New-York tribune., 1876-09-02
CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.
GUIDE TO THE ART EXHIBITION.
MEMORIAL HALL.

cial criticism OF the Art OF the various nstons
sented at the Exhibition, which THE TRIBUNE ID
furnishing it's readers, the visitor may DC praotca
aided by a general survey. II his time be limited,
bs will hardly be able 10 do much than this on
aha spot while, ii be ample he win still fnd no
better preliminary TO prolonged and careful exam
ination.
The fact that Art Is an integral part of all Cviza-
finn and ia thus rooted in the very being OF Man, Is
here illustrated every dsy-if any such illustration
were needed. Whatever portions of the Exhibition
ara neelected Memorial Hall and the Art Annexes are
always crowded During the hot afternoons. the at
mosphere Of the latter is scarcely TO be endured ana
a steam bath is added to the inevitable fatigue OF
pictureseeing. However the season Of greatest en-
durance Is now over, and henceforth those who go
early in tho day may make their inspection with
comfort. Next to the representations either living
or modelled of foreign races our country people are
most interested in the art display. BY scores and
hundreds they pass rapidly through the Main Build
ing resist the attractions of the Carage Annex on
the one side and the Vienna Bakery on the other,
and enter Memorial Hall, where they hnger so long
that but scant justice is done to the other scattered
shows. ..t..t.f ..,... ..-.t #-.s...
The Art Exhibition is very large and very
peculiar 1t may be safely said that no other inter
national display of the kind and extent was ever so
inferior Yet, If less valuable agency of in
already possess some taste and experience,-it is
scarcely less interesting than if it wero better 1t
gives us q few good specimens from most OF the
countries represented and very rich exhibition OF
their mediocrity. We see the common-level OF their
achievement as never before and also the depths to
which Art may descend in countries where its best
work is appreciated and fostered. OF all European
nations, England is the only one which has taken
little pains to make respectable appearance; ana
claahffr NlIadh hN
difference of the Others since it enables us to learn
good many things. ~
Before entering Memorial Hall it is worth while
to look at VOLTS " Dead LiOness" and Mead's group
of "The Navy for the Lincoln monument at Spring-
field in order to forget the winged horses between
which the visitor must pass But the encouragement
which he may draw from these two works is swept
away when, having entered the first gallery he Is
confronted by fearful and wonderful George
Washington of colossal size, soaring to heaven on
the back of the American eagle. 1t is difficult to
believe that the same artist designed this mon
strosity and the good, though conventional, figure
of Aruns which stands opposite. The gallery is
wholly given to italian sculpture the present
characteristics whereof may be detected at
glance The forms of children predomnate-graye,
sportiye, or comlcal-and Of all degrees OF beauty
and ugness The expression is always little ex-
aggerated in order that it may not be mistaken, and
the texture Of clothing and other substances is gwen
with great technical skill Frequently the figures
are emblematic as RosettPs Railroad and Tele-
graph which are among the best, Pozzis " Youth
of Michel Angelo" and SalOmi's Daughter OF Zion
also deserve notice. Absence of high conception in
design and ceverness with the chisel evident in
nearly all the works. The display OF mosaic and
pietra-dura is both large and excellent
The central gallery is occupied by the United
States, Great Britain France, Germany. and Italy,
conformity. Being the chief hail. under the DOME 1t
was simply courtesy to share the space and the re-
suit of direct comparison of artistic work proves
to be anything but discouraging to U.S. We are here
represented, in sculpture, by Story's Medeas"
Palmers statue of Livingston. Miss Foley's Jere-
miah,n Rogers's Ruth and "Nydia," and num-
ber of figures by Connolly and Haseltine. In paint
ing we have only Stuarts portrait of Washington to
balance an Indifferent alegorical piece. But, except
Gibson's "venus" and Chantrey's bust of BENJAMIN
West England contributes sculpture OF much
value; and Germany had better have remained un-
represented than to have sent the stlff, colossal
disagreeable statue Of Prince Bismarck. The CEN
tra gallery need not detan the visitor long. unless
he has both time and inclination to make minute
study of all parts of the Exhibition.
Turning to the left We enter large ball marked
C and ID in the panl, which is divided between the
United States and Great Britain. part of the ad-
southwestern corner, is also occupied by the works
of American artists of which there are about $50 In
Memorial Hall and 940 in the Annexes, makinga
total of 1900 without including etchings, htho-
graphs and other forms of applied art The hrst OF
these collections has historical well as tecbni-
cal interest: the works presented include specimens
of our most noted painters. from Copey to the pres
ent time. Not all of good quality but there are
few which are not instructive, in the way OF COM
payjson The visitor will be first struck with
rRothermels huge Battle of Gettysburg" filing mp
the entire eastern end of the hail. Whatever he may
think of the propriety of admitting such sub
iect on such an OCCASION he will not fail to be be-
wldered by the confused mass Of struggling figures
yanderlyn,s " Ariadne,n which took the gold medal
in Paris nearly 20 years ago, deserves particular
notice; and there are number OF good representa-
tive pictures by modern artists. Pages Shake
spearep is Mt least very curious Nages portrait OF
Gilbert Stuart, and other portraits by Heaiy. Hicks
Anna M Lea, Elliot, sully Inman, Hunt, and Baker
with landscapes by Clifford, McEntee, Whittredge,
Cole Bierstadt, Sonntag, and Moran, and Eastman
Johnsol's % Old Stage Coach" should be examined
and contrasted with other works in their several
fields Of art ~ ~. .T eJ ~
The central gallery also contains many fine pic
tures. In addition to the names already mentioned
we find of the older painters Gilbert Stuart COpley
Washington Allston, Prof Morse, Smibert, and
Stuart Newton This collection of ancient portraits
ia of great interest and value. OF modern artists we
have, in addition Boughton, Colman, Gray. Suydam.
Irving. Hubbard Wood, Loop, La Fargo, Hamilton
and many others Although there is much inequality
of talent in such o number almost every artist In
some one picture gives his best work. Allston's
portrait Of himself, Copley's OF John Adams. New