New-York tribune., 1876-04-08
ACADEMY OF DESIGN.
FIFTYFIRsT ANNUAL EXHIBITION.


shows more painstalinc qualities than that OF Mr.
Wusow Homer, and he certainly is not behind
tesi artist in the interest with whicn he goes
about his work. in faithfulneSs 10 his
standard II he does not choose his subjects
tirey from the present time and from the world imme
datcy about him, IL Is Mr.. UOm'rS habit 10 do, he is
much bent Mr. Homer is being true 20 the phase
sf American life in which he takes especial pleasure
And so long as he IS true TO what has attracted
em, it ought IN fact TO be Of lituo importance
that his models in general the men and
women who were old people forty OF fifty years
ago, and nearly all OF whom must be
dead. from MI Pcrry's choice of subjects drawn
from American Countrywide in the early part o. this
century being reason why his pictures should attract
little attention, IL woull seem % De reason why
Americans, especially in those days Of rommisoence,
should LOOK az them. not merely with curiosity, but with
aectOraie pleasure. It eyiden., however, that with
most people they looked at with f3r moro curiosity
than pleasure Yet Mr. Homefs work is run
after with avidy, and his slightest sketches
meet with 1enIy giauceS, the sole reason for tac d-
ference being in our opinion that ar. HJmers people
are alive and Mr Pe.rys not. IL woJd be s3ipris-
ingn 90 moi IN human naurc, how many de ects N
tie technics o. picture arc hciC eXcus'be tuoy AaFe
only the virtue of being aliyo win what calmnes'
hear that Tan drawing IS often enough incorrect,
nay positively bad according the gmmaians stand
ard. that is say). How Tuocto stiA holds hS o"n
In tie market though tie scientific people insist inst
the traditional schoolboy would nave avoided his many
nisagcs People do nlt lGc Eaihscl bcc'iSo
o. correctness OF drawing and composition, oat II they
like him AZ ALL ike him in spite OF Dis perfection.
"Faultly fauIcss, cy regular. splc diIly nuiL'
On the other hand sir Eu-In been scJliiug away
lately In most un5esmiy fashion ut MIcItaugro, aud
trviny T. make people think all of bad things
about him. both az and artist, cooly assuring
us th.t spoiled the ceiling OF tie sime CAape a1d
saying great many things tha, be VII probably he
sorry for next year. To al which the World Ike heart
less shyiock stl replies TIL thou cansJ Tah fhe
Dayid's head from his shoulders, TIE NiSat from her
tomb the Eve from beneath tie arm OF God, or her
adoring iua from before the Creators face; TIL thou
eanst ran these seals tie divine from OF the bond hat
binds our souls 10 NichriancciO's SOUL
Thou but ofeucst thy lungs 20 tals so loud'
Mcheiausclo Titan, Tmtoretto might . thousand
ways. and have thousand positive faults, bat they
would still keep their thrones IT, most certainly the
case there forth pm them the power TO wkcn ~
to Iie and keep alive TaciF spirits rule as from
their urns and thcy do 1t hy spiritual force, ana
so long rs they exert that force, 1t is oi
the least possible consequence whether they
draw well or In When men rule their fellows or
strongly draw them 10 is not by thcr mistakes or their
errors hut by Their postve performance AMI We may
as vel accept tho fact of their power and seek to under
stand it, not waste powder in trying 10 prove that
the fact doesn't exist. All this IS not % argue that an
artist may he careless in cold blood or iniGsti-
ously INDECENT, culuy1ng ignorance OF M technics
OF hs profession as IL II virtue. Only VIC inSlS'
that tne best thing work OF ART can do FOR us is 10 b' 80
EtIauu al
life 10 s who look at IT, Plenty OF work in these DAYS
puts II. off with paint instead Of poetry. and with
p-oaehable drawing expended dead things. But IN
every gallery and collection what We 20 a0oat hungry 10
seek is the work Of some man, if we could Oat
find it. who shall make us think or feel
or strongly enjoy. II along with This inSpira-
uon we can have Grstrate drawing, beautiful or u0ac
color telling composition and rrcproacha5lr anatomy,
by ali let have them and be thankful Tor them
Only We never do got ali these things together ANA
therefore must make NJ our minds to do without
some one Of them Who would not rather it were any or
all Of them so that the lire The creative energy reanodi
goodly portion of this lie and energy is N air. !
Honers pictures. and by yasou Of DO thcy draw the PUT
lie them and lay powerful hand ou lts attention
Even sGch pictures these IN whIcI lecaci, a' caN
are resisting the efforts o do the good. we can
not pass them by with indifference, although we Eno"
well enough that the artist is asn- his time and
n painting thom. We must look at them for Il
few minutes, each time find ourselves III
the North Room, only for the pleasure OF seeing ac
ton represented with spirit, the EFFORT OF two animals to
restrain the cl0r or two other ANIMALS 10 resist re-
straint But Mr. Perys pictures, find no salt n.I
savor OF lie rlese well painted to be called lay
figures, and too III pantoi TO 30 called human beings
We snail not renew our quarrel with Mr.. Perry
that be goes painting the Same women
the sac old and the same young ono
wear after year We have heard OF "men ol QUO book
and ere was "slngle-spo-cn Hamllton' Nj. Perry
seems determined 10 mmortaiize himself rs sing pc
woman Perry" II is touching case Of cunstancy, an
WI should be the last 10 say word against II, II tn
lady had any interest But sIe won't make Ito
slightest effort to care for what dong and how
We expected to for it moro than snc 1t sut
at ali the fact that she is out Of drawing
that troubles us Tue and women about
us are often Of drawing aud IN ats
factory color wanting in tone. or don't compoa~
well; but for al these artistic drawbacks we watch
their proceedings with good dea, Oi interest Mr.
Perrys people the other hand look to us too often IS
If they we're playing at tablcaus, as il they h'a
taken their places and tbs curtan had been rung up
This young woman in No 2lO. " Waiting for spart'
Will never raise flame and what Is more, she doesn't
mean ~. She il just posing for that particular joke
by "practicabe fireplace, ready for her part IN the
programme " The Quilting Party" No. p is one o.
Mr. Psrrys best performances. but by sort Of tucuS
non Il reminds the story o. the Sleeping Beauty,
the part the Beauty being omitted as IS usual in Mr.
Perry's pictures Ths however, might be the Kitchen
paror Of the Palace, Beauties not of course
looked for Certain il is that these people have been sud
denly shot with sleep midst oil their wor IS Tea
nysou might have sung had he tn picture when ne
wrote his poem,
a s-,mInE needle seems TO suck;
en- ner thread win t>et wouG nicA.
IN frIut, II lrly little mad
pyc. @a2,S Iis 5 1ls ~ 81 .', %ii her ,.o taIeSG,
And hold 10 IN tie nee ID. : eve.
The "Qulet Afternoon" is. We think the best Of all Mr.
Perry's el g plctufes aud the want llc that
In the others less missed here. This picture
marks Mr. Porry's higA-water mark he has Of
ten painted as well, and lac has seldom
painted better. He manage a simple offar
Ike this sufficiently well to st!s.y not very eNaCns
critic whcn he atem ,ts a pretending subject he
fails and the most proyos ug thing is tnaG his failure
often made the cons stcuous by dis very eAcei-
lepees IN leaving TINS artist, may say t.at No 214