The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-07
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN.
Second Exhibition of Paintings and
Sculpture.

To-day we conclude our notice OF the second sum.
mer exhibition OF the Academy OF Design and wa
venture to express hope that 1t may never be our
unpleasant duty 10 condemn strongly any c0llec-
ton OF works that may be brought together by the
acton or the Academcians, whose interest lies
In discouragng patry art. II Is At once wrong to
the public ana TO the young artist TO admit careless
OF defective work into the Academy. because the
.iste OF the visitors Is vated ana the students arc
Taught TO feel that close attention To study Is not
ceSsary 70 success. The result the education OF
inc student must be most pernicous and doubt
| many OF the Sad failures which
| CAST A SHADE or MELANCHOLY
over the exhibition due the false ideas epged.
dered by the facility which attended that mportant
event LII Tue artsts iiie-the exhibition or MS first
| work. We want the Academy to come back 70 frat
principles, ana 10 try trutnfully and hopefully Tor
| the Advancement OF pure and simple art II Ia
| unworthy OF society OF artists to manage what
ought to be temple OF art the strictly CONNER.
cial principles that regulate the running, OF a
peep show, where the object IL simply to make
money. An art academy ought to be essentially
SCHOOL OF TASTE,
where none but works having some merit should he
allowed. Failing in this condition the difference
between the peep show and the academy becomes
one OF degree and not OF kind. The loss OF
dignity thus incurred IL certainly not COM
pensated by the gain OF a few thousand
dollars. 1t is very questionable whether IN the long
run the present policy OF the Academtcians be not
great mistake from even the monetary point OF
view. as we can conceive nothing more unlikely
than that person OF taste should voluntarily sub
ject himself to
THE TRYING ORDEAL or A SECOND VISIT
to our Academy exhibitions. fit useless to urge
upon the directors the interest of ART there remains
an "A al M ucta IN
serve us from the innlcon OF another exhibition Of
such failures. To-day we shall notice few more
OF the pictures newly added to the collection, and
then revert to some OF those which, forming part of
the first summer exhibition, have not yer been
noticed.
We shall commence with No. 1874. A pretty moon
light scene, which affords evidence OF feeling, but
is too dark the moonbeams fail to tighten the ihky
darkness OF the clouds
FLOATING ACROSS THE FACE THE MOON.
The cloud drawing is also wanting IN nrmness,
and the artist has made serious effort to produce
the cloud forms. The tone Of the whole picture IL
too black, but otherwise the work Is not bad.
No. 14s Is a natural looking picture OF little hoy
asleep in bed, with his toy boat carefully gathered
close to his bosom. as If he were busy even In
sleep sailing his little ship on some neighbOring
stream The pose OF the sleeping child IS easy and
natural, and the form pretty well drawn; but the
TIE FLESH is DECIDEDLY HARD.
Among the more preIentiOus works Mr.. j. Lany'S
'Jepntha's Daughter occupies prominent place.
Notwithstanding the immense difference which
exists Ia matters OF execution we confess that The
first Impression created in our minds, seeing MIR.
Lanys painting, was that we had seen 1t before, or
Nor ,' nad s we long to wait before the
OF Herberts "Moses Coming Down from the Mount"
SIance Is confined TO the fact that the ireatmens
suggests an imitation; in any other respect It Is not
THE GOLDEN SAFFRON LIGHT
that bathes Herberts picture In sea Of unearthly
glory Is but poorly represented by the scattering
fakes Of pink red clouds which Mr.. Lany has intro
duced into ms work.
We shall now turn back TO the more pleasant task
OF saying few approving words Of one or two UNI
pretentiOus works that exhibit traces of real power
and artistic feeling, albeit not fully developed: The
humblest ana the best Of these Is the study of q
| head, hid away among u mass of pretenuous gided
| HIDING ITS MODEST HEAD
| for very shame Of It's rich but worthless surround
lngs. The artist VINO is some poor student hard at
| work away In Munich. calls his painting "a Study
OF an Italian Page" probably anxious TO make be.
lieve tnat he Is able to anord the luxury OF page
| but we shall pardon MIN tue innocent imposition In
view Of the excellence OF MS work The head is wen
drawn ana rich. but subdued, In color, with total
absence or the offensive rawness aud freshness OF
tints that are prevalent among modern painters.
The great superiority OF the old masters Is due In
great part to this very
which the nOderns seem to have lost. MIR. Watts
q rising young artist IN London, alone OF all the
English school seems TO have redlscovered tna
secret. and combining with this color knowledge an
exqulsteness OF feeling and depth OF thought, pro
misses 10 take his place at the head OF the English
school OF sentimental painters. The painter AFTER
Italian page,' has also caught the power OF pro.
ducing rich hat tints. but there Ia Just visible
want OF force In his color; still he has produced
depth and richness OF tone
UNUSUAL. IN MODERN ART.
His study OF an Italian page Is beyond comparison
the best head III the Academy
or quite different class OF art Is the next we shall
select for notice. No 247 Is a "Scene In Venice"
pretty architectural study OF quaint Old canal
on the canal Beyond we have giimpses Of the deep
blue Italian sky. Out OF these somewhat meagre
materials the artist has contrived to make an excel
ExotjIsITE ADVANCEMENT OF LIGHT
ana color on the old bridge ana house No. 262 ,St.
Lucia" is a study OF an Italian boy Playing fiddle.
The pose IL easy aud natural, but the modelling Oh
the figure Is somewhat Nat and wanting in force.
The drawing Of the lower part OF the figure Is also
very weak. The coiors are cool and wen hmmo-
A sUspUED TONE,
which Is excellent keeping with the general ex.
preston OF the figure Altogether 1t Is a painting
lar above the average Academy pictures.
We turn now 10 the consideration OF what ought
TO be the higher branch Of art-the sculpture. rms
cnan painting. when affords the trickser so many
DEVICES To COVER UP BAD WORK
or want or KNOWLEDGE. has always demanded from
those engaged In It's pursuit u higher technical
knowledge than the average painter possesses In
entering sculpture gallery we therefore expect 10
power and feeling. Those who 90 to the Academy
OF Design with any Of these expectations WIZ be
sadly disappointed Examples OF the highest art
are entirely absent, and most or the-shalI we say
works ARE far below criticism that
THE INDIGNANT CRITIC SHEATHES HIS FEN
aui retlres IN disgust We cannot war with such
adversares. From this wholesale condemnation we
In justice except some marble medaliIons. ny MI:
Calyeriy which are very good, well modelled aud
we'll carved-the only works that deserve looking a.
Surely, this part OF the Academy can he Improved:
And we insist that the 'httle indiscretions' ana
general denominations or tyros In art shall De rigldly
excluded. There are at present on exhibition
sketches 10 plaster that would
DISGRACE A TOMBSTONE ESTABLISHMENT.
In taking leave OF the Academy OF Design for
season venture 10 express hope that the errors
the present exhibition may not be repeated IL Is
all times unpleasant duty Tor the press TO have
to write harshly or severely OF corporation COM
posed OF estimabe individuals; but duty to the gem
eral public Is above all other Considerations. In our
present articles we have confined ourselves TO gene
raj condemnatons, IN order TO avoid unnecessarily
hurting the feelings Of exhibitors, but we give
FAIR WARNING