New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-30
GERMAN GOSSIP.
ART AND LITERATURE AT BERLIN.

ORGANIZING THE INSTITUTION - PROBABLE
REsIGNATIeN or TIE DIRECTOR OF TIE ROYAL
Observation-Disclosures AT WORK ON ANOTHER
NOVEL.
~ ROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBUSh'I
BERLIN Feb. 17.-Wben the late President OF inc
Prussian Academy died there was warm confro-
yersy over tho succession. Two parties were IN the
field. The one, which was n distinctive Berlin anu
local party demanded for President a distinct Berlin
artist and of this party the favorte candidate was
Herr Werner. This gentleman is a Court artist.
who deserves to be something better. He is the
artist of the paintings, which are now being con-
verified into mosacs in the now Sicgess;ue, tho
only feature at least the only exclusive feature OF
the has relefs to redeem that structure from abso-
Iute barbarisIn. In the last exhibition of the
Academy he was represented by an admirable pic
ture of Dr. Martin Luther Mt II family festival, ana
portrait of Gen. Won Motke for the Car of Russia
dc is an excellent drauchtsman, and his paintings
are finished with great deiicacy and refinement.
The opposition to Werner springs from two sources
those who charge him with mannersm and those
who think that his patronage at Court mas
marred the democratic impartiality OF true arl.
OF both those classes the candidate, not openly
ayowed so much as secretly encouraged,
was Ludwig Knaus Tho Dusseldorf Pro-
lessor is no stranger in America. His Golden
Wedding" his masterpiece and it is in the posses
sion. ] think, of Mr.. C.. G. Perkins OF Boston. The
piece which il. perhaps, the best known, I'm run
lima is in the Raycn6 collection ut Belbn. Irot.
Knaus was. say. a candidate-the candidate oil
Young Germany for tho vacant Presidency; ana
when no was invited to Berlin by the GoVernment
there were hopes that he would actually DO chosen.
But he was needed for other service year ago IL
was determined to organize system Of so-cahcd
Eester Ateers, as we would say art-tellowshps,
not unlike the prir dc Zone of the French Academic
des BeauxArs. These studiosare to afford advanced
instruction to ten pupils of each graduating class
from the Academy. chosen according to proficiency.
There arc three of these studios and Prof. Knaus ID
at the head of one of them
In its present condition the Berlners are greatly
dissatisfied with the Academy. It does not conduct
its affairs on 80 elevated basis IA the Academy at
Paris. and any one who has visited its biennial exhi-
billions must have been panied by the overwhelming
contributions of medlocrity. Hermann Grimm
has written energeticaly on the subject. Now
il appears q reform may be expected.
draft of articles Of organization for the same has
already been laid before the Ministry by commit
tee of the Senate and certain independent artists
II is indeed III certain sense only PROVISIONAL ana
lis permanent adoption depends on the construction
of a new building. The old Academy Inter den
Linden is pointed out to every visitor at Berlin. IL
is q large, gloomy edice, where the biennial eN-
bibitions are held. For tho rest of the year the
rats have undsturbcd control of all except one cor
ner on the ground floor, where the maeIstcriai
porter sits and two damsels sell canvas and paints
TO the copyists in the Museum. On the Dorotneen
Strasse near the Dourse, a fine new building is III
course OF erection which will accommodate the
specimens of German art to which 1T Is dedicated.
But the old Academy building IS the headquarters
of tho art school, and so long "a this IL the case any
reform of the institution can be only temporary.
II is proposed therefore, for the present. to reor
ganize the system Of instruction. The Acanemy
to use the technical desgnation-is to be cen
soidaed into a school of the pictorial arts and is
to DO divided into three sections, viz. The above
named dtetGS, tbs general art schools and
the drawing school. The Division Will then
become the Royal Music School-the Hoch-
schulz fir Musk, over which Joachim, tie
famous vionst, presides. in spite OF the
opposition of rivals. This will also be subdivided
IN several sections such AZ musical composition, v0
cal music. and church music. The administrative
power will be lodged in "a Senate, the members OF
which will be named by the Minister of Public In
struction and certain other persons who are MEM
bers CT oGcio. The presidency. as it IS now main
tanned will be abolished. Instead OF this presd-
ing officer will be elected annually, as III the case OF
the rector of the universities 4 second controlling
body-the democratic body-is the committee OF
members, which is chosen by the members them
selves. The other features of the scheme affect
only "details of local interest and of the whole it
may be said that it is only project, which has not
yet been accepted. and which, even il accepted.
will make q very imperfect institution.
As a matter of current interest 10 the art world
al Of lISpiOIu.
Director of the Royal Museums may be mentioned.
The motive or alleged motive, of the step is want
of the necessary independence in the discharge of
his duties ANY one who is at all familiar with the
state of art cultivation at the Prussan Court-a
court where o mounted soldier in any metal is con-
sdered the highest type of art, and where the
prevailing grade Of cultivation is "a low "a
among Wallenstein's generals-can very well
understand why Count Usedom enjoys
limited degree of authority II is hard work to
arrange properly museum where the relics of
Frederic the Great sacred as pieces of the
cross in Rome, and where statues by Begas are
treated as masterpieces of plastic art. Count Use
dom is, think, much respected by scholars and
people of taste. 1t has fallen to him to exercise
discrimination in manv fields of art, and though he
has sometimes erred, as in the famous Moabit
stones, it has generally happened, as in that case,
that the best scholars Of Germany have erred with
him. lie has been aided in the department of
painting by Dr. Julius Meyer, one Of whose claims
to recognition is that he has written a very good
history of French art since the Revolution, nclud-
ing. however David and the artists of the Revolu-
ton.
There is very little new in literature. Auerbacl
ia hard at work on long novel, which Will be ready
next season. and is also about to publish q volume
of fugitive pieces Friedrich Spieihagen has just
completed comedy. Iiebe fir Liebe' which the
Royal Theater has accepted, and will soon bring
out 1t deals with the Napoleonic wars or the War
of Inlnnnndrnce IA IL Is called here. the war LII