The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-07

very credtable collection Of works OF art. Its de-
sire at the beginning appeared TO be 70 represent
American, and especially Philadelphia, art In the
galleries there excellent specimens OF the
hest styles Of West, Peae, suy, Neagle Alston and
Others which valuable for their intrinsic merits as
well as for their associations. Additions were made
| by purchase, and more by gifts; and Paul Beck be-
queathed his collection under condition that none OF
the works in It were ever to be sold Loughs group
| Of the "Centaurs" given TO the Academy by the
artist who was dsgusted because his own country
| men would not purchase it, and Wittkamp's ODE
liverance Of Leyden" was purchased for perfectly
Insignificant sum under very similar circumstances.
Indeed, the Academy has had astonishing luck in
driving bargains and IT s doubtful whether it ever
paid the full value for any Of It's possessions.
After time, however, It came to dead stop, and
1t has scarcely advanced single step since. During
the last twenty years all its acquisitions OF any i'm
| portance have been Paul Webers "Twilight;" Mays
dying Brigand :" Gounes "TOwn Fool in Detection"
Gastaldis "Parsina, purchased about three years
| ago, after much outside pressure had been brought
to bear for about onetenth OF its real value; and
Professor schussee's ESTHER" which has just been
| presented under circumstances which preclude any
criticisms on the amount the artist is in pocket by
the transaction. great many Of the pictures be-
longing TO the Academy have no value except as
curostes; and Benjamin Vests "Death on the Pale
Horse" which is the great piece de resistance, while
it is interesting account of its associations, and
useful is means Of extracting quarters in the
way OF admission fees, from the pockets of pious old
aides, has no value whatever for the purposes Of
artistic culture.
In the management of the schools the Academy
has considered its whole duty performed an having
the Antique gallery and the lfe-class room each
Lighted three evenings during the week from October
to APRIL paying the models, issuing permits to paint
in the galleries, and employing professor Of an-
atomy to lecture once week during portion OF the
winter This is the sum total Of what it has done in
nNuaU nj
Professor Schussele was engaged an instructor.
This was but step in the right direction which
should have been taken years ago. and the good
effects were apparent at in the revival of in
terest in the classes, which was fast dying out
In the matter of art education the Academy OF
Fine Arts has left Off just where any live institution,
managed by men who felt real interest in the work
In which they were engaged would have COM
menced
The fact is that the Academy OF Fine Arts was
founded on wrong principles or rather upon no prin
ciples; and, in comparison with the European
schools 1t will never be anything but disgrace to
the name ii bears, unless it has very different
ganzation from the present. When considering what
such an institution might do and ought to do in the
way OF art culture, the pitful squabble between it
and the artists sinks beneath contempt and yet it is
in contentious with those who ought to be its best
friends and most ardent supporters that its energies
have been wasted ever since its charter was OBJ
tained from the Legislature in 1906. Art education
is as important in its way any other but while we
have fourishng colleges and academies in all parts
Of the country, there Is not in the United States
single art school worthy of the name The French
Academy, the Royal Academy in London, and every
other institution Of the kud that has ever been
heard of outside of the United States,
managed by artists exclusively, at least
so far as art matters concerned and it is absurd
for a company Of bankers brokers' and merchants to
expect to carry on such concern with SUCCESSES
1t,niu fhauct md
mathematics and the dead languages, or to qualify
medical students for their profession The European
Academles have full corps Of professors, their class
rooms are large, airy and well lighted; their life
models do not pose for couple of hours only three
evenings in the week, during six months in the year.
in dark cellar where it is impossible to paint and
painting from life is point Of the first Importance In
an artists education Their libraries are stocked
with valuable works. and they have collections OF
armor, costumes, and antiquities which are of the
highest value TO students. The library Of the
Academy of Fine Arts is meagre array OF
volumes, inferior in many respects to the
collections OF art literature in the Phila-
dephia and Mercantile Libraries; and although there
has been standing threat for years upon the cover
OF the catalogue to provide museum of arms,
armor, costumes, and ceramic wares for the benefit
Of artists, the first indication OF the threat being
carried out has yet to be made.
Such an institution should have upon its walls
ally of the Philadelphia artists This indeed appeared
TO have been the intention Of the founders, but we
look in vain for any works by Rotherme, Hamilton,
Richards, Moran Bensell and others of day, who
have given Philadelphia art astanding, its walls.
The Academy, too, ought TO have careful copies OF
the pictures Of the best European masters old and
new; but we lately had exhibited in this city an ad-
mirable copy Of Clsale's Landing OF Cleopatra"
made by Mr.. Isaac L. Williams and one OF Turner's
ulysses Defying Polyphemus," by Mr.. L. Moran but
although these were representative works, it never
entered the heads Of the Academy directors to pur-
| chase them.
In the European schools there scholarships and
| prizes to stimulate the students, and such stmu-
lants are even more necessary here and the course
OF instruction ought to be thorough to preclude
| the necessity OF an artist making a journey to
Europe to finish his education. The education of the
public is equally important matter, and but little
be done in this direction unless the galleries Of
| the Academy are filled with works OF real artistic
merit, which will make it popular place OF resort
As it is, the people of Philadelphia take no interest
whatever in the institution, except during the pro-
gress Of the spring exhibition and there are thou
of refinement and TASTE who visit it from one
| years end TO the other.
1t may be answered that the Academy has not the
means to carry its operations this grand scale
but the question is whether that is not its own fault
II has been from the foundation under the control
OF wealthy business men, and while other educa-
tonal institutions have been endowed by the friends
Of learning and enriched by legacies 1t remains in
nearly the same poverty condition It was
nearly fifty years ago. Suppose that the Philadelphia
Library after having been established by public
spirited citizens and having received such bequest
as james Logans library, had considered its work
| 1ItfN ,lfe,,