New-York tribune., 1874-04-11
FINE ARTS
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN
F0RTY-NINrH ANNUAL EXHIBITION
(S,oOza ArtsrLl

c. C. Coleman's Interior Chapel OF san Giorgio Peru
gta." This IS mastery performance, one thst Wouiu
much at home in the Paris Salon or in the Royal
Academy IL this the principal Exhibition Of Pic
tures city that should be proud TO claim the artist
citizen. Yes, II this merit be allowed ana the 1act
admitted that the Corridor considered by the artists
place only suited 10 small pictures ana tnat 70 put
q work Of any size there is 10 marx 1t Win lnlerorJ-
what shall be said Of the judgment OF the Hanging Com
mttee that given this beautiful picture place
Lot merely trsditionaly thirdrate but one posluVeV
iniurinus Certainly do not wish TO add TO the
troubles OF the Committee, who, II they were angels
could never satisfy everybody, by making ourselves the
mouthpiece OF the complaints that this year are more
plainly heard than usual, but we have WORD 10 say
our behalf as representing porIon VI
the artoving public Let u.s. then. lke frehcn IAcon
ers fly at thing see-and there Is MT scheneks
Lost" No doubt this is fine picture. and we are glad
TO see It again IT, as believe it is the same picture
that gained the artist much credit IN Paris but why
does picture by artist born in Holstein for years
resident at Ecouen,3 near Paris, aud since become
Prussian citizen. usurp the place OF honor In an eGho
ton OF pictures by American artists We do not com
plain because we love Mr. Schenck less but because
love Mr.. c. C. Coleman, and Mr.. Vedder, and Mr w. l.
Richards, and Mr.. Page and Mr. Lafarge. and dozen
other Americans more. There have been exhibitions
where far from grudging Mr. schenck the place he
well occupies, should have welcomed such Gov
ering for nakedness but this year, do not need
him, and we don't like to Mr. Coleman thrust into
corridors and small rooms and Mr.. Nedder put IN the
corner and Nj Richards fine sea piece placed that
you are wrecked the heater IL the middle OF the
gallery you try 20 get a view OF II from
q proper distance. Then, again. hear that great
many pictures have been rejected dare the
most Of them deserved IT, for there have been too many
admitted that should have been declined with thanks
But there's in al things, and II is not to be De-
eved take conspicuous case, that every one OF
Mp. John Lafarges dOwer-pieces deserved sending
back while, as Il to add insult 70 injury, the one
picture OF his that accepted has been
hung in the corridor the door leading into the South
Room where nobody can get sight Of IT, by any disoca
tion OF his anatomy, how scro0atcaly inge-
uous he may be- We acquit the Hanging Committee
lo7ay Of ali intention 10 wrong one OF our most poet
icaly nded artists and no less courteous, modest
yentlemsn-but We suspect that their Dusseldorf train
ing has put them Of sympathy with freer schools
and that they treated Mr. Laiarges work as they did
simply because they did Mt understand It's vaue The
same obtuseness probably perohed Mr. Whsters Coast
OF Brittany" over the door OF the South Room BACK
10 back with Mr Lafarge's Portrait and TINS is only
greater Dunder than the other because we so rarely
get sight Of picture by Mr Whistler, whereas Mr. La
iarges work Is somewhat less cNSnmOn Odoly enough
TOO 1t happens that Mr. Whisters Scene OF the Coast
OF Brittany" was borrowed from its owner in Baltimore
expressly for this exhibition, that it was alike dis
courteous and wanting in to give 1t such
a place. Mr.. Whistler holds such dis
tinguished place abroad that his pictures are
given the best places that can be commanded IN the
French Salon and in the exhibitions Of the Royal
Academy Even where IL l. hung In the Academy II Is
plain that the Coast Of Brittany" is striking and
characteristic picture and would have pleased sood
many people II II could have been properly hung AS TO
other reecuons Of which complaints to we can
not speak IN detail, Il manifcsty unjust 10 reject
in any case every picture sent particularly where
the standard OF admission is as low as IL
must necessarily be With Besides, the Hanging
Committee should not give handle to captons
people and people with grievances by being more gem
erous 70 themselves than they are TO others The artist
especially if ne be novice, nor wholly unknown as
contributor " the exhibitions cannot be expected to be
patient when sends three pictures TO have them al
rejected and finds that the three members Of the Hang
ING Committee accepted ten pictures OF their own
OF which number n7e are the modest Contribution OF
one person.
The general public may think this depression none Of
s business but We are sure second thought 1t
Will see its mistake Leaving justice out or the question,
our Measure and knowledge are both concerned IN
this matter. We have riglt 10 the enjoyment 10 De
derived from seeing put in the best possible hht the
work of our best men, and we have rsltto know az
that is going on in little world Of our artist-wh0 Is
growing, standing sl' and, eyen' 40 Is iA4I!Ag
back. ,,
IT, return TO Mr COieman's picture. The subject is
the interior Of the Chapel immediately connected with
the Camhio Exchange OF the CITY OF Peruia in I'm
brla The Hall OF Exchange with the Chapel are on the
ground floor OF the Town Hall. The Han OF Exchange
was decorated with frescoes Dy Perugino and It has
been thought that assisted in the work By MS
pup Raphael II is small room no longer devoted toits
or ginal purpose, but the frescoes and the carved
vainscotting with tie desk at which the syndics sat
are still il fine preservation. on the wall, at the left
Perugno painted MS portrait the face oil rather
dull. unimagtnatve, poddng person, Dut face N
which il must take optics sharp TO hnd the
greed the cunning and the atheism with which
vosupping yasari hrst charged him, aud which every
gosspng traveller has felt II his duty to see IL the face
ever since. Enough for US 70 know however that
mis- little room was made beautiful the teacher and
friend OF Raphael who loved him and venerated him
Ike the kind second father that he was, and RaphaePs
exquisitey moduated spirit couid have ielt love ana
veneration only for what lovely aad venerable.
In the little picture by Raphael which is IL
our Bryan Gallery, childish but Character
lstie work. he has made Perugno one OF the
circle Of shepherds who adore the infant Jesus lying
ike new-falen star upon the grass. he has painted
himself too among them but while all the rest himself
included are baretOoted and bareneaded, Perm
gno is provided with stockings and shoes II is slight
touch but It shows clearly enough the boys feeling TO-
ward his master door the right OF this room opens
into the chapel where the merchants OF Perugia
used Ito hear mass before beginning the days money
getting 1t is this chapel which MI Coleman
shows us in his picture, and e not possible to Imagine
the work better done This Chapel was pauted by
Ciannicolo d Paolo Manu- with subjects from the life
OF ST. John the Baptist Mr.. Colemans picture shows
us the Altar (now disused with Mannis picture OF the
Baptism Christ above It. and the Annuncaton divided
as yas so Ioften done-nto two pictures, the Angel
Raphael over one OF the sscsy doors and the Annun
eate Virgin over the other. At the left OF the
chapel seen the door leading into the Exchange and
and at the night may be made out portion OF ManDs
iresco OF the Birth Of the Virgin The Of the cell