The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-04-25
OUR CHICAGO LETTER.
EDrroRss ssTR1BUNE:-o saalttF
CHICAGO, April q

CHICAGO, April 20.
EDITORS TRIBUNE s4slst
| Some enthusiastic would be critics and
| eonnolsseurss have managed to bolster nm
the idea in the minds of our good modest
Chicago people, that we have in our city
a rare degree of native genius which
stands sadly in need of development and
to confer an everlasting blessing upon
the community, they are now privately
discussing the establishment of an "a IT
Academy, = which, when fully matured
ard brought forth, will, it is expected,
astonish even the Old World. While I
would not willingly cast straw in the
way of true progress of art education, I
think that these gentlemen have about
as much chance OF establishing q success
fai enterprise of this sort here, as ! have
OF discovering agold mine on the romantic
banks OF the Calumet. If | dared to tell
the reasons why l think so, the venerable
Bates who ''knew Chicago in its infancy
would at once lmpeacl me for treason to
Chicago, SO | shall only hint at them.
Among our rich people, those who can
afford to patronize artists, there is very
little real sense OF true art. They will
buy pictures to cover their walls. because
its the correct thing to do SO. but tlsev
are much more lavish ine Npenditnre and
more careful in their selection OF the
frames, than OF the pictures which they
contain. It's currently reported of one
rich old banker here that he boua hit ell
his daubed canvas, and he has much of
1t, by the square yard. BY such men are
supported number of persons who would
be even poor sign painters. yet who call
themselves artists and the few really
good artists among us have to contend
not only with the ignorance of picture
buyers, but with the petty spite Of the
daubers and the demoraIized condition
of the market produced by them. That
there cal be no institution of the kind
mentioned, successfully managed here, for
other reasons. a well as those | have thus
limited at-hut Heaven knows we need
something of the sort. Not many months
ago, when one of the finest pictures ever
brought here, was on exhibition at the
Crosby Art Gallery, a specimen of Chi
cago art stood beside it, picture Of
Indians tortuilng prisoner in which
a lot Of rosewood and mahogany Indians
with dislocated limbs. assembled in a
variety Of painful attitudes about bass
wood manikin tied to a stake. That pic
ture was not only publicly exhibited, and
by some admired, but actually found a
purchaser. Speaking Of this, by the vay,
reminds me of little story true, too
told Of a lady artist in Pitt sburg, who
painted picture Of Aaron, or somebody
a DIM IA. !.
derness A friend called her attention to
the fact that the goats legs were twice
TOO long. She ponaefed over It: cenclu-
ded that they were. aud determined to
remedy the detect. But how All a
bright thou .,.t. ;5lc painted ii lace Of
the lower half Of the goat legs great
No. store box, thps bringing his baci,
20 proper height: Another art story
We have h -e IN Chicago g sc99cll artist.
a nice man but unna g:native a 4 Ter
rapin who determined 10 paint 81 t:cclk. y
He shut himself M fo~ ifecks II. his
studies, and at ieog5l invited his Fl lends
to view III results Of his labor. "Bu:, ;"
SAID a critical friend. your Puck, the
aerial spri.e who pats girdle roaua the
earth in forty minutes, is here simply a
tat, red ft:ai, naked body, sitting on an
owl which is scarcely one half Of propor-
tionate size, and in position which must
be excessively Uncomfortable for both
owl and habv-your background, too,
does at 10 K ike sky,it is dirty and seems
more like the earth on which the fat
child is trying to crush the life out Of the
bird. Those are all the faults have to
find with the picture +" The canny
scot seriously reflected for little while,
and thea with a hopeless despondent
sort of wipe at his brow, said ''Awecl,
aweel. its hard thing to understand,
mon, The hall thing s a miracle. Last
of all the jokes in the picture 1ne is the
Apocalypse panorama, but that is too
big joke to talk about now, after all [
have strung out in this communication
Today. | may as well confess, however,
that | should mt have said half SO much,
if there had been any thing going on here
worth writing about. When / have
nothing else. or better 10 do, [ tell stories.
Stories should be encouraged If true
they serve to preserve oft-times valuable
anecdotiai history, if untrue they reflect
credit upon ones power of Imagination.
All l have toid to-day We're true.
GOOD FRIDAY.
Earta-1,,- xu,- al, -np,-o I - III A., ~,