The New York herald., 1874-11-03
ART IN EUROPE.
German PrOgress---The Biennial EX-
position in Berlin.
THE BELGIAN EXHIBITION.
Flemish Art Of the Past and
the Present.
Artistic Progress In Germany.

Artistic Progress In Germany.
BERLIN. Oct. .19, 1874.
The present biennial exposition OF the Royal
Academy OF Art comprises over q thousand
works Of living artists. The collection Is
interesting to high aegree. both from
the number OF very good pictures to be
seen there and from the decided national char
acter OF the display. Very few OF the pictures are
cosmopolitan in conception, the subjects as o
rule interesting Germans especially, although the
range OF ideas expressed Is very wide. even from
the most materiaistic or buncombe subject to
the depths OF philosophy and mythology. The
mass OF the pictures need no Interpretation; they
are painted for the boor or for the savant and are
like household tales, understood ana appreciated
by the most ignorant enjoyed because requiring
no effort to enjoy by those accustomed to look Tor
the serious IN art. The genre Is there In full
force and, hydra-headed, springs up in every cor
ner and thrusts itself before the spectator at each
step; and the German GENRE has Its worshippers
In myriads; 1t lacks not buyers, and probably Tor
this reason every other branch OF art
seems to be neglected for 1t. Mythology and
poetry ind frequent illustrators. Canvas
covered with tortured and tormented figures
horses, with eyes OF IRE and fame breathing
nostrtls, sweep along over corpses and
through weird landscape lighted by the lanes
Of burning CASTLE Armies Of livid heroes
wrestle In the clouds, or dancing circles OF light
robed nymphs hover over q charmed pool With
all this 1t Is relief to remark an absence OF the
expressionless nude so common In the Paris
Salon. Wherever the nude is attempted, and 1t Is
but rarely seen, the enort is more successful in
expression than in execution, and shows preoc-
cupation OF the artist In favor OF the former and
to be sure the greater elements. Next to the
genres In number swarm the patriotic pictures,
and in popularity, as may be supposed, take the
lead. The increasing demand for this shop-work
art and the number OF artists OF no particular
merit who gain q livelihood ana reputation In
it announces decline IN public taste III this dl-
rection, at least. The artist who is cunning
enough to select the looked for subject. who is
seized by the spirit Of the hour and takes the
popular side in politics or religion. who tickles
the patriotic palate OF the military artstocracy, he
is the man OF the age, and thus worthless produc-
tons to rank with the best art. In landscapes
there is a strong increase IN favor OF the new
Dusseldorf school and much less Of the old con-
ventional work than might be expected. Still the
number Of landscapes that look like nature seen
in q brass door plate is by no means small.
Alma Tadema's two large pictures, painted, It is
SAID, for Mr.. Goupil, are unquestionably at the
head Of the list as paintings and extremely in
teresting archR0logically, and no less so as very
perfect examples Of this artists best style. Sol
idly painted every inch Of them, with no hesita-
ting touch, every tone is In It's place and every
tone is just. The figures are well drawn and
draperies chosen and adjusted with Tadema's re-
fined taste. and they are draperies which have
an existence, which have been worn and not
posed In the picture for this occasion only-a
fault TOO common IN most classical or historical
work. One OF the subjects is the interior OF q
Roman studio, with group Of figures, among
whom are recognized the portrait OF the owner OF
the two pictures, looking az q panel on an easel.
The light comes from above, shimmering into the
room ana quivertng before the pictures hung
on the walls around-a most beautifully managed
eject. The other picture is q group OF Romans
the artist and his family-in . sculptor's sales
room. slave Is showing dne black carved vase
to the customers, and turns It that they may be.-
ter see the ornamenrs. With the exception OF this
vase and the figures everything Is IN white marble,
and the perspective quality Of the tones OF white
Is wonderfully rendered. The room in she dis
tance, with its store OF figures and ornaments, is
as truly IN place as any OF Peter de Hoog's kitchen
perspectives, and 1t Is an erect managed with
much greater dlficulty. The charm OF the
picture is the grace Of the figures, the exquisite
beauty OF the different tones OF the draperies and
the marble. no less than the honest execution
which always distinguishes this artists work.
The portraits are, for the most part, IKE the
statues OF Berlin, military ones. There are two Of
the Emperor--one BY Leubach, very realistic and
popular than the one by Angel Of fA Vienna Which, ssS
latter Is, perhaps, the artists best erort: ae
Grown Princess. Csmphausen's equestrian portrait
OF the Emperor, popuiarly known through photo
frst hall Gustav Ricnter has, besides 8 portrait
OF princess and two or three life sized genres,
half length sitting portrait OF Minister Bancroft.
He sits racing the spectator one hand on the arm
OF the chair ana the other in his beard. The lace
is full OF thought, and It Is scarcely necessary to
porous in execution than some OF Richter's gures,
and - serious, though not particularly DIS
There is nothing from the studios Of Piloty Max.
art or Wagner, but with these notable exceptions
nearly every artist Of considerable merit is repre-
'Neron II not great picture, comes nearer .Il the
mark than the hundred which surround 1t. 1t Is
the Roman n emperor surrounded by his slaves
Ing 20 the music Of . pair Of half Wild peasant
players and TO the cnatter Of the women. one Of
wine glass he makes gesture toward the burning
city, seen through the curtains. There is
nons 1,on sns snheo. new In the concep
sltion. which is constructed very much alter
Makart's principles. and decidedly re esembes this
original qualities it has, % noveSer ss SarSg rSiyf one.
Gabriel MAX exposes . reclining figure which he
lying iun length on richly hung couch. Between
the curtains ana beyond the window bars is seen
group OF gentlemen and Knights. As piece OF
color is very ssrong the flesh modelling stiil re-
mains nttle weak and nat, although there are
elements N Inc picture far SURPRISING the artists
lures IN OIL and In water coors, mostly studies Of
animals. he has come out again upon the old
stage ana produces new menagerie scene, or
side show performance OF the old menaaerie, with
performing Indians. A little careaessy painted
and tarry IN aspect
1t would De proftless undertaking to enumer-
ate one-tenth part OF the battle pieces and pstri
otc pictures; but, to begin with the worst ana
most popular paintings small, square picture
hung IN an OBSCURE corner-wtll he TO give hlns
OF the extent to which patriottsm or national
pride or the nush Of victory bases the public judg-
ment and causes Q recognition OF The worst
Uatfying the ARTIFICIAL appetite of the great
German nation. The picture In question Is the
.fnternew between Napoleon and Kaiser Wilhelm
In the Chateau Bellevue at Sedan.v II IL very
sttn interior-probably painted on the spot--the
p oAn vho - -, exx~