New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-03
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN
FonrY-sEcoND ANNUAL EXHIBITION.

nnd. almost that he had eye for color certainly,
ts "Cattslills in Winter" of the last Artists
aund Exhibition, was lovely in color but neither of
nis pictures these walls has any charm in this
Prospect 1t is not sufficient to get the local color of
The several parts of the landscape truly these local
Dolors must DO harmonized into unity This is
aruisn with which Mr.. Moore is as well acquainted
as we are; and yet he has failed to put it
Unto practice in these pictures. The conse-
qnenoe is, that they have to conquer
The spectators interest and approval by the power of
drawing they display, and the carefulness of obser-
walton thoy bear witness to they do not charm him
Unto their presence and hold him by their beauty;
and when he has looked long, he is apt to turn away
with the intellectual satisfaction that results from
clear scientific demonstration rather than with the
Rlow and elevation Of spirit that 1T is the great
privilege Of art to produce But unless picture pro-
aluoes this effect it falls short of its full office,
and all the study and learning of the artist II they
do not go for nothing ut least fail to give pleasure
answering to the expenditure of time aud labor that
they imply. Now, we Withdraw nothing of what we
have at any time said to the absolute necessity
tf we ever to have an art worthy OF the name
of study and thought and labor on the part OF the
ARTISTS but everybody viii admit that poets are Just
capable of this devotion as matteroffact people,
and We may as well confess without making too many
sry faces about it. that what we In sofest need
Moore Mr. Newman Mr.. Henry Farrer, the Hills
Miss Mcdonald Air. Bulson, Miss Granberry-these
are tho names of the artists who compose the realst
School They are distinguished by the general ex-
cellenoe of their drawing and by the deDcacy anu
loaeness of their observation but they make no APP
Hea to anything in the vulgar mind but the sense OF
bgonder and rouse that only feebly while educateu
thoughtful, sensitive people find nothing III thelr
work IN stir deem feeling or to excite and elevate the
o1,or& hat lo N GQurp-
-painter among them all, and landscape must ever be
Insufficient to call forth to satisfy what is
deepest IN us; yet they not even land
kcape painters, all of them. though they aim
10 be- but, any exhibition OF their
works would show, they have produced
prncipally studies of fruit flowers. birds-many OF
Them very precous-but still incapable OF making
pny profound impression on the public. Now, what
Gives the men of the old school much weight with
the public is the impression that Their pictures make
hipen the Imagination of the public; uneducated
balf-taught people delight in what they believe to
he beautiful color and agreeable composition, and
thinking them such, they very reasonably delight IN
them Let anybody be much in tie habit OF ire
.uuenting picture galleries. and listening to
Ehe remarks and criticisms that are made
at his elbow-a very amusing, and perfectly
sproper species of eavesdrolpmg-and he Will
soon learn that it is the pictures, which, intellectually
and scientifically, the least worthy that attract
and hold the mass of the people but we believe he
would be very wrong to draw from this that the
people like only what is bad SO far is this from be-
Sng so that every picture greatly and long admired
a,y the public must have q certain absolute merit
and Our business Is to find out what that merit is, and
ascertain if it is necessary that it should be tied up
with all the defects and shortcomings that make the
picture ofensive-if it be ofensivo-to educated and
refined people. We once heard gentleman, whose
faith in realism is almost a fanaticism, and whose
ski as an artist might well excuse his intolerance,
exclaim, by George, Sir tel yOu, Sir, those fell
lows The meant the fellows of the Academy know
how to choose a subject STRIP Now, this most clever
artist man of prodigiOus diligence. of unwearied
study, and of devotion to his Art almost unknown
among us: man who holds the Academy and all Its
Eoings in sovereign and hearty contempt and whose
knowledge and skill give weight to his criticism
This man SEES plainly enough, that there is another
eide to the matter of the public taste and that there
sust be root of reason even in what seems at hFst
blush quite unreasonable To admit this, is it to re-
cede from our high position; to give in to the argu
1nents of the crowd to confess that the principles
and the practice we have defended are mistaken Far
from it it only declares that having laid good foun
dation we must now consider Of the building 10 be
raised on it, and that must search out the
\ principles Of widest application and most universally
N accepted. The danger is lest should mistake
what Is and can be- only foundation, for the building
itself and rest satisfied with what has been aimed at
fhus far and thus far achieved. Because we admit
that the realists need TO take another and higher
step and that they may get hint OF this step III the
practice of the best among the of the opposing
school. this is not to admit for moment that the
steps they have thus far taken to be regretted
Even if il shall prove may, that no one among
them capable of taking that higher step, the work
ahey have accomplished, the lesson they have taught
ihe principles they have established, are, the
less q substantial good and every man of them, the
women included is TO be held in honor If they can
ot be poets themselves they have prepared the way
for poets and as they arc nearly all young and some
of them in their first youth, it would be simply pre-
sumption TO take it for granted that they not to
turn out pOetlcal painters. All we have venured to
assert is, that thus far, they have not produced
,oetical pictures nor come 1t or two of
Zine men they oppose and all venture to predict
j. that unless they produce poetical pictures,
their skill and dexterity, and science, nay even their
Truth will 20 for naught and the world will never
care for them.
WHY is it that Mr.. Moore's two pictures in the
present Exhibition do not attract more peQple-make
more impression on the of the visitors to the
AcadeIhyR They are more than mere specimens OF
1aborious finish and microscopic detail. They con-
Tain greater amount of delicate accurate drawing
than is TO be found in any dozen pictures by Acade-
snioons ON these walls There is patient affec-
onate discerning observation of Nature in either OF
Them than is to be found in all Mr.. BierStadts pic
4ures pat together And they as strong in draw
ing as they are delicate, so that they satisfy
1he masculine as well as the feminine eye,
and the mind wanders over the canvas well
nleased with the great things as with the