a study" And
wbyi 1t Is getting TO DO very common, nowadays to
call every small unfinished painting. every scratchy
scrawl with the lead-peno, every blotted memoran-
dun with water-coors q study" SO it 10 common to
and In our houses room which ia called "tae study
place where the master of the house keeps his boots
and slippers his fishing rod and gum his wIitngdesk
stuffed with old bills and letters, and chiefes treasure,
q comfortable easy old couch where he car take an
after-dinner nap without fearing to be caught by
visitora place in short which is called "the study"
for the reason probably thai is the spot in the
house where study is ever by any chance done and
these slight unsul stanal sketches are called stud
les" we suppose because they have cost their
makers half hour of any tbing like real study.
Not so with this Of Mr. Moore's. 1t could never hare
been produced without ongcontinued patient inteli
gent and affectonate study. Study, too for welde
fined and elevated purpose. And such study did in.
deed produce it. Study. but not drudgery. Labor,
but labor moved and sustained by love. Drudgery
tires the hand and tires the BRAIN and the work that is
born Of it is dull inanimate joyless But labor which
man performs because it brings him an ardently de-
sired good is wings to the feet and light in the darkest
place. and strength which moves mountains, and q
courage that laughs at dangers and hope that makes
doubt ridiculous On such wings artist has played
birdke over these hills and fields fresh strength and
courage and hope have made that light task to him,
which even to the eyes the lazy and incompetent is
affection; an achievement 80 intolerable that they
overflow into disngennous print abont it, and made
% melancholy by the Transparent ruthuness Of that
they cannot sleep until they have INDUCED Themselves
in little uniruthfulness as balm to their wounded
self-esteem.
But, will not the unpredjudced. the public that
portion Of IT that for pictures look thoughtuy
~, nlort that
they are good examples Of what they hear deridcd
Pre-Raphsete, acknowledge that there is something
more in this method of study than be produced by
the mere toll of mechanic hands, and that those who
defend and uphold it not q clique of mutual adj
mrers but pleading for a that is founded on
nature, commonsense on TRUTH
We must pass hastily in review few remaining pic
lures. The Exhibition closes earlier than we had an.
ticpated and obligcs u.s. therefore TO dismiss with
brief word some names OF which We should otherwise
have made fuller mention. -.r
Mr.. vedder has greatly disappointed us this year,
although the number of bis contributions shows
siderable industry. But criticism of last year. that
he was identity, at loss for subject, is still
applicable now. With the exception Of 1.-THE Lost
Mind" which is rather pulling than interesting and
the Jane Jackson which is actual portrait there
is no work of his here that deian us long. His
color Il color it can be called is earthly than
eyer his dislike of detail has become quite contemptu
GUS his Indifference to truth Of material statement
never so strongly showed In the landscape % Of
1.-THE Lost Mind;r the thought of each separate
picture Is reduced to the minimum; and finally,
very natural result of gil this "negatiysm"-hs