The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-06
THE FINE ARTS.
The Acn.ler-,v IxhIhi,sn,


by artists in that important branch during the
past year. 1t is in the delineaton OF the human
hgure that American art is weakest, and IL is the
mpossibility OF competing with foreign works Of the
same character, while the facilities for art education
are so limited, that makes the management Of such
an institution AZ the Academy Of Fine Arts matter
Of the first Importance to those who have at heart
The interests OF American art A well-organized and
indiciously conducted Academy would do wonders
not only in the way Of general culture, but In raising
the standard OF the work turned out by those upon
whom falls the burden of raising and maintaining
the art standard in this country. American land
soape art has reached point where its most judi
ATOMS friends can safely place it beside the best
European efforts. The American style is dis
tinctiye, as it should be it lacks
some Of the qualities which in the best European
works have charm for the conROisseuT, but it has
others OF equal importance; and with no restraints
whatever TO impede them in the study OF their
models it gratifying to that the best American
landscape painters are beginning to free themselves
from any disposition to copy the manners Of the
European schools, and to develop a style OF their
own which is best adapted to the Interpretation of
the peculiaries OF American scenery. Figure paint
ing however, is dependent in O very great measure
on the training of the Schools and until the schools
make an effort to approach those Of Europe in the
thoroughness Of their course of instruction. il will be
useless expect this branch Of art to attain the per-
fection II should. With very rare exceptions the
American figure painters who have made their mark
have completed their education in European Schools
and their pctures therefore, always more or less
nect the French or Belgian style. This is an evil
that calls for remedy An artist should he able to
obtain complete education in this country and not
nnti such an education is possible can expect to
witness the rise of disnctively American school of
ngure painting.
After Professor Schussele's ESTHER" the fine
qualities of which apparent at each inspec-
MON, the most important contribution to the present
exhibition in the way of figure pictures are the four
very creditable works Of Mr.. d. II. Knight-'The
Veteran" No. II; "The Rival Pets, No. ia; "The
Rehearsal" No 1S0 and Riche's engraving OF "Paul
Preaching at Athens" No. 259, all of which yhave
been previously exhibited. Mr. Knight,ywe believe,
invariably paints from model, the, only method by
which the highest excellence CAM be, obtained and
his works all show evidences of careful land nelli-
gent study. The most prominent defect of his style
heretofore has been a cOldness OF tone (which was
not altogether agreeable but this has now great
extent, been overcome and his more recent works
~ Nv decided Improvement, not .onlyfn color, but
% expression handling and other equally
imnortant ouan..es, Mr.. Knights largest picture,
'"The Veteran" which W. ho'lceu when IL was on
exhibition in the Artists Funu Nv onls' - "orA Vi
much merit and the subject is one thatSorSs "
make it popular with the general public.
'"The Suitor," No. SO, by Howard Helmrb ;, -
promising effort by young Pitt ~ 10 " very
tr,, In por,o u ~. -..ddelphan, now study
- eon,o. spresents young girl listening to
" .ence, of which she is evidently the subject
between her father and her lover, whose attention.
by-the-way seems to be divided between the old
man sitting in the chair before him. and the fair
maid whose white skirt is just visible in the doorway
This picture is freely painted and it thereby gains in
spirit and effectiveness The color is good, and the
story is well told Mr. Helmck's bolder style OF
handling will contrast very favoraby with the
dalio LOTT N attractive
Nv Enntibonne, "What shall l say to him ?" No. 70,
which HAMS near it.
Mr.. Milne Rai2sey, another young Philadelphian
now prosecuting his studies IN Paris also exhibits
creditabe work. "A gentlC.aan IN the costume OF
Charles XIV studying the rehC%uon IN glass OF
wine No. 6S. Mr.. Ramsey has hitherto oeeu known
only by his admirable stll-ife studies, and we are
yad to see that he is turning his attention to higher
grade of art There is some bad drawing in this
picture but the color is good and 1t gives us reason
10 expect something better in the future.
From Mr. w. L. Winner we have three pictures
SsThe Village Letter Carrier" No Sc; "Tired OF
Skating No. 19s; and "John Alden and his Bride"
No. 22s-which all painted in the peculiar grey
tone which Mr. Winner particularly affects and
which will always detract from the value OF his
works even If they possess merit in other respects
The bull in the last-named picture is curiosity in
its Way: it looks as If two-story house had fallen
npon it and hattened it out
Miss Ida Waugh contributes "The Bargain" No.
lO7-a clever work, in which her fathers style is dis
tinctly visble-and very spirited portrait bust Of
Carl Gaertner, No. 300
Mr. s. B. Waugh exhibits eleven works, all Of
which. with one exception, are portraits. or these
the admirable portrait Of j. Edgar Thompson, ESQ.,,
belonging to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, is
the most noticeable, although the portraits OF Abra
ham Lincoln No. "a, and Of President Grant, No. Al,
are also excellent.
vantage to exhibit his more important efforts else
where sends but one picture to the present exhibit
ton 'iMarina" No. 1Os and this having already been
before the public on several occasions is deprived Of
the charm OF noVeltyi
ssrhe Love Letter." No. 214 and "Solace," No. 221,
by Richard N. Brooke arc the works of one of our
Youngest artists The first named represents court
Iester and dwarf chuckling love letter which
has fallen into their clutches and despite some crud
ties Of color and manipulation 1t has merits which in
dicate talent of no mean order.
Among the animal painters Mr.. Newbold ii. Trotter
stands alone in the present exhibition, unless we eX
cept Miss Mary Smith, who sends several Of her little
chicken studies Mr.. lTrotter's most important
works are "Repose on the Mountain side" No %
and "Alderneys at the Brook" No. 1s1. The land
scape in both of these pictures is better than the
animals.
The only remaining work by a Philadelphia painter
that calls for special mention is an arocious libel OF
Miss Susan Cation, No. 1885, by an artist whose name
we do not remember to have seen before, and which
we charitably refrain from mentioning. We SHOULD
nke to know what injury the attractive little print
donna ever did to the artist, that he should allow him
self to perpetrate such hideous caricature as thi
professed portrait undoubtedly Is.
In the line of sculpture Mr.. j. A.. Bailly send
nothing new, his "First Prayer" No 269, and para
disc Lostn having been on exhibition in the Academ
ever since last spring. Mr.. A. b. Harnisch and Mis-