New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-11


The Art Department was promptly ready FOR open
ing. and presented much the largest collection OF
! paintings and statues ever assembled ut world
fair Besides our own country. England Canada
| France Belgium. Germany, Italy, Holland, Kussia
| Spain. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Mexico and
Brazil were represented. The art critic found III
this huge collection only few grains OF wheat
among mass Of chat. With few exceptions, the
foreign pictures were mediocre affairs sent here for
! the chance If selling them. England alone gave MS
good examples of most of her best living artists ana
| of those who have died within a century, and we
| cannot too heartily recognize the cordial feeling
that prompted her sovereign and her people to CO.
operate in making this collection. The French sent
ne from their abundant store less than dozen good
canyases to atone for the 800 bad Spain sent
a few sccond-rate old masters and room-iull OF
| modern trash Sweden did wen in proportion to her
limited art resources. Italy deuged rs with statu-
ary perfect in technique. but wanting in the ele-
ments of high art. The Netherlands sensibly added
to modest array of recent productions some excel
lent copies of the greatest works of the old Dutch
school Austria contributed one great picture, the
Catharine Corriaro and hundred of passabc merit.
Germany's gallery was neither good nor bad. The
displays of the other countries scarcely averaged up
! to medocritY.
display. for although it ought to have been much
better it contained more good pictures than any
| foreign country except England could show. The
admission Of a few of the pictures rejected by the
Committee Of Selection, and brought in by p'rmi'-
sion of the Chief Of the Art Bureau was criticised
as dctractiug from the merit Of the collection, and
was defended on the ground that these rejected pic
lures were better than many The committee ac-
ccpted.
Full of defects rs was the art exhibit in the eyes
of critics and connOssours to the great majority oi
visitors 1t was a now revelation OF beauty and the
galleries were at all times tATonged with eager
crowds. No other part Of the Exhibition was, III
proportion to It's size, 80 much iIcquented 1t IS
gratifying fact that none of the trashy works sent
from Europe have found purchasers. Many good
pictures and statues bore, at the close to-day, cards
announcing that they were sold. The poor ones
will 20 to the auction rooms, or be taken back TO
their owners.
The display of leather shoes, harness. and
shoe-making machinery, made in the Shoe aud
Leather Building. was much the most complete ana
extensive exhibit of single industry ever made az
o worlds fair. The brewing interest, fast becoming
~ important in this country in England and
Germany also made an exhibit in fine hall of its
own that had never before been cqualcd. Other
striking and mcritOrious features, wanting nj the
great foreign fairs, were the remarkably complete
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