New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-01
FINE ARTS.
ACADEMY OF DEsIGN-FiFrY-fihsf AN
SAI'oNAA NuAL EXHIBITION.

Inv dstincushed from some OF those .h"' nov
fe,a,S,v preceded 1t by the FAIRNESS WIN
H.. Greatly varying IN their mo'nou' no,,dartion
artists their claims to courtesy ana eonsiueiaoH
are ueSu :. m, an much through thesyes OF the lid
being io o,yers in the Academic BODY as through
meui"'. ,'a,no,rp public We shall only mehuoh inc
wv" i,hout dwelling upon IT that iaS' zoo" 80,
, ~ artists. serious studen'S VIZ" -.
w. hang watched with interest py So 80
We, we're snubbcd. their pictures oi'" 49,
S,,ssion to the Exhibition or II "'io" ,d hove
" .,,d with such contempt that IL "ou
H. -. Gov them TO have stayed out. one year
po' ., Mr. John La Farge's pictures-he po'ns "
si.ian-was refused, and when lherc va"
Iii q, Questioning the right oil the Acauein' ~ -,
a. toto the contribution OF an Acadein'oi' -, c.,
,ni,ior aIawyer was consulted by lne ii"neo
.ai,,eo who fortified them with the opiaon - -,
committee might do what IL pe"Sou' a. .,o,r 40
rop than Mr. La Fargo, but certainly III ',o, uo
less hho"n ' % respect were treated as ILL., Miss
sIoo nv NJ, Francis Lathrop, Miss Helena Dehay'
u pvder and several OF MI "liiah NUM-
1T xere sent about their business ana "DSou'0'' ~
P"P.' NV As this manifest injustice couId not DC
,,,ed to the small band OF rejected ones aceePou '
,t,;on of some foreigners who had the VIII 10
- ,,e value Of what so despsed, ana oPehou an
hhiion of their own which had so much success as u
a. ,,,o ,cademicians that they had made mistake.
Ion the Academician who defended MS own opposi-
60, n the so-caed new school on the NONE
rorpd that he wouldn't favor anything 'na'
rorld helm take the bread out OF his own mouth, was
made 10 suspect that his stomach had run away WIN Ills
,i In short although the technical victory was on
id0 ., the Phistines, the moral victory was with
-, bo were unusty treated, and the public always
generously disposed took plain sides with them
orc not willing to believe that the marked change
tn hos come over the spirit OF the Academy this year
owing 70 fears of the pecunary result that might 1oho"
.;,ion NJ last years blunderlng We ascribe
tha H0nU
comnosed of three high-minded, unsehsh gentlemen
George r. Iambdn L. f. Wilmarth, and W. l.. sonntag'
whatever IL may be necessary say OF the pictures OF
these gentlemen when they come under review III then
rroper place. no one who knows them or who knows
what ia thought of them will doubt that they are SIN
cerey interested in Art and in the welfare OF the
Academy. Had they, or men like then'
hen continuously at the head OF the Academy
or serving on its committees. that institution which
ought TO have all best wishes would always have
deserved them; and interesting as THIS b-ceh'ehhla
Exhibition is would have been world better had us
management been such TO unite the Whole body OF
artists instead Of feeding factions to make 1t national
instead of local. and to encourage youthful talent and
independence instead Of forever snubblng ana dls-
couraging it, 1t Is understood that sent
10 the band of reated ones that their pictures would
be plopery treated this year. and that invdious dis
tpctons would be made and ii Is pleasant to know that
advances so frank and sensible met than half
way and that the Academy has kept its word in letter
and spirit in a way with which no fault can be found.
In the North Room. Mr.. John Ia Farge's large land
scape "NewEngland Pasture Land swell hung on the
line and in good light. 1t is picture that owing to
the key in winch it is painted the quality OF tho color
and the absence whatever is popularity understood as
"efeet" can only be fairly judged by daylight The vel
low OF the gaslght ruins 1t, and is only the sum- VINO
joyfuy welcomes his own in it, who can restore 1t to u.s.
This pasture land strip OF NewEngland shore across
fhe with laDpy lingering to the
The line where the meets the sky Is
placed unusually high, and the sky itself
is a minor incident in the subject compared
with the rocky field covered with thin coating OF
sweet grass that descends to feet 1t has been re-
marked that on this picture Mr. La Fargo mas bestowed
an unusual amount OF finish. but have To say that 1t
is not so much finish have sometimes to complain OF
in this artists work that he does not know where to
stop and too many cases hurts his pictures ~ anxiety
and overcaressng His triumph In his picture 49, that
be has stopped when his work done and has left no
regret behind him. either for line too little or line too
much In judgment Of this picture we appeal at
once TO the lover nature and to the lover OF paint
Ing No one interested merely in the way In
which effects are produced with paint but must be i'll
teresed in the employed by Mr. La Fargo Not
that strange, but that they are his own
BY intimate adoption And for the lover OF nature there
have been few tranquil transcripts OF her vocecss
speech un rolled this that written here by
a poets hand. Tho beauties % this picture. or its
truths-and its beauties and its truths are not TO
be dstingulshed-will reward by their quiet dis
eoyery whoever will seat himself before II,
and receive what ii can impart One merit
he who runs may read In 1.-THE truth with which the
solid earth makes itself felt beneath the turf 1t is not
easy to sea how this truth is conveyed 1t would be SUI
peracia TO say that feel it result OF the rocks
pushing up here aud there through Che herbage 1t is
much any special incidents as in the drawing OF
the whole and no drawing can be difficult this,
where 10 the eyes u.s. there next to nothing
todraw.
Mr. La Fargo has much to contend against In offering
aandscape composition like this at so important
In size and destitute Of accidental interest to his
cOuntrym6n, whose power TO enjoy simplicity and
dlrecness has been injured by the highly food
that has been set before them and on which they have
too grossly fed. In country where purity and
simplicity Of literary style the prevailing
characteristics Of the men delight 70 honor,
IL Is singular that in Art mako tho painting
Of BOwery theater dropcurtan and the tabeaus Of
BOwery theater melodrsma standards OF landscape
painting and Of historical painting When said in our
article npon tho Private View OF the present Academy
Exhibition. that Mr. La Farges picture mark
In our landscape painting, meant that here for almost
the first time had a strong, learned, manly, Words
WORKMAN study OF nature which makes ts appeal with
silent confidence alike the poet professional
painter. And just this have had before though
we have had many pictures-far too many-which were
content to be classed pOetca the strength
tain prettness OF treamen sentimental association OF
what are called ideas, a weak compliance with the
taste of those who do not like TO be disturbed with ideas
at all whether real or fictitious. We have had Also
few leaned landscapes In which the facts
OF nature scientifically analyzed, arr nged
andeataogued but from which all poetry had been care
Iuy squeezed and the picture left dry the remain
DER biscuit after voyage Mr.. La Farge's New-En-
gland Pasture Land" fuses both into one-te loyalty TO
poetry aud feeling and the scientific tuh-and gives us
landscape that must please and more rs feeling
aeepens and as we learn TO know nature better.
One word more about Nm La Fargo i'm connection with