The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-04-29

One Of the five wings, or rather palaces,
which the Caliph vathek added to the palace
Of Alkoremmi, erected by his father Motessem,
was named the Delight Of the Eyes, Or the Sup
port Of Memory. Beckford describes II ~
zone entire eaohantment," enlarging particu-
larly upon the attractions of certain gallery
!" which exhibited the pictures Of the celebrated
Maur, and statues that seemed to be alive"
Our academicians may have had some such
ideal when they erected at the corner of Twen-
ty-third street and Fourth avenue, and dedi-
Gated to art building the architecture of
which seems more appropriate, to Venice than
to New York. But this elegant structure, by
Us very dissimilarity TO the monotonous brown
stone fronts Of our houses and to the almost
equally monotonous marble fronts Of our Broad
way stores, suggests an agreeable contrast be-
tween its purposes and those of our prosaic
life in this bustling commercial city.
1t is not surprising that the Academy of
Design should have become favorite resort
for our citizens. They will be pleased to learn
that the directors intend to give more per-
manent character to the exhibitions of the
Academy, by making arrangements for an
exhibition in the fall and winter as well as
spring. A suggestion that the galleries be
kept open throughout the summer for the con-
venience of those residents who are compelled
to forego pleasure trips, and Of the numerous
travellers who then visit our metropolis has
also met with favor. Let us hope that in due
time they will be kept open all the year round,
like the art galleries Of London and Boston.
Is it too much 70 hope also that, as In Paris,
art may yet be allowed to aid religion by free
access for all classes on Sunday to the galleries
of the Academy!
If the present exhibition is not remarkable
for many large pictures of striking superiority,
it nevertheless offers more variety and higher
average Of merit than usual. Landscape
painting still maintains its acknowledged pre-
eminence over the other branches of American
art. Several landscapes and marine pictures
exhibit the best characteristics of our American
painters in their favorite sphere. These char
acteristics are close and almost devout study
of nature; happy choice of subjects and
skill in composition, attesting inventive powers
tional methods Of treatment, and, in some
cases, vigorous manipulation and o fine eye
and faculty for color. Two or three disciples
of the pre-Raphaelite school, indeed, remind
us more forcibly than pleasantly of certain
poet who described the phoenix, its color, size,
beak, talons, wing-feathers and all, with such
elaborate minuteness that Sheridan said at
was . poulterer's description OF phenix.r
Nature, IL Is true, cannot be studied too closely,
and patience and sincerity will not be thrown
away If they lead to something better than to
copying the Alterations and mannerism of
to the youngest days of art and leave OF
just where its ripper development begins.
Other branches OF American art are repre-
scented at this exhibition in q manner which
gives encouraging assurance for the future.
Aside from one or two historical portraits and
very few other exceptions, our artists do not
here evince any direct powerful influence OF
the late war upon their minds. But time
enough has not yet elapsed, perhaps, to invest
the realities of the war with the traditional halo
which catches the eye Of an artist. Moreover
the equality which prevails in our democratic
country is by no means favorable to the heroic
STYLE The sublime and the heroic In art be-
long peculiarly to the aristocraic societies In
the earlier periods OF their formation. Truly
religions art belongs almost exclusively to an
age Of unquestioning belief-an age that seems
everywhere to have passed away. Modern
civilization restricts the artist for the most part
to the beautiful this must be his IDEAL His
tory shows that the art Of painting is most ex-
tensively practised in the age of mixed plu-
tocracy and democracy. Rthis stage Of national
life is best fitted to foster non-religous art, as
thoughtful writer has argued, we may expect
to witness in the United States, and particu-
larry in rich and democratic New York, rapid
growth both Of demand and supply in the pic-
ture market The exhibitions Of the Academy Of
Design will doubtless have an honorable share
in stimulating and satisfying the public taste
for art