The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-30
rHENArIoNAL ACADEMY oTDBsIoN


Of Design has been open ioBR enough to enable
the public to form pretty good estimate Of its
quality, and the verdict which they pronounce
Is, on the whole, an unfavorsble one. whether
our artists have reserved their best work of the
year for the Centennial Art Gallery, or don't
care to exhibit 1t outside OF their studios, or are
unable to paint good pictures, II IL certain that
their contributions are generally inferior TO
these of several previous We rs. and show a re-
luctance, II not an incapacity. to advance be-
yond certain conventional standards OF subject
and execution. Probably a combination OF these
three causes has produced the commonplace
aud unsatisfactory exhibition OF 1870. In land
scape there il scarcely an attempt TO express
original sentiment or to develop novel methods
OF treatment. The bald. literal, and realistic
transcripts Of nature. to which we have so long
been accustomed, confront US in the old, famil-
lar style. The pictures are no better than they
have been, and are worse than they ought to be,
That intelligent art critic NJ Tame has laid
down a canon which American landscape paint
ers might with profit inscrlbe In their note
books. The artist, he says, must experience
origin sensation In confronting Objects ana
receive "a strong, peculiar impression OF no
becomes mere copyist or mechanic. Judged
by this rule, what position would our most rep
resentative artists, with all then admitted
facility, occupy Not very exalted one we
Imagine.
The same tendency TO unim aginativo literal
ness characterizes the productions OF the genre
painters. Their subjects are for the most part
trivial, and In composition. drawing, and color
ing exhibit no Improvement upon former
work. It would be great misfortune II
tho national art, after making several prom
ising strides toward n high ordeal, should
Il and tfffn LAT
tmitatlo on OF itself, or Of the old world models,
on which II was MANLY formed. IL cannot be
denied. however. that the best genre and hlstor-
ical pictures A. indeed. there are any worthy OF
being called histurIcaD In the present collection
so nearly resemble the efforts OF previous years
as to perpiex and disappoint tho searcher after
a progressive American school. Not even the
Significance NJ the approaching celebration OF
our national independence seems to have stim u
lated the Imagination Of native artist, and tbs
few pictures intended to Illustrate the oceasio n
are Of slight merit. We may be unreasonable,
In view If the very imperfect development Of
tho fine rts among IA. In expecting much orig
inal work of this nature at present. The civil
wir failed To inspire q single American p inter
WHY. then. should the centennial yesr7 hut It
Is, nevertheless, discouraging tn think that an
other hundred years are necessary to educate
our artists up to the point Of n'ly ILLUSTRATING
tho beroi, enochs NJ the national hl,tory
=. .-.,,.... ,...,... ...,,.... ,o.. - .
~ 80 ',-'', -..'..-,-,. -,
W 80 49, =, - 80.
- -
-,',,',.,'' 80 - A.. 49, a...
exc ,llence In that department.
Inc works OF all descriptions on view III the
Academy this year number 5ss, nearly third
~ hp lrnx at m r
pieces OF httle account hung In the CORRIDOR
~moh seems TO De the common receptacle OF
the rubbish OF the annual exhioitions' Land
scape u AIRY wen llustrateu oy btlsto'' NC
En'ee' Whittredge' Wyant, = H. uluoru' VII
nam anu James NJ mart hi"aru Moral 'oi'
man, ana some Others, although win ono Oh
TWO exceptions none OF THESE gentlemen hhNe
favored u' win th"rou'n,S cnaracter'SVc 'Peci
'hehS OF 'her SNie' I"S''pN' "o"''er' WI" "
our i"ss may ue 'ne s'." Vi ."o Ar "".eV VI
, 'he 'en'e""" hN''"I''on. n''s'"' oon'r'ou' Is
'hree p'ctnres' t"p vi "n'cn' MS o'' anu o'o'
views 81 Oon"ee''co' rNo' auu Ae'o"u"oS
scenery, are s"ou eNf"pie- o' co'o' anu pe'speu'
uNe' a'thp"lh ho' ecu" III 'n'r't TO us hoo,e
view VI "ou,N'o"'O N"''' S'rneF J." 'ae' yen
'Nn'"'"""' WV, u'"s' """'u "o,''" NJ ",' "
pa''s "P'" "'' va ,'u"u' % "' N'e' u''' Jus
foregrounis ana mldule ulstance' ne wouiu oe
!
'or Vi A'ne.'o." "'ou'i "u s'o"'''' "o'.",oo
'ep''S'"'eu ~ k'oN' u 'N'"u"' 'N"u
soAl''' which, my SUI" ~ N"''i,'o.
sen''ne"' a"u '"''''"H '''''i ~ "'e' WIN ~ ~"
Ai"N' "''''"'v'''' '''''"' "'su ma 0u uN',''
oer'"'i so"o'e "-P'''' VI "'''e' no "e
! ""'Neu ''N '''n W Po's's'e"", W. W" s"'"''
as SOON eApe'' nun w pam" my UNIV a.
picture OF summer hle' ine autumn iufi,
40. ~ ~ tue p's' " us nF' p,eoe'' - 1'se
Ne" En.''nu 'As'ure hlnu' 40 10 Is nc
.''u ''''
W ~, 49, - =, .S.N, s,.
49, -, =, ,,I .,,.t," ,,,,a
-. S.,,, r,n,.o l., 49,, H., ao,,,,o,
Of technical merit about the work, but as al
attempt 10 iasalizea very commonplace bit of
scenery .ti4a failure, Winsloy Homer's FA
Wind .. perh an, the best sea piece he has eve
cor tu,ed 10 An Acldemy exhibition. IL
n, led IN bis cuatomary coarse and nerli,,
vie. but surcests with unmistakable force tn
life and motion Of A breezy summer day of til
coast The ,hing boat. bending TO the wind
seems actually 10 cleaye the waters. There is n
truer or heartier work ia the present exhibition
Ma remaining pictures ara scarcely 10 TO hi
standard want unusually well represente,
this wear, and we may mention No 25!, Mic
enlicuddy's Reeks." and No. $50. Tho wilds q