New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-03

Il
in 1862 and late now, III 1851 Punctuality is an
English virtue the French are neither pmctual nor
accurate.
particular from those of London. Dublin and New
York: ii not confined To single building. There
was an "annexe' or additional building Tor ma
ChlneTy, and there was very nne collecnOn OF pc
lures and statues in still another building, quite re-
moved from the principal structure. The exhibition
was advertised 10 be opened the st of May, but,
when that day was reached, all was chaos within tho
building and the ceremony was not performed until
the 10Th of May. Even then, the building was not
near complexion and hardly a 1.-THE of the French
goods had been sent in. True to their principles the
English were puncual TO the day and hour, and after
the ceremony was over and the Imperial procession
stood the sturdy stOlid British shOpkeepers by their
packing cases, only waiting the exit of carpenters,
glaciers and paint-Pot men, to openthem and display
their contents Ten thousand people were inside the
building on this occasion, of whom not one haf
could get glimpse of the ustrOus officiating person,
ages perhaps one half heard, well, the clear loud
voice of the small Emperor who replied TO the ad-
dress of Prince Napoleon Head of the Imperial COM
mission calling him. dear cousin" and declaring
that in opening the exhibition he opened temple OF
universal concord. OF this Exhibition, the most
notable department seems to have been that devoted
to the fine arts Twenty-eight nations were repre-
scented in it, including Mexico Peru, and Java, but as
to these three fame is politely silent and only OIL
cia catalogues preserve the names OF the amsr,ous
artists. II the reader should be in the mood Tor
statistics we offer him few. There were reckoned
SIP works of art contributed by 2Gl artists OF
whom 1859 were French, and the remaining $50 are
to be known foreigners merely. Prince Napoleon,
in his opening speech the French people and
all the world that for this Department of Fine Art
they must thank the beautiful Empress; 1t was
thought of hers. Had Eugfnie then. never heard of
our NewYork Crystal Palace with its Fine Arts
Gallery Or was it, after all only another lllus,rl-
ones 7" On the whole, however, the Paris Exposition
of 1855 made little impression on the world at large;
and is not considered TO have been very successor
repetition of the Exhibition experiment.
MANCHESTER FINE-ARTs EXIIBITION-lSo7.
Ever since 1854 the seeds scattered by the great
H. ID,,l~ Ionfin fnlln
citcnent, of trade emulation and ambition-la been
Tipening in English soil and sending up small glass
flowers in all the more considerable country towils
In looking over the newspapers and Journals we De
come little wearied with tho constantly recurring
word Exhibition as perhaps the reader may ny
this time be with the same word IN this present aIt
Gle. One of these, however stands out conspicuous
from all the rest, 1.-THE Manchester Exhibition OF the
Fine Arts" This was originally private under
taking, and indeed. was begun and carried through
by the enterprise of private gentlemen unassisted
by the State Treasury. In 1856 Mr. j. e.. Dean ana
Mr.. Peter Cunningham distributed printed private
and confidential letter" among the naboes OF Man.
chester, which letter contained proposition 10 set
up in smoky Manchester itself an EXhlbitl0n 10 con-
sist of borrowed specimens the finest that could DO
procured of every production of the Fine Arts. NO
body who knows anything of the immense sums OF
money that the manufacturers of Manchester have
been spending in these later years for pictures and
statues will be surprised to hear that the
proposition of Messrs. Dean and Cunning
ham pleased them exceedingly and with one
accord they straghtway set about carrying 1t into
effect The Queen was also pleased with 1t, would
incline her gracious cOuntenance toward Manchester
and send contributions to the Gallery IRON her own
precious collections. Whatever Royalty shines on in
England thrives as if warmed by vertable sunbeams
and sooner was it proclaimed that the Queen pro-
posed to take interest in Manchester than every
body in England who had a picture, or statue, or
gem, matter if it were the apple of his eye, and
the envy of all collectors felt bound in honor, and,
shall say, in pride. to pack IL up and send II 70
Manchester No country in the world is so rch Ill
private collections as England for In no country are
there such immense private fortunes; and the gener;
osity with which Dukes, Lords. and Lades, ana
private collectors lend these beautiful and precious
things TO the public, and admit the public TO come
and see them. is most honorable. From the Queen
down. whoever owns any fine work OF art seems to
consider himself its guardian only, and rs having
to the pleasure of visiting England that this gener-
and noble spirit exists and we always near win
pleasure that this or that valuable picture IN chang
ing hands has found its way into an English gallery
or parlor, for then we may hope some dy 10 see ~
We do not believe there is in all England q man OF
wealth who has the spirit OF certain weli,knoWh
New-Yorker, who. owning some particul arly fine
pictures and manuscripts of great rarity taxes 1oo-
ish pride in making himself notorious by denying
the sight of them not only to strangers, however
introduced but even to his intimate friends, aud,
better still, to his own immediate relatives. There's
pretty tale going about that no less person th
Mr.. Prescott when he was writing one OF his books
connected with Spanish history wrote to tins public
spirited gentleman and requested permission to con,
suit very rare MS III his possession but received
the suave reply, that he had bought the Ms for
his own use and not for that of other people, Ihere
may be instances of such chuTlishness in England:
bright examples of broader and more enlightened
spirit The Exhibition at Manchester was an oppor-
display Tepeated in 1859 in the Picture Gallery Of the
Great Exhibition, and in the Loan Court of the
Kensington Museum, and again IN The National
Portrait Gallery" of last year The building at Man
chester covered three acres and was built OF BRICK
with glass roof. Ii consisted of a nave and tran
sept, and was without galleries. The nave was w
feet long by l0 wide; the tranSept was 200 tcet from
end 10 end. and the same width rs the nave. The
building though plain and unpretending-ugiy If
interior adaptation to its nse Every picture was
hung in a good light and the warming, ventilation,
and all the provisions for the comfort of great
thrOng of people were managed In the best possible
way. Here, also, are called on to admire English
punctuality. honesty, and love of method. Vast as
the collection was that poured in from ali parts OF
in proper order when the opening day arrived,
and, vast was the crowd that assembled, there
%n ese Walls eoGd 1Os
ranged III order of time complete display of mans
achievement in every field OF art whether IN ORIG
nal specimens or in accurate models. AS one reads
the careful descriptions in the journals, he is be-
wildered with the riches of this museum. In jewel
and metal-wOrk all ages and times were repre-
sented from the beginning of this era, and even
earlier-AnglO-R Roman, Celtic byzantine, Rom9ncs-
que, Medieval, Renaissance; ATnOr, including the
whole of the famous MeyTick collection, and all the
finest specimens in the tower, Metal work in silver
and bronze, damascened and III Niello Then Ceramic
Ar-PotteTy of all nations enameled glass, Venetian
and English glass in complete series, from the inst
made in 1857 stained glass, mOzaics Eaience Palsy,
Henri Deux, MajOlica. Limoges Chelsea Worcester,
Sevres Dresden, WedgwOOd, old japanese, old
Chinese old Indian-whateyer is rarest, and has es
capped the ravages of andthe busters of chamber
maids Then, for Art proper, Mr.. George Schan was
put in charge of that department and he arranged
the walls 900 pictures picked and culled out of the
choicest gardens; 9G5 water-color drawings, and
among them 81 fine specimens of Turner, with ex-
amples of every English master OF this peculiarly
English branch of art; 1859 engrayings, showing
every great master in his most excelling work, and
embodying complete history Of the art, being par
teularly rich in examples of Maso Fniguerrass Nieo
rubbngs, parent of all engavngs and sacred to us as