The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-28
FINE ARTS.

from the very interesting and elegantly printed
Report on the Fine Arts" by Frank Leslie, United
States Commissioner to the Universal Exposition ut
Paris. This report, which has just been issued from
the government printing office at washington, is
equally concise and comprehensive. Our extracts
are taken from the description of 'The American
Gallery" and relate chiefly to the pictures exhibited
by our American landscapists.
After enumerating the drawbacks to which the
collection or works for the American gallery was ex-
posed Mr.. Leslie says
Notwithstanding all disadvantages seventy five pic
lures, by thirty eight artists sent forward from
the United States aud placed in the Exposition or
this number at least 0nethird should not under any
pretence or influence, have been admitted to place.
1t is doubtful II they could have obtained room in
any local exhibition where ordinary discrimination
is exercised IN the choice Of pictures. Now, we
have upwards OF 400 painters, members Of the differ
depha and other Cities and 1t Is idle Q pretend that
the place Of the twenty-five mediocre or utterly
at least creditabie 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 Icebergs and on the
coast and among the natives Of Labrador. One OF
these, offered by the artist, he was obliged himself
while the eye OF the visitor to the Exhibition was
offended by, in one instance certainly, no less than
four socalled works OF art from single unpractlsed
and obscure hand.
The American collection occupied one end OF the
British gallery and the walls Of the avenue d'Afque
constantly crowded, SO that the lower ranges or
tiers OF pictures could seldom be seen Or II at all at
vew Of Se 4dro on
dacks'' and MacEntee's virginia in 1882 were
hung in very bad light while works far inferior had
prominent places In the gallery Itself.
Not only was the American exhibit OF paintings by
no means an exhibition OF the various styles OF
type or representaye Of American art in 1857 Few
or the pictures had distinctive still less dlsnc.
lively American character, except Sohnson,s well
known and Justly appreciated "Kentucky HOme,n
which compared fav0rably with the best European
works Of similar character and attracted much at
by the same competent artist could hardly be called
finished, and might, Judciously, have been left out
OF the exhibition It Is to be regretted That 81 char
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 excellence is UNI
doubtedly landscape, and, as was to be expected,
the largest proportion of pictures In the American
gallery were iandscapes-twenty eight in all. But
these were Inadequate representatives OF the genius
OF painters in this their favorte branch OF art
They were not characteristic; for, with the excep-
ton OF single work by Bierstadt, with his broad
effects; one by Church, accurately studied and well
they represented no important scene or combination
OF scenery In the United States and might be taken
Our autumn and winter scenery found no proper re-
presentation, although IN depicting these we nave
artists Of real merit Il may be said generally thar
ing than those Of European artists. not unnatural
result considering our clearer and more brilliant sky
and atmosphere. Our artists, as whole. have to
deal with holder scenery, and are consequently often
more effective In their results. The dull Skies long
twights and generally tame outlines Of nature IN
dull, leaden and monotonous, but nevertheless care
fully manipulated. Yet with all our natural advan-
tages Of subject and general success In landscape
painting, 1t IL humiliating TO that we did not
rank any higher In the Exposition than Prussia,
In saving this it is not meant to be understood that
the Exposition, as whole, presented any remark
able landscapes. number might be called good.
but few could be pronounced excellent.
And here 1t may be observed. In parenthesis, as
matter worth remembering by aspiring artists, that
landscapes have less general or popular appeal
than many other classes OF paintings. Authofs OF
the best works In this department. not In the Amer
lean gallery alone but n o te ss
were passed over by the thousands who wandered
through the galleries OF the great Exhibition while
figure subjects and representations OF active or his
torical scenes never missed attracting crowd OF
gazers II not OF critics.
Kaleidoscope e1ects cannot be surpassed Italian
sunsets and Alpine scenery have become conven-
ti0nal in Europe - synonyms arttstically OF the
tropics and OF grandeur In vale and mountain and.
as contrasted with the dulness Of English skies and
the puny attitudes Of Wales and Scotland they may
washington is IN a lower latitude than Rome, and
Florida Is parallel with the Desert OF Sahara
Every aspect which nature exhibits from the tor
rid 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 seaD0ard
the hcadlands OF California to the pole. Our field OF
art like area OF development, Is almost illimit
able, and 1t is no fault OF ours II the wilderness In
one instance uncultivaed In the other natures
wonderful combinations unportrayed on the canvas
II has taken almost 500 years to rear the unfinished
commenced los years before the discovery Of
America by Columbus, and yet scarcely 100 years
have elapsed since the United states mad being
eral that ought to inspire and develop the native
artist, whatever his tastes or talents, whether as
IaIA hnr
OF mountain, prairie or forest scenery, or Of the
thousand striking aspects and episodes or busy and
many Illustrations. The stormy Atlantic and the
placid Pacific, the broad lakes OF the North and the
shadowy lagoons and bayous OF the SOUTH the turbd
Niagara, st. Lawrence and Columbia, and the Colo.
RADIO flowing through the deep refts OF plateau and
mountain, are all equally subjects for the poets pen
and the painters pencil. The severe landscapes OF
Maine, with steei-colored lakes framed IN by dark
evergrecns and rejecting the cold stern hills, afford
rich valleys Of the Middle States, green with grow
ing crops golden with rpening grain or ruddv with
autumna tnts, frightened with cities and villages
and slreaked with railways and canals; the smoother
cxpanses OF the South, Its endless wastes OF pines
broad dreamy cotton plantations ana evei horizons o.
their thousands OF combinations 10 the eye OF the
artist and their inspiration to his touch Our mete-
Oric conditions and phenomena are equally varied
and grand, and we have the characteristics, Access
sories and incidents belonging TO three great and
broadly defined races Of men aud types OF human
we should excel in landscape painting in degree
corresponding with the variety and majesty OF our
subjects and with the exceptional favor with which
this branch OF art IL regarded IN our country. But
our artists must be less tmd and catch more OF the
boldness and vigor which made Norway aud
Sweden, and even Russia conspicuous In the Paris
Exhibition and enabled them TO take rank as our
superiors In landscape painting
As shown In the table In the appendix but one
picture In the American gallery was nonored with an
award-namey, Churchs Niagara" CThe artists
medal with s00f. In god.) This well known picture
haa an established American and Considerable
English reputation, and Is faithful and effective
rendering OF nature. The second and, perhaps,
more ambitious picture exhibited by the artist.
ssrhe Rainy Season the Tropics" received not un
merited criticism for the dazzling glow OF its rain
bow, meretrcious feature, which blinds the eye
the fine effects OF clifI and mountain, which conss
tute the chief merit OF the picture. The next largest
| aud perhaps In all respects the most conspicuous
| picture In the American gallery was Bierstadr.
"Rocky M0untainsv In arrangement Of light auc
| shadow, and in the rendering OF the water, Il,
purity and depth, this picture Was probably uIsus
passed hy any In the entire exhibition. And u &c
rived signal advantage from the introduction N a,
elemehI. too often neglected even whep adrAssibl