New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-03
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN.
THE ANNUAL EXHIBITION.

and the Loan Exhibition gave OF contrasting Amer
lean and European works. and also by the criticisms ana
discussions which thereby provoked Although the
past Winter has brought patronage than usual
to our artists partly owing to the profound financial de-
preston and partly the great number OF valuable pr
yate cOec thrown upon the market they have not
allowed themselves to be discouraged Ihey nave iei
the impetus which has been given to the general interest
in the subject recognized the advantage OF sccur
ing and extending it, and have worked with the klow
edge that whatever may be thus accomplished Is their
own best gain.
Some impression Of a special effort-Or rather, coin
caence of the efforts of many Individual members Of the
Academy tending in the same drecti0n,-has preVaied
for several weeks past AS knowledge OF the WORKS
designed for exhibition increased, through cOnndenta
studio gmpscs reports Of friends an expectation was
aroused which the ordinary display of former years
would certainly not satisfy. The general curiosity was
quite apparent in the crowd which attended the private
view OF the Exhibition last evening, and It will probably
assure an unusually large attendance OF visitors, from
the start. The multudes who crowded the Loan Exh'-
bition Summer and who still keep the memory OF
the many admirable foreign works 1t contained, VIII
naturally interested in making the broader comparison
which is now possible However individual Judgment
may vary, there is little question but that this Is the
compctest presentation of American Art iii all It's forms
and fashions, which has yet been furnished by an
academic exhibition.
Ia the place, it is much the largest, containing
nearly 700 numbers Secondly, 1t represents far more
than the usual number OF artists, and thus greater va
ricty OF design, idea, sentiment and technical erect
Lastly il gives clear evidence Of prevalent feeling
among our artists which leads them to abandon or at
least to modify modes OF treatment which threatened to
become mannerisms. No matter what may be the cause
of this it is most encouraging sign MOfc tIah any
other exhibition for many years past this will remind
those old enough remember II OF period about ~
wears ago. when the air of Art seemed full of PROMISE,
ami halia
were among the exhibitors; when Mount discovered
Am, rican genre-painting; when Kenset Hicks, Gray,
and Huntington young artists, Church, Clifford,
Whittrcdge, and Eastman johnson Students ana wneh
the foreign piclures exhibited here mostly from
the stO Of DelarOchc, Dubufe. and AIRY scheier But
the number of artists then not onotenth OF what
is now and patrons and lovers of art held about the
same proportion. Few OF the hopes then enter
tanned by the latter class have since been fulfilled:
others are postponed until this late day. when the sorest
Of our political struggles over and we may nope for
a season Of ppose But something OF the same awaken
lug which took place at that time seems 10 DC lore
Swallowed now.
Tho first Thing which will strike the visitor to this
years exhibition il variety Of effort displayed. This
ives an interest apart from the intrinsic value OF the
separate works yet by contrast. iC often timely HUE
raes latter The numbers OF pictures received from
American artists art-students abroad makes the col
lection almost international III character: one VIII ma
Paris and Munich on the walls no less IMAM New" 10TH
and Boston, In fact the desire to be generous to their
red brethren has several instances left the banging
committee but scant fayors for the older and better
known artists at Wherever 1t is possible, the for
Iner have the line, andpary on account OF the size OF
their works-the prominent places While the best pie
lure Of Eastman johnson is 4" skyed" almost out OF
s.ht wLittredees large forest-scene is put into the
worst corner OF the north Miss Leas portrait OF
Cen Dix hung aloft in bad light, McEntees exquisite
between hostile
coor and Yewell's beautiful Venetian Interior hosted
over door The committee have a very delicate ana
difficult task to perform, we are aware; IL Is iii
possble to give entire satisfacton nut we cannot
bep finding the selection better than the arrangement
The latter feature indeed has the advantage of present
ing vivid and continual cOnrasts-yet now and tien 10
the Encouragement OF excellent Work.
From the first rapid examination. these seem to us to
he the distinguishing features of the good
work. frequently the best, from artists OF Acknowledged
name; divergence from tendency to conventional
STYLES in others better work, occasionally in fresh d.
rections from many artists with whom we have been
compelled to find fault heretofore; and an unusual
amount of work from new and younger class VINO are
studying art abroad Each one Of these features is
strongly marked and will not be overlooked by those
who remember the preceding Exhibitions OF the Acadey
Tie dizziness with which the characteristics OF the Euro
pcan schools caught by young Americans Is an In
terestng REGULARITY the OF form and COLOR
and the knack OF representing the texture or
objects it is difficult to see wherein they fall behind
European students and equally difficult TO comprehend
why after so much has been attained, they DO not turn
back to the representative life OF this continent Tor csh
material instead Of playing variations on the themes OF
their They may answer that the taste OF buyers
demands the subjects they paint but the surrender TO
such tn tc never made great original artist IL Is
mistake to exat this technical Skill to the disadvantage
o those OF our artists who to the life nearest them
for their subjects, and who work against fashion to
assert the truth that form and color human beauty and
srnmeut exist here well as in French market or an
Oriental bazaar. Whoever is broadly Interested In Art
os high and necessary form Of national development,
will find this years exhibition iull OF quicKehihS suS-
gestOns.
In sucb a collection Of pictures there always sure
m ne MANY the excellences-0r the deliciencies-of
which Immediately assert themselves but there are
also many others which surprise by effects that 40 not
the of calmer inspection, or when walt shy
and modcstly until their honest beauty Is discovered III
manifesty unfair to base any very positive specal
criticism upon the Impressions left by first view We
have indicated the general characteristics OF the Exh
btlon and will only mention addition such pictures
as first detach themselves, either by position on the
walls grade of performance, from the entire coec
ton and thus furnish the chief points both OF interest
and contrast
Entering the north room from the head OF the stair
case-as is the usual habit of ylitorswe at notice
the presence OF workers The two best places
Given 10 Young artists who however American In talent
are French in subject ana of treatment As If
To balance this feature portraits OF Walt Whitman and
Mark Twain look upon us from opposite nights: we
discover another Inncss's departures In land
scape and one OF his most admirable ones aWhitredge
as delightful as It Is simple and true put above a
clever, conventional marine of Bricher; large
Robblns. Lake George" well placed, show
ing that the artist is working and growing
MI Thayer's Stubborn Donkey !" Mr.. Henry's "An.
cestra Home" one of his very best productions Mr..
Perry's "sower;" very good quiet landscape by Hub