New-York tribune., 1871-05-04
ART IN PHILADELPHIA.

Il
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THIRD ART RECEPTION BIZ THE UNION LEAGUE
MEETING OF JOURNALISTS TO PROMOTE AN
ART ACADEMY.
PHILADELPHIA, May 2.-On the eeth of April
the Union threw open to Its friends the larger
portion Of its fine house. the walls Of which we're for the
time covered by the noblest collection Of pictures
brought together in Philadelphia since was scat
tered that famous collection Of the Sanitary Fair at
Logan SQUARE I'm war times This Is the third Art Recep
on given by the League during the present season. ana
in every particular s far superior to its predecessors
The first intended TO give local artists an oppor
tuny show what they had done since they got back
20 their studios, efter making their last Summers
sketches; consequently only the works Of Phadephians
admitted; the second had wider scope, for while
1t still intended a compliment TO own painters,
and market for them artists in all parts OF the country
invited to send contributions and many In. New
York and Boston accepted the invitation. The
present exhibition however Ia remarkable not for Its
native, but its foreign character Hung here and there
upon the walls are some very noble expressions OF
American art but the best Of them only serve to teach
the unpreudced eye that art In this country has not
been long enough at school for instance In the western
gallery Of the League, the owner, Mr. j. g. Fell mas
hung Mr.. Edward II. Mays noble picture entitled
"Arviragus Bearing Imogen Dead" There are great
breadth and strength In the work. and much feeling
but when the manipulation and color one can
only wish they were better than they Wittkamps
Rescue has only ali Of Mays breadth and yigor but
1t In handling Dsh and color the very counterfeit OF
nature which Mays picture is not Yet here the foreign
artist is not among the greatest though May may prop
ery considered OF the foremost American painters
AS expression Of the French German, English. ana
American schools, the exposition Is particularly attract
While several of the very best French and English
artists represented there exquisite speci'
mems from the easels Of Bouguereau Daubgny Duprez
Corot Rosseau, Met, and Ploty; also from those of
| and
Collins Among the prominent Germans represented are
Meyer Won Bremen, Carl Ho, Herzog Becker, Vaner,
and Ronner We can forgive the stings and gbes OF
local artists against the League, for In this exhibition
they have had their brought directly In comparison
with higher and nober expression OF art than they
to understand There French pictures here as
full Of the delicate meaning and the tenderest im
agination as put into poem, yet to each
minute detail is given the greatest attention. Nothing
| is shghted, and great daub OF CRIMSON
! yellow, green obtrudes Itself to produce q
| theatrical effect. They manage all these matters
better in France, or even in Germany AS Tor the
English specimens included In the exhibition ana
belonging chiefly Henry Carey. they are so like
what onr own painters have done, both in that which
they lack and In what they give as to suggest thc common
origin OF the two peoples. They are dehcientn lmagha
ion crude and weak In execution and atroclous coor
Brought side by side with the French or German but
particularly with German, they often suggest the
hardness and Of the stencil process one Is
apt TO lose heart in going through these rooms, alive
with the beauty and poetry Of art, coming suddenly
| upon picture painted by Of our own people who
we are assured by the critics is "a 1rstrater"
Our own artists quite appreciate the lesson conveyed
in this exhibition They all clamorous against the
League and loud emphatic in declaring that the re-
cepton 10 intended not for them, but for the selgor-
cation of the half dozen lucky OF the best pic
tures shown 1t would seem that they are wrong anu
that the League, in view of the artists OF fhiadei'
having no place in which to get up an exhibton Oh he
own did Of pure generosity estaosh THESE recep
tions But who what the motive was tnat ac'u'
ated Mr. Rogers Mr. Claghorn, Mr. Harrison, MI irot-
ter Mr. Gibson Mr. Hors tmann, Mr.. Bullock MI BE-
ment Carey to bring their private galefes to
tbe League House, that the public, Itte used III TINS
most sleepy and conservative town to the Des there s
arr cond see that in France and Germany also there are
artstsa For all that known to the contrary IL Is pos
sb,s that these gentlemen tired of the misplaced com
placency of our painters had deep design 10 sho" le
latter how little Of art they knew and how much tey
have yet to They at any rate go al prcSen' "
| no better school than that ut the League
few days ago q meeting OF the prominent JOURNALISTS
~ pbadenhia was held the OF the Sketch Club,
70 see if they could not by united action through ther
respective papers, awaken public attention 10 the heceS
sv that exists here for Art Academy OF soe Soi''
Al present we have not only no Academy pu o' oNo
an exhibition room. Within fortnight the olu AO'uel'
30 Fine Arts seems have crunbled all 10 pieces Inc
ooars have even dismissed their professors ana smut
their doors against the classes. 1t pity for among
the students were many young women as wen as men
| irving TO find out for themselves the ROAD 10 ".'
| Most or all Of them are too poor 10 go apIo"u'
40 their dreams of painting immortal pictures are
probably ended OF they will not all stop ior SO
slight matter as want of instruction by competent
teacher for these young people imagine that the , o
brush or pen comes by nature like the measles. in'
meeting Of thetournalists had no very srea' io9u,
chiefly because each editor had his own views ana n
1r9atev no two of them could be made 10
nr few days after the meeting 1t was rather adS, f
in the daerent journals the plans suggested ioi
| placing Philadelphia in advance OF Ne"-'orA anu 0
Vom on III n Feninore one Of the cleverest OF our locs
artists is about leaving for California In s% uSy
i se AT ScOtts galleries about 40 OF ms pctuIes
mon which he has been engaged for nearly hVe years
XWop0 them are several works Of merit.
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