, 1876-08-20
ART In NEW YORK.
Visit to the Centennial Loan
Exhibition,
A Display Never Surpassed in
America.
Description Of Some Fa-
nous Works of Art.
The Play Of Sardanapalus" at
Booths Theatre.


Bad Acting and Magnificent
Scenic Effects.
6pecfal Correspondence of The Tribune
new YoRK. Aug. 15-After the qualification
experienced in giving utterance to sentiments
Of such worth end soul-eleTating beauty that
they shall ever live in the hearts Of men, per
hans the purest pleasure that a man can taste
is in producing on canvas work embodying a
great thought,-a creation in which feeling Is
the salirut feature- For even we practical
Americans, who are ungraciou6ly charged by
other nations as having become SO absorbed in
the material man that VIC haye no appreciation
Of the ideal, are subject to spiritual yearnings !
and, though necessity ordains that We shall deal
more with facts and substances than the older
and richer nations OF the earth, Jet We do find
time to seek sources oil qualification for
the subtle cravings OF the inner principle OF our
nature, realizing the force Of the maxim that
'* Reason unsoftencd by imagination, although
it may lead to power, depriyes life Of pleas
urc.n The advancement OF art-culture and
art appreciation in this country is
fully demonstrated by the Centennial
Loan Exhibition, now being held at the Acade-
my of Design aud Metropolitan Art Museum in
this city. This collection is composed Of art
works from the private galleries and individual
possessions Of citizens, and originated in the
suggestion that the City of New York ought to
furnish to its Centennial visitors more than or
lina1y sources OF entertainment. The result is
DISPLAY OF PAINTINGS
Ehict has never been surpassed on this conti-
aeut, and the crowds which resort hithcr, despite
he insufcrable teat, testify the great interest
hat is being taken by our people in the cult
alton Of aesthetic tastes
At the Academy Of Science work by Gabriel
,1a1, OF Munich, inscribed in the catalogue as
THE Last Token," attracts vast amount OF
attention; and, though it may be faulty IS
technical triumph, it certainly enchains the I'M
aciuation, and calls forth encomiums from every
lover Of the exalted delineation Of feeling. The
Ecene represents small portion Of the arena
Of an a1nphitheatre, neither spectators nor
attendants being visible A leopard and
q hyena, each apparently glutted with
human flesh, arc quafrcltng IN sluggish, inani-
mate way, seemingly indifferent to the presence
OF maiden Of rare beauty. at whose feet rose
Lies, as If thrown from the hand Of some loved
one stationed in the galleries above. The
figure Of this Christian nartyr-for such she
must be-is Of an indescribable grace, which is
enhanced by tue simplicity Ut the drapery, con-
sisting Of a white role. and a gauzy Black scarf
wound clrelessly about her body. One hand is
pressed against the stone wall OF the arena Us il
10 support her trembling limbs, while her up
turned face is radiant with an expression Of i'll
sNable lore and lingering desire, Us her eyes
Dark as the raven wing Of night
seem to meet the burning gaze Of him who Of
Eers this rose us the last token Of his uudying
atfcction. For, grating is raised at one side ol
tie amphithcatre, and through the opening
THIRD WILD BEAST
IS entering stealthily, his green, malignant eyes
bearing acquain1ing the spcll-bound spectator
with the awful fate awaiting the all-unconsdous
girl. The great charm OF this painting
Is, as I have inti'uated before, that It offers
sucn field Of study for the imagination. It is
all well enough to admire brooms, which have
reduiEed three days to paint, as in the case Of
Girard Duow, and portraits Of old men and
women haring the "details worked up with such
scrupulous nicely that the pores OF the skin and
The down on the face must be examined with
glass In order to be appreciated, as i'll the case
OF Dcnner; yet such works are but samples Of
art, for, while We appreciate the dex-
tcrty OF the painter, we are all forced to admit
that q broom is nothing but broom after all,
aud forms but sorry associate for the Fancy:
while Microscopfcal Investigations, 1 believe,
have more to do with SCIENCE than art High
.rt demands loftier Interpretation than clever
and it can never be a complete e1-
preston unless it appeals to what is spiritual in
nan. |
IL GERoME's t'cnuc1FIx1oy."
which called forth such a tempest Of criticism |
upon its arrival in this city, is another painting
which claims deal Of attention from the pub !
c- The novel treatment Of this awful subject |
is 20 we'll known that a description would be |
su; eriluous. The shadows of the three crosses, |
Which a weird light causes to fall across the !
foreground, are terribly impressive, while from
:hc mouths OF the deic1dal crew. filing down the
nsunta,n side leading from Golgotha to the
:hv shrousled in threatening darkness, seem to
:1,i:nate that jecring blasphcmy: III thou be
,hc Sun Of God, come down from the cross!' !
There is no theatrical display Of colors, for the
igh1s and shadows are cleyerly managed The
amt outline OF the sun IS seen through the in ]
:rc2s inS ohscurity and the crimson tlngc to the
clouds In the left background serve to hcighten
:hc tragic character OF the work.
In spite Vi the conspicuous nature OF these !
three tlunnttnE shadows, theY failed to make |
Auy impression on The minds OF an apparently !
ntcllisent party Of ladies and gentlemen who
xcrc present one day last Week. After Search !
lng in every square inch Of the canvas for an |
length Of time,
AND NO CROSS BEING FOUND,
The work was unanimously pronounced fail |
llre as * Crucitidon." While lisping danscl t
who graeed the party pronounced the picture |
very much like the play Of Hamlct " with !
1Ian,la left out,-a statement which some will /
he u,lyracious enough to claim as being OF ques-
tionatlt originality.
Besides this picture, the admirers of Gcrome !
nav be pleased to know tlat that strange COM
position of neutral tints, 1.-The Lion On Guard,n
5 also here, as well as F" The Gladiators,' y and
lis most recent work Of Importance, !" The |
:acc Of the Charioteers.'' The last two men
.tncd are well known to the public by reason |
4 tic fine cngrayings OF them which have been |
o much admired III every part Of the country. |
This might alsu l,c said Of his Death Of Cesar"
larger work which hangs in the Metropolitan |
srt Museum. ami is from the collection u John |
'ay1or Johnston, ESQ.,
Hans Ma]sart, who deals with eolors SO royal |
), and can crcatc
Crimson,
ike to the dying day on Caucasus,
Where sunset tints the snow with rosy shadows.
represented by his t'Falstan in the Basket"
'hicl, though spirited ellort, is disappointing
iter such work IS his magnificent sCleo-
atra, - which was exhibited at the OdeOn Cal
cry in Munich last year.
The characteristic cxcc1lcncy Of
THE FRENCH ARTIST BOuGEEREAU
his int>aase feeling OF the loneliness OF infan-
y. The very atmosphere about his baby crca-
IONS is infused with spirit of such beauty and
3yc that the most unprctcndinr logcr of art
lust become enthusiastic over his dinpled bits
I humanity. His 81 Charity" is, perhaps, the
nest Of his works on exhibition here, though
is Mother and Child which hangs opposite,
suflu5ed with tenderness that sinks into