New-York tribune., 1873-02-21
FINE ARTS.

fairly won their spurs their salad DAYS are over ana
altar 80 much promise we may now count upon Soue
manly performance From the hands OF Americans We
have in the present exhibition no works perhaps that
are OF quality thoroughly deserving TO be called mas
terly but this was not to be expected mastery over
any art being OF growth. and this field too newly
planted TO be reasonably hoped for Wha We uo
find and what contents us steady growth, the result
OF study independence and individuality that these
qualities are visible the welcovered walls OF lhe
North and East Rooms, we should think every careIu
visitor must admit We wish we could say as
much for the English part OF the EXhiDluon'
IN which we have necessarily been much disappointed
II the enterprsing, weinteutioned gentleman who
undertook 10 give notion Of what the English are
doing in watercOor had been able 70 carry out a that
he hoped our artists might have had the benefit OF some
indisputablo excellence with which to compare their
own performance; and they make no unreasonable
rretentous, TO write themselves more than
scholars they would have gladly set themselves TO learn
the lessons certainly have been taught by the
works Of such men as Gilbert Lewis Taylor Haghe, and
Werner, 10 mention only few OF the 0est-known En-
Rish names However, this not to. be- and 1t is
useless 20 dwell upon the fact that among all the draw
ings which, as Mr. Blackburn informs us,
were collected in England in nine days
there IA hardly a drawing that deserves particular
notice Mr. Backburn's statement to the shortness
of the time in which these hundred WaterColors
and Sketches, that make up his part Of the Exhibition
were collected was enough with those who knew the
state OF things in London 10 satisfy them beforehand
that the English Exhibition must be a failure There
are two WaerCoor Societies liz London, the "Old" and
the "New," and every year hundreds OF drawingsare
rejected EACH in making up the Exhibitions, re-
jected because they not Judged worthy, ibu
by far greater part because though they might pass
muster, there is only room the walls for limited
numbeT. few years ago another Exhibition, the Dud-
ley was established in order II rightly informed
give the artists rejected by the two Societies chance
IN be seen tho Uubic Yet the swarm OF
contributions that in year. no less than sixteen hund
red drawings rejected by the managers OF tho Dud
ley Exhibition our readers will see to make
an Exhibition by themselves. With such crowd or re-
iected drawings filing the portfolios OF printseers and
pcturedeaer it is not dIcult to understand how two
hundred or even two thousand drawings might be col
leced London n nine days even In less, II there
were need And TO dismiss disagreeable subject the
reader may judge how much prospect there Is, If the
English fud it hard to make their walls for
the works artists, that they should help for
ward scheme Of International Exhibitions that would
increase the number Of competitors for places.
The valuable part OF Mr. Blackbus Exhibition is the
collection OF pen-and-uk drawings, the originals OF
wocd-cuts have all had the opportunity of admrng
in The Graphic. In London Society, and in Punch by
the side Of uth work the "Gmzo and Ihiers," No
5O7; who's your Fathers friend" No. 557; or the
Burmese Ambassadors" No. 552, how tame or how
barbarous does work done for illustrated newspa-
pers appear! Aside from the force-the budgeOn
strength-w.th which he conveys his meaning, what
artistic merit can any who understands the decacy
and strength of these English drawings Dd in the per
formanccs Of Mr Mast They the tattoOing of
ages the smeariDg with warpaint, by the side OF the
painting the cup Of gold lacquer made for DaimOs
wife But even the best do even the draw
ing Of Wiusow Homer, Of In Fargo, Of Sheppard, of
Feun must shrink from the comparison with this excel
lent work.
wo have no American etching to compare with that
shown by MI Blackburn few Of artists having tried
their hands at this The English work here shown
us must be compared with other English work to be
fairly Judged and If It could be placed side by side with
that produced by Nh Whistler or MI Seymour Hayden,
lts infcrority-we thinking particularly Of Mr
Edwin Eiwards's wOrk-WOuld have been easily mani
fest. We 90 not know whether many, or indeed. any,
OF Seymour HaYdens etchiug could be found in New
York ,ir. Whiser's work in this field could have
been very completely shown and, as he is
by birth an American, heartily wish
jt could have been done. On the whole
small and incomplete as II H. we thank Mr.. Blackburn
for the beginning he has made in this exhibition Of
works IN black-andwhte. We hope he will quietly and
energetical pursue what he begun We might with
bis cooperation England, and with that Of Mr.. Avery
say for France and Germany. have an exhibition
another year OF pcnandink drawings etchings and cop
per plate that wond give public great deal Of
jOyment and instruction Beside modern work. we
might make, if American prnt-colectors could name
would help US ere ditabe show OF even such masters
who are only second because these are first.
And now for our own Society Of WaterCOlOr and its
share of the present exhibition. We have already
spoken Of the work Of Mr. Swain Clifford and Of Mr..
Louis TIny as doing these gentlemen great credit.
MI Tiffany is In fair way to escape entirely from his
tutelage to Mr. Samuel COlmaD, and indeed, in his
Mosque Of Said Pacha" No 72 and Lazy Life around
the Old suDTreasury Of Morocco at Tangier," No Ga.
there small trace Of that tuteage. Mr.. Tiffany Is
stronger man than Mr.. Colman strong enough, we be-
Ieye TO break through all maDnerisms and conventional
teachings and work out style that shall be all his
and Natures His large drawing in the North Room
shows that he enjoys breadth and simplicity that he is
not afraid Of blank spaces aud that he s after light
first Of all; will get color by Of light and not in
spite of it-as some do.
Good vigorous work this OF Mr. Swain GiffOrds who
also is in earnest pursuit Of the truth and makes be-
ncye he has put Of into these drawings of places
some of us never saw Mr. GifOrds work. whether IN
Oil or in waercoor has been interesting to us from its
Trst appearance manly direcness and clearness In
the expression Of his enjoyment OF light air. and motion
has been the characteristic Of his performance and as
time goes he seems only 10 De striving for greater
simplicity in his expression Of this delight rather
than TO be searching for things 10 express. And
indeed what ne is seeking 20 tell us can told with
any material a North River sloOp good a Nile
boat
A striking contrast with the work Of Mr.. Clifford aud
OF Mr. Tiffany found in that Of Mr. VIM. T. Richards.
Tns work delicatey drawn and cOored in such an
approach TO monochrome, that it cannot be fairly
here on gallery walls. One must get up close TO
II as 90 shut of completely the influence OF the works
neighbOring it, order judge IL at all, and even
then IL fairly We think it doubtful If Mr..
Richards does sacrifice too much In his almost com
pete abstinence from the pictorial arthce Of contrast
but his point Of view accepted 1t must bo admitted
that the beach and the in calm have
been more beautifully, more truly represented than by
this artist.