The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-30
ART MATTERS.
The Spring Exhibition OF tho Academy
OF DESIGN.

|
susceptible Of Improvement, and even the most
enthusiastic academician must acknowledge that
the National Academy OF Design has not yet quite
reached to perfection. In the necessarily short pre-
liminary notice that we have been able to give we
alluded to some of the most apparent causes which
just now interfere with the growth of the
| Academy and prevent 1t exercising its
legitimate influence with the public in
matters relating to art. The evils
we pointed out are In great part such may be
remedled by the action of tile artists themselves
and we hope that steps will be at once taken to
make the Academy exhibitions more popular by in
PRODUCING such notifications OF the rules as will
leave excuse to artists for refraining from con-
trbuting. We have already said that the present
exhibition suffers from the absence Of pictures that
ought to have found place on the walls where we
look to find record of the winters art work.
In the case Of gentlemen who have placed
their best pictures on view In private
galleries, ana sent only unimportant and even
trivial work to represent them in the Academy, we
can accept no excuse. These men stand convicted
of want of devotion to the best interest of their
profession, and have laid themselves open to the
grave charge Of being mere tradesmen In art, whose
chief interest in their works is mercantile one.
In fact, they show themselves to be art-hucksters,
not artists in the highest and best acceptation OF
OF the Academy and the support that the artists
owe to 1t, we feel the more ut liberty to speak
unreservedy, without fear of being misunderstood,
on the conduct Of those charged with the manage
ment Immediately before the opening Of the ex-
hibtion the average artistic mind was exercised
somewhat concerning the possible and probable
action Of that awful tribunal known in professional
parlance as the Changing committee" We VEN
tured to defend them in a mild way from insinua-
tons which were being too freely INDUCED in by q
squeanlish class OF artistic small-bodies who con-
scious OF their own shortcomings, were dis
counting the possibilities and preparing their
friends for the injustice that truculent
academicans inhict on unrecognized genius
The event has mostly justified our defence
Of the good intentions Of the members Of the CON-
mttee, but In the case of Moran's fine sea picture
"Outward Bound" great injustice has been done
In placing 1t in the Corridor the outskirts OF the
exhibition. The work is full Of power and that
sentiment which no other American artist has
caught successfully as Moran. Such picture
ought not to have been turned out Of doors; it's
merits are such that 1t will attract the attention Of
every one capable OF recognizing what is good and
worthy In art, and an apparent slight, however
unintentonal, to such picture does more
to damage the public faith in the impartiaity Of
the governing body of the Academy than whole
We have constantly commended that art should rise
above cliques and petty jealousies, and as we wish
to see the Academy advance in public Importance
and authority we wish to see mistakes likely to be
damaging to its influence avoided. In this instance
grave error has been committed, and we hope to
see 1t remedied.
As usual, the greater number of noteworthy pic
lures have drifted into the South Room. Doubtless
fortune has something to do with obtaining place
influence. The most effective painting in the room Is
remarkably bold cattle subject, painted by for
egn artists. d. Schienen. The title of the work
| is suggestive one-"The Storm on the Mountans''-
and the artist has contrived to impart the sense Of
disturbance in nature to the scene depicted on the
canvas with admirable force and directness
/ number or cattle coming down the
mountains path find the bridge swept away by the
! torrent Intense dramatic interest has been given
to this incident by the almost human intelligence
which the artist has impaired to the animals 1t is
In this that the chief value OF the work consists
displaying that close and earnest study which
enables the artist to ndividuaze in the brute
creation. The drawing of the animal form is bold
and fun Of knowledge but the color, though strongly
treated, is disagreeable and unsatisfactory. But
what strikes us with most force is the bodness and
dramatic force OF the composition We should like to
see more examples OF this kind Of foreign art the
walls Of the Academy, for their influence our
| native school could scarcely fail to be beneficial.
Two ambitious pictures by rising native artists
occupy places OF honor on the walls OF this room
",
Gibraltar" BY Swain CHORD. Both pictures eS.
hibit talent but neither OF them can be considered
as perfectly feet LISA Tanys picture has
with much fidelity the peculiar atmospheric effects
| OF the East But there is wanting the unity
Of purpose and motive which ought to
| characterize work OF this nature. Our attention
| is not attracted to any points there is dramatic
story, and we are puzzled to decide whether the
group of horsemen in the road the Mosque on the
LETT which forms prominent, but by no means
| Wn ovladt
know what the artist intended to suggest. He has
given us scene in the East with good dealof what
Is true and CHARACTERISTIC in the details; but the
/ fortunate dilruseness Of the composition takes
from the value OF the work a picture. Otherwise
II possesses some qualities Of the best work OF this
artist The local color Is admirably rendered, and
there Is evidence of thorough appreciation OF the
picturesque and poetical aspect of Eastern life.
The treatment OF the sky is good and there is in the
tone OF this picture an exquisite harmony.
Swain Chords "GibraItar is full OF sunshine and
repose. The great rock looms up, like lazy giant,
out OF the tranquil sea, but shorn OF all its majesty
and impressiveness. There IS not whit Of the
sentiment of the Gibraltar In which we are most in
terested This is but immense mass of inert
earth without any story in It, and is Therefore In
tensely embarrassing. 1t suggests nothing. The
SKY Is perfectly serene and very poorly treated,
IL the lazy spirit OF the scene had excrted
an evil influence on the artist. The noontide
this work is not In keeping with the subject We
want to find something OF the history OF n famous
place like Gibraltar suggested in q picture that
purposes to set IL before us, and this we miss alto
gether Ia this work which otherwise Is meritOrious
enough. The atmospheric effects are good and
there is much or the same harmony OF tone that we
noticed In Mr.. Tnany's picture
Tait's Autumn Morning on Racquette Lake, Is
an ambitious, but scarcely successful, work. Such
flaming trees rs he has painted In the foreground
are very Seldom II ever seen In nature and the
mass of brilliant foliage, without trace OF gray in
IT, ofcn1s the eye. Neither are the deer studies
which form so prominent feature in the compost
ton, rs well studied as they ought to be. HaZy
effect In the background has been well caught, but
the OF gray cloud only serves to make the bril-
liant foliage IN the foreground the more offensive
by the want OF harmony in the picture.
Brevoort's "Moosoolamoo" Is quiet, but forci-
BILE composition, strong and decided In color.
Shattnck has an important landscape which he
calls midsummer" 1t is fun or repose but there
Is want Of unity In the composition, and the
color Is somewhat too green.
Winslow Homer is represented by some half
dozen works. all OF which are marked by his strong
Individuality Two OF them deserve especial
uoticc-,qTho Couutrv school, nd ssTba poinr no,,