New-York tribune., 1876-09-06
THE NEW WORLDS FAIR.
GUIDE TO THE ART EXHIBITION.


x,,rssdowne Valley which here drops into deep
elen The necessity Of this additional building was
pereeiyed almost at the last moment, and hence IL
was very hastily erected. The arrangements Tor
space and Hght are as good as could be expected
bnt temperature and ventilation are rs bad rs they
can well be- During the present term OF intense
dryness the. floors arc plentifuly sprinkled every
morning and by noon the heat generated under
the low roofs renders tho atmosphere exactly that
of hot-house for orchids. Thence until the close
of the exhibition day, all the rooms arc crowded
sometimes packed-with visitors whose keen inter
est in the display lends them endurance. The four
entrances placed at the four points of the compass
are quite inadequate to change and fresheh the alr
The show of art in these Annexes consists OF an
oyeraowing and very curious collection or statues
in marble and bronze. oil paintings, water colo1s,
architectural drawings, etchinGs, Autographs.
photographs mosaic and pietra-dura. terra-eottas
etc-Vood bad and Indifferent, imaginative and
realistic sensible and absurd, thrown together as
the different nations have furnished them. Who
ever wishes to feel admiration. curious interest
amusement, or even an occasional spice of irrta-
ton, can here be served to his taste. The rooms
offer continual series of surprises Ii is but justice
to the members of the Art Commission however, TO
saw that they are not responsible for all the works
admitted: the President, Mr.. Sartain, having not
only arbitrarily consulted his own taste, but even
personally accepted some pictures after their re-
lection by the Commission. The foreign conec-
tions were necessarily admitted without censorship
The ground-pan of the building resembles
chess-board in the form of Greek cross he nails
form SO many equal-Sized squares, opening INTO
each other at the corners, and lighted from the top
nv which arrangement the greatest amount OF wall
space for pictures is secured The entrance on the
south side ushers us into single hall, the size of
Of
tains seven squares; the third fourth and fth nine
each the sixth diminishes again TO seven squares,
and The northern end closes with three All the
western part of the building is given up to the
United States including one room for Canada the
three central rows OF squares running north and
SOUTH are occupied mainly by Italy and France; the
next on the east by the Netherlands ard Belgium;
the next beyond by Sweden and Norway and Spain
and the last three the eastern front, by Mexico,
Brazil, Portugal and the Argentine Republic. AS
the rooms arc all numbered at the entrances, and
tho sard attached to every work Of art gives the
page of the catalogue where the numbering Of The
country commences the clew to this great labyrinth
AS if seems at first-is very easy to acquire
In the large entrance hall Italy is represented by
no less than 90 pieces Of sculpture IS oil paintings,
and Al mosaics. There are plenty of graceful and
comical children 10 delight visitors from the coun-
try; number Of shOwy and sensational figures, ap-
propriate for parlors with gaudy-coloTed carpets
and few simple, honest, and pleasing works. Those
of Braga are among the best, and might point out
his "Cleopatra" and Cortc's " Lucifer' as more
worthy of notice than the many grotesqueries. The
latter nevertheless are interesting illustrations
of the prevalent taste in Italy Bazssntl of Florence
sends pair which will make most Americans smile
broadly" Washington with his Cittle) Hatehet"
and Franklin with his Whistle" Pagani of Milan
has also some graceful little figures The most am
bitious paintings indicate at least the intellectual
liberty of tho new Italian nation their heroes are
Calico Arnold of Brescia and Christopher Colum-
bus The additional five central rooms given to
Italy contain more than so statues or busts,
and 165 oil paintings. AS they are for SALE almost
without exception. it follows that the commercial
venture OF Italy exceeds that Of any other country
But many os the statues the combined work OF
artdcaIcrs and accomplished stone-cutters, rather
than of sculptors The pIcposterons Washington
crossing the Delaware" (which many persons take
to be Columbus discovering Amerca), belongs in
this category. As we inspect them seyeraliy, we
find another G. w. and fIatchet, and B. +. and
Whistle from Prof Romanelli of Florence, together
with a curious bOy-FrauklD, by Prof. Bocchi. The
latter is well worth looking at, and so IS the same
artists Michel Angelo There is statne called
"Berenice5 by Pcduzzi, the startling pose of which
instantly attracts notice The fine old laces On the
dress Will los almost universally alinlreu'
The Italian school of painting of the present day
is not lustrions but the pctuTeshcre exhibited are
about up TO the standard Of the annual exhibitions
in Florence and Milan. Here and there IS Il good
agreeable piece of work, yet there is general lack
of strong acoordant coler. Gastadi's "Bcware Of
a False Step" should be seen, an example OF wnat
picture should not be. The landscapes, genre PIE
t1res and architectural subjects are much better
than the large figure pieces. Many of the for'aer
will be attractive to large class OF spectators, as
spirited illustrations of Italian life and scenery.
Turning 10 the left, lct us make rapid sur
yey Of ths fifteen rooms appropriated by the United
States. In the first we enter No. 6, find some
exeeleut pictures-Gi Giffori's Adirondack and Vene-
tan landscapes, McEntee's winter" and "NoveU-
ber.1 La Farge's "St. Paul." Eastman Jchnson's
asabbath Morning. Shattuck's white Hills"
Churchs "Chimborazo" and Hayss Bison at
Raw There are three of Coles aliegcrical series,
"The Cross aud the World" where ono would have
been quite sufficient to show how Art fails when 1t
overstAps it's natural limits. There also pictures
nv Elliott Beard, Cropsey. Flagg, Bispham, {. Z.
Coleman and others, and six pieces of sculpture,
three of them tolerable porrait busts The adjoln-
ing room No g. is devoted entirely to architectural
drawings and designs.
Starting again nearest The center. reach No. lG
devoted to the contributions Of the American Society
of Painters in Water-ColoTS of this city. For It's
size it is very complete and characteristic collec-
ton selected with and Intelligence. BOughton
s. ColInan Smillie. Tiffany, Hart. Farrcr, Homer,
Bellows, w. II. Richards, Miss Bridges, Perry, Hill
Van Elten Moran Burling and FalcoDer are all
represented many of them by their best and most
characteristic work. A comparison thereof with
the English water-colors in Memorial Hall is exceed