New-York tribune., 1874-04-24
FINE ARTS-MUSIO.
ZINE ARTS.
NATIONAL ACADEMY or DEsfGN-FoR1YHIHrH AN.
NUAL EXHIBITION.
ZINE ARTS.

pest IN tue exhibition,
the least In excellence the two portraits by Mrs. II.
A. Loop, Nos. l57 and Ill We have not many bettcn
portratpanters than this lady In country. That
she had ability evident in the first pictures she
hibed and from the first she has steadily and soldly
improved The contrast Il rather painful ono between
Mrs. Loops Portrait Of Lady" No, III, and The sis-
ters." No 1885, by Mr.. Thomas Hicks Mrs. Loops pic-
ure Ia honest. unpretendng work. well drawn, nat
urally posed and clearly. sodly cOored. Thore Ia nOt
trace Of sctstion about tho artistic effects
duced in the most straightforward way, Tbo
weak point ia the eyes, which. to think.
ing want lighting little: they ara
good color and expression but not liquid enough. Our
own great master Stuart used to paint such eyes wen.
Turning moment to The Sisters. the first remark
that must spring the lip OF the spectator Is 10 be.
"How queer ~ There is, indeed no accounting for the
pose OF this group unless indeed Mr. Hicks has lighted
upop new pair of Samese twins. Oddly enough one OF
the artists first pictures painted years ago. was pOr
tr,itpeee OF two brothers which the same defect was
observed and many good-natured wttcisms HeT about
In connection with it, But apart rou the want OF ma
ture grouping, the painting itself Il 40 thin ana
fat we can but wonder whether this II the best Mr.
Hicks can do. "Tho Brothers" was indeed childish
performance, the work OF the artists youth TINS pie
ure seems to us second cbdishness aud nero oblivion
its best award.
Another good portrait i8 that OF old lady by Mr..
Carl Brandt which still keeps a remarkable strength
and sodIty spite of the too porceainlike finish Of
the surface Mr. Brandt gives much expression but his
manner is artificial and in his work the mechanic gets
the upper hand OF the artist sometimes. s 1t Is good
to see work. and to OF artist that he does nos
slight his tasks. This kind OF hnlsh too gives gress
pleasure people, and 1t Is by no means inde-
fensibe; those who scout 1t utterly. may remember
Raphaeps "Fornarina," and still greater " Portrait
"A female head as0-n the Tribune OF the Ufzl, where
the finish is carried every bit far It Is here Tho
question should be, not there much finish, but m
there az much style; and "syle" being tha
first thing, Raphaeps superiority may easily Do
admitted, while 1t is insisted also that MS
attainment OF style in these two masterpieces Is nos
| Inconsistent with finish carried very far. Mr.. Brands
has portraits the present exhibition; one OF
little girl the other of old LADY, aud In each case hs
has succeeded o striking degree In giving the ex'
preston OF fe-strong free, and fearless In the chh
cheerful and wlse with failing strength In the aged
human being and in both he has worked with great re
| nnement. Mr.. George A. Baker and Mr. Daniel Hunt
ngton both send portraits their best style; those OF
children in another room, by Mr. Baker. have already
| been noticed This Portrait" OF lady, NO. loS' 10
worthy OF his reputation there Is here abundant ufa
and spirit, and a character clearly Indicated Mr. Hunt
iugton's PORTRAIT" No lG2 is pleasing work. bus
less individual and less strongly painted than the ina
nor,raits of Mr. and Mira Tbbits, in the South Room.
But No 1872 is good picture. and IL Is comfortable Ia
think of Mr. Huntington still climbing. and throwing
| down the best cherries from the top OF hs tree'
| Mr.. william Pages Portrait Of a Lady" is at onco
recognized as tho work, not OF school, but OF nan
who always was and always must be his own school.
and himself his only scholar, This Is strong pieceW
painng but somehow wanting in the elegance that Mr..
Page knows how to render. The painting Of the things
in this portrait s not up to the artists mark he al
ways 1t is true, puts all his strength where ne shoum
put t-into his faces; but he knows well enough no"
to indicate jewel, flower or bit OF lace mere ha
has shown less than his usual Invention ana
is no better than be bought In best goldstnS
4 ~ haab t..,u no tre.s QQy
with it, and take away all richness Of effect An artist
ia or ought to be- auoorat In regard TO the dress OK
his sitter. No doubt every great portraitpaipter
| has been so; many anecdotes SURVIVE 10 snow
| IT, But wo are content 10 quote tho prac-
tce of an American artist who in a short life earnei
wde but deeply based, the late Mr. Furniss OK
Philadelphia. A lady whose portrait one OF tho
last painted informed us that Mr.. Furnss was most
particular and choice IN tho selection OF the dress and
ornaments that his sitter was TO wear and that he re-
quested have brought down all the dresses in some
OF which she willing TO be painted, and all her
| ornaments that he might decide upon what would suit
! his picture best. With him. with every portrais
painter worthy OF the nane the face was the aim OF DIS
noble toll but without perfect harmony In the dress
aud ornaments he could conceive how his portrat
| could be picture.
Mr. George Hall introduces us 70 happy worid-iu
which Of the planets wonder l-where people get on
without any Joints and muscles without anatomical
hnderances whatever. What blessed day IL Will be.
especially the planet in question have vilanous
street corporation In NewYork enjoy, when, being
made Of inda-rubber and putty, slip up on tho
ce trip up orange peel and banana skins, and woo-
BILE about the mud without fear OF dislocston or
| compound fraoturesl There must be suoh q world
| somewhere, and Mr.. Hall must have seen It In q
| vision, else how could be report the inhabitants
| thereof with much accuracy Here Is little
girl lat least the catalogue calls her little girl
and gives her a name boou who is swayng her body
and snapppg her fingers without any muscles joints,
tendons or any other OF the mysterious aud bohersomo
anatomical arrangements that make much OF our dis
| comfort while this machine Is TO us. Funnier than
this ia the Sleeping Model" in another room, where
putty little boy has been laid upon shelf 10 dry, aud
any the spectator might have for his safety are
removed by that he will stay the shelf
till he taken or for he has no joints, and therefore
does not belong the Of artculang men. Not TO
be uniust Mr. Hail. he does not always make his crea-
tions of caoutchouc or putythere little turnover
doll in No. las that Is nodded out Of strawberryice.
| "summer In the Blue RIDGE" by Mr. II. Bolton
JONES' is pleasant picture. agreeably composed show
ing the fruits Of study and with natural feeling IT, az
we learn, Mr. Jones "a q young artist We must hear
more of him hereafter this Is most creqtable, II be
an early Mr. Eastman Johnson's Prisoner" is
forcble presentmen but Is t too nice criticism thss
the sentiment expressed belongs rather to young man
than to old and grzzled one. We should rather say
the manner in which the sentiment is expressed for
love Of liberty and the desire of t are common " all
ages But somehow the action OF looking at tho free
| bird perched on the gratings Of tho prison window
natural 10 young man than w an Ola onc'
| To tho old man-especialy II be be- Ike this oue'
| o prisoner OF state-mprisonment means rather
thwarng OF the mind. ruin TO plots and combinations
tho death OF ambition. To the young man 1t phys
ca grief 1t means loss of the material world. the
forced abstinence the pleasures Of and the
body deprived Of Its glad freedom OF movement its
resess energy cabined cribbed confined To the young