The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-31
American Art In the Paris Exposition.


The following extract from the "Report on
the Fine Arts" by Frank Leslie, United States
Commissioner to the Universal Exposition at
Paris, is interesting. After enumerating the
drawbacks to which the collection of works
for the American gallery was exposed, Mr..
Leslie says
Notwithstanding all disadvantages, seventy
Eve pictures, by thirty-eght artists, were sent
forward from the United States and placed in
the Exposition. OF this number at least one
third should not under any pretense or influ-
ence, have been admitted to place. II is
doubtful il they could have obtained room in
any local exhibition where ordinary discrimi-
nation is exercised in the choice of pictures.
Now, we have upwards of 400 painters, mem
bers of the different academies OF design IN
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and other
cities, and Il is idle to pretend that the place
Of the twenty-five mediocre or utterly worth
less pictures could not have been supplied by
at least creditable works OF art. Many such
works were accessible. Among them may be
mentioned with credit the fine pictures by
Bradford, drawn, after careful study, among
the icebeTgs and on the coast and among the
natives of Labrador. One of these, offered by
the artist, he was obliged himself to exhibit in
Paris, where it speedily found sale, while
the eve of the visitor to the Exhibition was
offended by, in one instance certainly, no less
than four sooalled works of art from single
unpractised and obscure hand.
The American collection occupied one end
OF the British gallery and the walls OF the
Avenue d'Afrique dividing this gallery from
the Italian. This passage was constantly
crowded, so that the lower ranges or tiers of
pictures could seldom be seen, or, if at all, at
a great disadvantage. Thus Gifords "Twi-
light on Mount Hunter" Hubbard's "View
Of the Adirondacks," and McEntee's I" Vir-
-, had 1srl,N
while works far inferior had prominent places
in the gallery ITSELF
Not only was the American exhibit of paint
ipgs by no means an exhibition of the various
styles of American artists but it was equally
deficient as type or representative of Anne
rican art in 1867. Few of the pictures had a
distinctive, still less distinctively, American
character, except Johnson's well-known and
Justly appreciated Kentucky Home" which
compared favorably with the best European
works of similar character and attracted much
attention from students. Some other small
pictures by the same competent artist could
hardly be called finished, and might judi
ciously have been left out of the exhibition.
IL is to be regretted that of character or genre
pictures we had so few specimens, since in
this department, always the most popular, we
might have achieved real distinction.
The department of painting in which the
United States may lay claim to highest excel
lence is undoubtedly landscape, aud, as was to
be expected, the largest proportion OF pictures
in the American gallery were landscapes
twenty-eight in all. But these were made
quate representatives of the genius of our
painters in this, their favorite branch of art.
They were not characteristic; for, with the ex-
ception of 8 single work by Bierstadt, with
his broad effects; one by Church, accurately
studied and well manipulated and one each
by Gignoux and Clifford, they represented no
ant cDrNa matt nf l.,
the United States, and might be taken as pre-
senting views in almost any other country.
Our autumn and winter scenery
found no proper representation, al
though in depicting these we have artists
OF real merit. 1t may be said generally that
our landscapes are brighter more cheerful
and pleasing than those of European artsts-a
not unnatural result, considering our clearer
and more brilliant sky and atmosphere. Our
artists, as a whole, have to deal with bolder
scenery, and are consequently often more effec-
tive in their results. The dull skies, long
twilights, and generally tame outlines of
nature in European countries are reproduced
in pictures also dull, leaden and monotonous
but nevertheless carefully manipulated. Yet
with all our natural advantages of subject and
general success in landscape painting, it is
humiliating to say that we did not rank any
higher in the Exposition than Prussia, SWe-
den, and Switzerland.
In saying this it is not meant to be under
stood that the Exposition, as a whole, pre-
sented any remarkable landscapes. A number
might be called good, but few could be pro
nounced excellent.
And here it may be observed, in parenthe-
sis, as q matter worth remembering by as
piring artists, that landscapes have less
general or popular appeal than meny other
classes of paintings. Authors of the best
works in this department, not in the American
alone, but in every other, would be astonished
to see how indiferently their productions were
passed over by the thoueauds who wandered
through the galleries of the great Exhibition,
while figure subjects and representa-
= tions of active or historical scenes
never missed attracting crowd Of
gazers il not critics.
The natural scenery of our country, its
variety and Kaleidoscope effects, cannot bs
surpassed. Italian sunsets and Alpine scenery
have become conventional in Europe as synO-
nyms artistically of the tropics and of gran
deur in vale and mountain, and, as cOntrasted
with the dulness of English skies and the puny
attitudes of Wales and Scotland, they may be
Justly regarded as beautiful and grand. But
Washington is in lower latitude than Rome,
and Florida is parallel with the Desert OF
Sahara.
Every aspect which nature exhibits, from
the torrid heats of Algeria to the bitter cold
OF Norway, is to be found in our own country
on every scale of extent and grandeur. Our
Atlantic seaboard stretches over 5000 miles,
and our Pacific line from the headlands OF
California to the pole. Our field of art, like
our area of development, is almost illimitable,
and it is no fault of ours if the wilderness in
one instance be uncultivated, for in the other
natures wonderful combinations unportrayed
tho has takan alnnoct