New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-07-04
yuE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN



orsts power and, although prepared for care
and accuracy we had hardly hoped to these qualities
,ed over 50 large a canvas. Mr. Weir eyidoIty knew
exactly what be wished TO do before he set up his can
vas he had evidently TO careful concusoa as 10
what he could and what he could not accomplish and the
sn.fv with which the picture conceived and the pans
slkag accuracy and integrity Of purpose with when Tue
design has been carried out are the legitimate run Oh 'S
delberaton and modesy. After all the study WhcN N'S
gone this picture, and the knowledge OF na"lue NV
1le power of observing accurately II has oe'ool0' -
artist Mr.. Weirs next work ought TO enaDe ~ 10
ehnc Of his artistic power For it must not De loi
gotten that picture Ike this is hardy III an! '0-''
artistic work; il is not to be rated higher ta p'c'0
and-a reouirn no more of the artist sense tnah goes
ao Reconstructed steam engine Why We praise II Is
h =, shows the artist bent learning how TO observe
l, r. draw how 70 paint and because he mas eViaenF
worked in modest manly spirit not ambitious 10 make
,s.ion but ambitious to DO we'll what he had thought
falr Undertaken. We do not, in the least suspect MI
V of having taken advice but he 49, al al events
sf,,pc rs in the adEice we have often gwen to our
Young artists that they should devote all their strength
s., tie present to making themselves masters OF the me-
,,,o.., mart of their Art How few of the young men
Inv how 10 draw How few of them show any skill IN
s,r on color Who among them shows any noticeable
,cr,tandnc OF composition We have nothing TO say,
ir about the deficiencies Of the older men, II would be
re 90 take up faults that grew originally out OF the nara
condition which the carly times laid upon Art, and which
II is now too late remedy if fattey, and the love
a. atery and the good opinion Of ones sell Which grows
o. of success permitted the existence OF any wish 10
,lr ny of any consciousness that a remedy is needed
H. the Young learn, the young can improve and we
sure we ore not mistaken in believing that there IL
e,ion growing up that will establish new traditions
and make Us familiar with new method, and so prepare
4 w or the men Of the future who, having been thor
Lr trained in the arts of expression, shall at last have
,.oae'ts feelings fancies worthy 10 be expressed
I, one particular and only one, Mr.. Weir reminds
u. bi, father lie shows hardly any sense OF color, ana
seem, to take pleasure in chord that ought not to give
,s,,,.c 10 ANYBODY This is, probably, an inherited de-
AID an inherited ncapacy for color Is, Of al defects,
Size Que neradicabc aud hopeless one II Is not TO be
c,ed then that Mr.. John Weirs pictures viii ever be
pcaer look for their color than hs father s. put
s.e is no help for it, and submit with patience max
yu, our minds TO be satisfied with his drawing, which
20 good now that may reasonably hope it Will one
d m quite perfect; and we look forward with confidence
,lr time when he shall have something to tell Us that
Namk Ike II worth while for him 20 draw so well. For
fhe VS. this picture is have said ard as everybody
seins 20 think very satisfactory piece Of work Every
tb IN H. however better than the figures but. then,
oven among the figures those are the best that are act
ivr employed and this Is mean praise Poorest OF
j. e CUP Of visitors who have come 10 sec the casting
ava the giant the for ground but it is always hard to
4 ov what TO do with those who doing nothing and
Ire naturaues with which the busiest men IN this busy
scene painted easily makes Us forget the eebleneS OF
T. Jess important figures.
90 ,b ,b-ee me. 10 whose pictures have given the
f. as not one is coo-ist, although Eastman John
So. comes near 20 being one He IS perhaps according
f,fte Attest nomenclature. 4" toDis but that Is al we
ca allow. Yet the erl IN the doorway, in "flddnns
H.. Wav" shows that the Of color is dormant IN
lip. rs do the parrots the mantel-shof IN SUNDAY
Mo'nc" Thcs two pictures are, perhaps the most IN
,,o that Nj johnson has thus far painted ana they
n,,c given greG. pleasure 10 many and to very different
people Mr. johnson is the best portayer OF certain
phases of the American character that we have, or have
NJ Most Of his recent studies are from country life in
Maine and we suppose these two pictures are transcripts
from iie same experience. The "Sunday Morning Is
rbr frus by tie old man who is reading the Bible but
thee much beside Tor the pleased eye 10 rest on the
c e.t son who sits with his lack 10 most natural
II . and the two chldren in the corner playing with one
anohcr with their silent eyeeances awed from any more
D. scrl, mirh by hush Of the hour The young
h,i Who leans agains; the wall in bis tilted char and
ars with his sweetheart mig u clcyery and naturally
conceived though perhaps, trlhe sentimental Stll,
view not quarrel with what seems 20 give so much
1l,s,aa-. But, ia The otherpicture, Fiddng his way
4hsr . no unwecome figure and the color Is much more
ar-.,se Tie Young GIL IN the doorway is beautifully
pluted and nothing could he tr1thfuy character
isc aa the group Of boys about the itnerant negro
fIdcr And, yet, the We think about the two PIC
frs the less easy We ind it decide between them.
How LITTLE reason we have 70 envy France her Edouard
Irelc when We have a man like Eastman Johnson as
abe 40 do for our rural life what Frere does for France,
and with no less quiet beauty and homely truth.
In his " Prisoners from the Front Mr.. Homer has
painted the best picture we have yet seen from his hand
We were not quite prepared for clever study of char
acer We had feared, indeed that he might degenerate
INFO mere carcauIs but this picture treasures u.s. II
i not easy say how the two sides III our late war coul
have cen better epouzed than in this group OF three
Southern prisoners brought up before Northern oihcer'
Te leaders are contracted merely without e1agsra
zion but one NAV almost say with judicial imParality
Tho Two other prisoners the Old ana the boy, are
1e 20 explain the issue Of the struggle; they indicate
fh real weakness Of the South which lay IN the charac-
Ter of he people An ignorant and brutahzed society,"
frv vpied by these figures all OF us who saw South
ern prisoners can testify real strengths and accord
in-y the strength Of the South lay not IN her people but
81 her officers; while lay, not IN our officers but IN
or people So NJ Homer has made these leaders COD
front one another and should be puzzled to know what
decided the victory between enthusiasm and intellect IN
le, VIC saw the base material that enthusiasm had TO de-
pehl On on.
Mr William Hlnts'" Portrait Of Lady, NO 4O1 Is
The moss interesting piece Of work we know OF his Ills
charcoal sketches Nos - and "a ought not TO have been
exhibited not merely because they are Ill done but be-
cause they betny the artists vicious way Of working 1t
j. moi oen that shows so little reserve as TO con-
fess" Here is my finished picture you see how bad it's
iWel the reason bad is that this is all the study
had f It Mr.. Hunt might just well have written these
wors ON the frames Of Nos 81 and 3i2 Not that either