New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-07
ZINE ARTS.
PRIVATE VIEW or MR. ALEXANDER wUsrs rTcrUREs

Messrs Miner Il SOmeryilles new building No.
- Fittb-ave.. to meet Mr.. Alexander NuSt,
who has lately returned from Europe after
a few years absence, bringing with hun, besides
other pictures painted during the time the TWO
paintingsfor one of which no received the hoyh
gold medal Of Belgium at the exhibition of 1866, In
Brussels and for the other the annual gold medal OF
the exhibition, in the same year, at the Hague Inc
first of these medals has double value; 1t Is awarded
only in three years and the recipient Is seleceu
by the king himself, so that our young countryinah
has reason to congratulate himself Oh having
achieved singular distinction. We have not heard
as yet how the foreign artists behaved on TINS occa-
sion Our friend Mr.. Cadart whose benevolent in
tentions with regard to our benighted community
we praised so highly the other day, must be
rather surprised TO see n young DaIbafah Carrying
off prizes from under the very noses OF artss OF inc
highest European standing; but he must MAKE up
lis mind tn hear it. for It's a way we Americans have:
If the foreign artists, however, nave the culture u
intelligence of our OVID, they have doubtless, before
this taken measures 10 ipemGtane .TH t, nt
governments on the adyisabillty OF shutting OUT
American pictures entirely from the European MIR MIR
kets and by prohbitOry tax, or some other equaly
wise maneuver preventing fOr the future inc Rosei-
blity OF any such achievements as this OF Mr. Wust
just at present, however, 1t JOCKS very lnuch as IL
''the subjects OF the crowned despotS' , I meli
beers of Gillette aristOcracies, &e DC. had displayed
a GOOD deal more berallty, fairness ana generosity
than is often exhibited by thermo enlightened and
For ourselves, DO not place much value on these
honors which have been awarded to Mr.. Wqst; we
are more concerned to know whether, IN conecuOh
made up of pictures by stIongerln landscape IMAM
the besf German French and Belgian painters OF such
subjects they would have been found worthy Oh such
distinction. Ii is easy TO see why these Two pictures
should have carried off the prlZe from the feeble Dand
of modern European andseapsts, but the question IS
whether in competition with the best works OF En-
gsh and American painters they would have come OH
Certainly. it was not without surprise almost
amounting to incredulity that we read the news OF
Mr. Wusts good fortune. To speak frankly, judging
him by what we knew of him before he went away,
we should as soon have looked TO see MI Benson, OF
Mr. ID. NJ. Carter, crowned, as him: lie had never
painted ANYTHING TO excite either interest or nope
His pictures Were fun of pretenson and without any
evidence Of study thought Their style was coarse
and illiterate and the only ability that was shOwh
was the ability to cover great pieces OF canvas Wlt
great daubs OF paint, representing the smallest
amount of detail and the fewest possible ideas Inns
being our deliberate Judgment of Mr.. Wusts talent,
formed after careful study of his works the reader
may imagine our surprise learning that he had
borne off two important medals In competition win
leading European artists. We were anxious 10 see
the pictures and solve the problem, and we are gad
that we have had the opportunity OF doing so: Ihey
are excellently hung in Miner ~ S0meryIle large,
handsome well-llghted gallery, ana ualihIy aPPc"l
TO Ms for Judgment. -,
The landscape which received the Royal Gold
Medal at Brussels is Norwegian toTrentIstreain
seen by Moonlight; the other Is a similar subject
waterfall III Norway, but an ordinary daynght erect
OF the two we very greatly prefer the latter when
received the annual gold medal nj the
the Hague There no doubt that they are both clever
pictures full OF force and character and we should
say full OF promise, if we were not made 10 hesitate
by much of the remaining work that hangs upon TIE
walls The power and skill of these two pictures Is
not matched by any answering power ana sh1I
in the others while at the same time glad TO
acno,dee that the crudcness of color the slovenly
drawing the coarse painting OF most OF the otier
pictures are not be complained of iii the pzo pc
lures For color neither OF them has any color; the
moonlight scene is of conrsesttle more than study
in light and shade; and the Otherwateria, roaring
over black rocks, and under Ieaden sky mas almost
/ as little color the moonlight scene Inc draw,
ing in both these pictures Is strong ana clear anu
good and if the painting is coarse II does not offend
us so much in landscapes OF which strength ana VIII
ness are the elements, rather than tranquil behhly'
J We think the Hague picture very fine one, al
though for us 10 say 50, implies that We pare nueh
OF the demand we are accustomed 10 make OF aIIsts
The water is not trne in color 10y water under no
conditions is of color only ana torrent like TINS
would have shown in different parts, all the separate
colOrs of the irs and all the shades OF those coors
Not even by making his sky of lead, can the painter
elude the necessity Of putting color INTO wateT-aH
the light and color that are however lowering. how
1 ever hid il sezcs and holds. and water VIII never
look like water so long as II is all one hue be that
same blue, or green, or brown. linen, me ioihh az
the foot of this fall is not true foam, which, indeed,
is most difficult TO paint; IT looks IKE ~
mass of cotton aud has neither lightness nor truth
of form. In fact much that belongs TO painting we
are obliged TO fofego IN these pictures, ana III tne
last analysis must look upon them as drawings,
not paintings at ALL az studies IN hght ana shadei
with these admissions, confess that NIT Nust mas
shown power for which we were not at all prepared,
and which gives u.s. we think, right 10 predict
future for him that we could not promise in the
presence either of his earlier or indeed OF much OF
his later work. For, this water has the rush ana
roar of the real cataract and its pnngc ~ felt 10 be
irresistible, from the first glimpse We catch OF IL at
the left till il sweeps over the relentless edge, ana is
shattered with foam on the rocks below. The acton
of the water at the left where il breaks off from the
main shoot and falls IN lesser stream, broken ana
torn at the SIDE could only have been painted
from study of nature. The rocks too. are not
TO be forgotten they grand III form, and the
incident Of the eagles Is most happily introduced to
increase the interest Of the picture
We are glad 10 welcome Mr. Wust home again.
Plainly his future is in his own hands. He must not
be misled by his European success. lie gained the
prize for eXceng the artists with whom nc competed
in the very points where their practice Is reprehen-
sibe He won race where not truth, but convention
was the goal we urge him to be true to nature, to
forego his weakening love OF = effect ana throw
Ing all his other works behind him, resolve that he
will labor steadily TO make the exceptional power and
truth of this Hague picture, the characteristics OF all
his works 10 come.
We have received from Mr. Theodore Stroefer the
American agent for the house Of Buckman printselers
IN Munich specimens Of photographs recently published
by that firm from original drawings, illustrating the prn-
cpaworks of Gothic and Schiller by Kaulbach Miller Ja-
ger and other weknown German artists These photo
graphs are published several sizes largest being
reproductions of original drawingsa tho smallest OF
the size known as carte de v; these last put up In
neat cases. and are wen suited for presents rewards,
phopenas and affairs Of this sort when something Is
required really pretty and worth having but not very
expensive. The drawings from when u o been
taken very favorable specimens OF Dusseldorf
school, showing it at its best and forcing certain respect
from us by the evidence they give OF thorough training
in drawing and design, while at the same time that
respect increased by the manifest purpose Of each
artist to make his design an actual illustration Of the
subject under treatment, not mere fancy-pcce that
might have been made by man who had never read
understood the author he engaged upon The
designs in illustration Of G0the-"the Gothic Gallery"
have all been made by Kanlbach they bear the stamp Of