New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-05-19

Mr. A. Gnudens, ere not to be hurt by Hanging Com
mittees.
THE HANGING COMMITTEE.
I am not intending to look into the motives OF such
doines have complained Of. All | say is, that 1t
shows II wrong state OF mind. The Hanging Committee
ought always To remember that 1t II working for the
public, not for party. And the public s not all of one
mind The Older the academicans, and the asso-
ciat,s have distinctly their rights and g'Odly portion
OF the public interested in what they doing. But
every artist who il accepted has his rights
as wcll, and there is always large num-
Der or people who arc more interested in
seeing what the young doiag tnan in
seeing what the older doing. There is really
need 10 discriminate pOintcdiy between the ns and
the outs Mr.. Huntmgton's portraits" would have been
looked by his admirers all the If Mr.. Duvcnecks
had not been unBannory hOsted out Of sight. There IL
nothing gained by giving prominence to portraits like
those Of Mr.. Thomas Hicks OF Mr. Huntington, OF Mr.
Page Of Mr. L. Clear, and OF NJ; Alexander Laurie. 70
bring them Ostentatiousy forward to put them in
the pory. committee that puts such pictures on the
line aud the pictures Of Duyencck, Mlct aud Witt and
Chase in and under the ceiling, conspicuousy
adycrtises It's own unitBess for the work.
1t is much to be wished that such performances as
these could be sharply dealt with Two years ago cor
receive administered to the Academy that cost it
dear and brought II to submission. number OF young
artists whose pictures rejected by the Academy
they mostly women and ono of the acadcmicans
gave, honestly bis stupid for his action that he
didn't TO have the bread taken out Of his mouth BY
wOmen-wcnt, 81 in body, and opened an exhibition
Of their in rooms generously loaned them The next
year these artists told that they would send their
pictures the Academy they would be fairly
treated and the Academy kept its word. Pictures
by these same hands, not good as the rejected
Of the year before, hung the line and in
conspicuous places THIS year, the Academy thinking it
has srangIcd the opposition pursues similar course,
rejecting outright snubbing Others and to others
still making admission to the walls mere mockcry
not positive injury Mr.. Chase for example, had much
better nave kept his Algerian study at home than 70
have it to this Exhibition. The way in which it is
hung here much says it contemplate piece and
the putting it before the public IN that attitude
unjust and wholly uneserved It is, must stand greatly
in the way Of its finding purchaser.
Considering how far from lust the mcted out
the new men seems il il surprising 10 learn that the
academicans themselves body very angry with
the hangers for the prominence which they consider has
been given outsiders SO angry they that, all
the town knows now they passed a resolution at Tic
counctabc $50 was the unc0ntradcted stUryl that in
future exhibitions each acadcmcian was To have re-
served for his exclusive eight feet OF line. So many
profanc jess however let fly at this action, it
speedily rescndcd. It remains to be whether or
it WILL for all that be acted One OF the chief men
the Academy asked, the of the late election
% next years officers, who were likely to be made
demicans. Tho reply that If were elected,
t would not be of those whose pictures are on the
line the present exhibition And in truth, when the
election came OF 1t was found that neither Mr. Duycuec,
nor Mr. Wyatt Eaton, Mr.. shrlaw, nor Mr.. Julian
Weir nor Mr. Porter Mr. Low, Mr. Millct was the
man though; httest for the place, but Mr. Doph! Much
useless speculation ndul gck in to the why's and
whcrefores this choice. but, II nobody among those
who were supposed 20 have u chance TO be elected
why not Mr. Doph as well as anybody The old pr0yerD
says that any stone viii do TO throw at dog;
and the discomfort is strong among GER
tain of the men who are in power at the
Academy that there IS nothing they are not ready T.
do that will show ticir contempt for the new men Yet
aft n all of what do the acadcmicaus complaint Thor
own pictures seem to a TO lave some OF the best places
ifr Huntington, hr. Eastman Johnson, MI Loop, Mr
samuel Conian, Mr. Sanford Clifford, Mr. Henry p
Gray Mr. Charles H. Miller and the rest Of the Hanging
Committee all have good places. Mr. Bicrstadt has his
end OF the usual, which he fills with the same
wcl-worn material usual. 1t seems, however, that
Mr. Sraw's picture, which has attracted next perhaps
to Mr. Eastman Johnson's Cramps" more attention
than any other m the exhibition, should not have had
the prominent place that has been assigned to it! And
Mr. Hick,'s precious pictures should not have been
skyed! And Mr.. Flagg's Poets Captive" should not
have been allowed to soar 50 dangerously near the
corncc. It might on hot day sail out the open sAJ-
light, and what a loss that would be!
WHAT Is HAPPENING.
But it would not be wise 20 interpret all OF
this angry clamCr rs If it were something alto
gether out Of the common. 1t is simply the noise
Of the wind that always rises with the rising OF
the tide The tide is rising: We are educating race
Of painters, and we shall have some art again IN
this country by and by All the world outside tie Acdi
envy sees what is happening, and some OF the acadehi-
clans see it, aud welcome IT, AID are glgd that wave OF
salt life is coming to STIR the langd flats and put lte
animation into things. The noise is not made by them
but by a few wemcanng but not very intelligent mem
bers who shutting danger, have hurried to tie shore
with their brooms and doing their best to sweep the
tide back again and leave the llats as they are
But these noisy men are thoy who represent the
Academy and really rule its councils II II by the work
ing of their policy, which Is half do-nothing half reac-
lonary that so little il done by the INSTITUTION 10
educate the pubic in Art to interest il IN the subject
The Academy buys 10 pictures has lectures opens It's
rooms to exhibition Uhe Loan Collection was not an
enterprise OF the Acadcmys proposing, in short docs
absolutely nothing in the way Of educating or dcghtng
the public but by holding its yearly Exhibition NO
sooner has the last burden Of debt been tcd IRON IT'S
shoulders by the public interest IN an Exhibition III
which their members play very Insignificant part
than they celebrate the happy event. not by buying
picture COR their gallery, statue or by some perma-
uently commemorative act, but by buying themselves
GOOD dinner and making MIR. Dolph an academlcian.
ART FOR ARTS SAKE NOT CULTIVATED.
Nothing done by the present rulers Of the Institution
70 encourage talent but every thing is done to discourage
it, The Academy in the first place by its ineihcency'
its want Of any vital interest in Art for Arts SAKE
drives all the young away to Europe for instruction.
and encouragement, ana then' "heh tey
come back makes them sorry for their coming by the
worse than Indifference, by the positive hostility with
which they are treated The insulting charge Is brought
oooinst them in some that they do not paint Their
own pictures ana that when they do they sill owe what
ever merit these have 10 the subtle influences OF their
masters studios. No honorable man would bring such
charge unless he was prepared to sustain 1t; at the
same time those who bring il are m the dilemma that