New-York daily tribune., 1865-12-27
the ARTISTS FUND SOCIETY.
Sixth Annual Exhibition.

,nr having so long delayed speak Of this exhibition
bfpotGres il will be found in its uninteresng charac'
Ter Surely it is not reditab!e to the artists oil New
Eork as body that they should be willing TO ask the
pubics assistance in supporting ia charitable lhsu'u
lion ana give the public, in return for Its money! hoth
Ing but collection of pictures al the best oil which had
peen gratuitousy shown. at MI hnoeders Uaier! lor
yeeks before they were removed TO tine Aeademyi
rbile the remainder with few exccptions--hardly a.
Gafdozcn-ought not to have been shown at all bu''
II is ONLY another proof of the provincial character of
Dur society that the regulations of most OF our best
known appear to have been built up and to be
mantaincd on personal grounds; they have not been
hardly won by long desert but have been bestowed by
clques OF clubs. the persistent puifety OF certain
leading Journals and the artists naturally presume on
these Times and take advantage of the position so
sasiy gotten ana kept and bctray careesSnesS which
would be impossible in an older and larger community.
This is the year 1863 The Academy has been estab'
shed over forty years and, last year. opened in its
new beautifu commodous and costly building the
most unsatfa factory exhibition Of pictures showing the
least progress the least talent aud in every way the
The least promise that has ever shown. To-day, IN
The Winte Of the same year. the Sixth Exhibition OF the
Artists Fund Society betrays the same want of prog
ress the poverty of talent the same defect OF
promise hut there is added to these what was never
so manifest before-a deporable want of sefrespect
Il is said in excuse that the artists take but little In
ferest in this charitable Society And suppose that
the whole they do not need to. But, ii is plain that
Us long they ask the public to help support it, they
in duty bound. respectable corporate body, to
give the public the worth of its money. This, we at
firm. they Iether do in the exhibition itself, which Is
not worth twenty-five to say nothing of its
miSeraby printed, badly arranged catalogue. which
l.. Tho
worth OF the money we pay for the pictures sold
ton for in buying them, pay large percentage for
fhe name of the painter; who in every caseor almost
every caSehas sent what it is no injustice to term, the
scry eayings of his studio.
We are not surprised to find the place of honor in
such a collection as this awarded to Mr. Leutze whose
large drop-scene "The Triumph of the Cross" occu.
pies the middle Of the south wall of the long gallery.
We confess TO q feeling akin TO despair, in considering
MI LeuzeS position. 1t plain that in his case rdi-
cue does no good. if indeed does good in any
case Ard argument does little good apparently for
MI Leuze paints and worse and the buyers buy
more and of his pictures Here club Of gentle
men WHOM must suppose 10 be Travelled men, accom-
plLed Of culture aud breeding who have no bet
Ter use for their money and taste than TO give
1t to MI Leu;ze for portrait of President Lincoln
and here is a wealthy merchant whose gallery Of pic
lures il Almost WIO COhlcEt WIN
ready possessing the artists Washington Crossing the
Delaware" must needs add to this last exhibition Of
bis faulty and prctenson What hope is there for any
genuine improvement in Art when such work as
ihs is not only bought by prominent but given the
place Of honor by the artists themselves
As for Mr. Leutze's picture, shall waste words
upon it. Ii is SO inherently vulgar and untrue that we
speak the simple truth when that its fit destna
lion would De the stage Of the Bowery Theater Art is
outraged history is made ridiculous by such pictures
and the day to when, even in the Bowcry
IL would find no welcome.
We never suspected that Mr.. GignouX had so much
bumor in him as find in his Classical Landscape,
which is realty good earioature Of that welknown
btyle as VIC TeNember. Ia a small way. II il almost
Equal to Hogarth's Illustration Of Errors in Per.
spectvc" which of the delights of our child
hood These nymphs bathing in a Slimy pool fed by
lie drainage Of a neghboring ultramarine factory
this aqueduet. which could have taken water
anywhere and Is only introduced for the sake OF its
arches the difference of level between the two bodies
of water and the color Of the whole picture, which
rivals that Of the most costly prune'boxeS make up
Seiy good parody on a sort of which is happily
putworu and hardly needed this blow. Coles unfor'
tunate Storm" on the opposite wall, is an example OF
IN equally bad art-f indeed il deserves the name OF
art at ALL and Durands large landscape, No 2il shows
forcble feeble attempt to perpetuate IT, But, for
tunatey tie attempt has vitality; it Is only born OF
Imitation not Of feeling, aud is as crude as 1t Il
insincefe.
Mr. Kensett contributes many pictures to the Exhi
biion and among them are those which show hin NJ
his best His "Sunset the Coast" has some large
ness Of feeling which is disturbed By the petty treat
nent of the foreground water The cliffs too are
unreel in form; yet a whole the picture gives more
pleasure than Kensett usually offers it is far better
than the Lake George which seems to poor a
work as ever came from bis easel How could he de.
hbe1aely paint this brook running into the lake which
is far above It, as anybody can see and everybody
does scei
Bu; We 90 not propose to review the whole gallery.
Mr. Gray sends his Judgment Of Paris, subject lar
beyond his powers, and several small sketches which
are far beneath them Mr.. Huntington shows us sew
era Of his carly pictures which make us wonder how
he ever got any reputation; and later one, TO make
Us wonder how he keeps what he has got. Mr.. Hicks
sends his norrat of Mrs Stowe which almost amounts
to defamation Of character; and his " Home Guard
which betrays power of bad drawing quite enyable
in its completeness Lest we should think that his
pniy accomplishments are in the line OF portrait and
Genre we are treated to Study Of Rocks where the
reason for there being 20 little rock probably that
there was 50 very little study Mr.. Lang has per.
formed the very difficult feat of excellng himself and.
Ia three pictures Of cOnsummae refinement proves lis
prcGmncnce in the realm Of pathos. His Painting
Spell represents a calcsreous young lady going of
in an unulsiakabe lt in an arm chair all alone by
herself Another exhibits the same young lady, now.
unLappiy come safely TO, about 10 be fed large
plate OF unhealthy looking fruit which is brought 10 her
~ chi ba rd of