The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-24
A Fine Display Of "Aca-
demic Debility"
HOWLS FROM THE CRITICS.
The Naughty Nudity Of
Alma Tadema.
AMERICA OFFERS BOUGHTON And BIERSTADT.
LONDON, May 0. 1878.


aud by tho sacred inner crclo OF society those super
eminent swclls who cannot bear TO nock Burlington
House with the common herd. l have waited Tor
some time before sending you o lew notes upon the
principal pictures to SEQ whether any English art
critic could supply me with words adequately express
sive OF my own disappointment At thu picture show
whole. Tho last number OF Truth does this,
and gives mo tho quotation l wanted :-"Such
q display OF academic debility and SUCH an on,num
gdtherum OF everything vulgar, silly and blatant
that paint could produce, to be selected and
approved by the ccnsors OF Burlington House, was
never seen BEFORE ana this Is saying a good doal
THIS was the universal opinion at tho two private
vews-hal for the critics OF tho prcss ana that
fashionable reception given the day before tho ban.
quct, when, Of course, everybody Is too polite say
what they think.
MrzzLISc CRITICS.
''But the academ clans far too worldly wise to
give the few critics who all dangerous tho
OF spelling their little kettle OF FISH, for they
only let thcn In upon tho silent system, every man
OF them muzzlcd, whether no Is mcaly mouthed or
venomous No. word is TO DO said TN after all their
precious productions have been io,sted OFT some-
how either by the dcaors bound by contract
to take At price evor ything straight from
the easel that certain II. As OF namo may
paint or by the Acads themselves, who tout for each
other most generously at the private view, unless
least they are rivals in tho Same limo. There never
was such FOOLS paradise tho great room or Bur
lingon House on private view day, with those SIM
pcrng old boys OF ihree-score and ten mcandsrng
about, always within easy distance OF their plctures.n
'THE HOSPITAL FOR IScUIABLEs."
Mr. Edmund Yates papor. the World also pitches
In not quito SO strongly perhaps but with equal In
dependence Tho llo,h exhibition OF tho Royal
Academy is OF Indifferent quality; indeed poorer
ALI rtinn Nr 1xau
galleries Of Burlington House Tho prevalent deprcs-
sion has affected art aud artists. Our painters
aro at their best In the present exhibition;
the worst contributors have given apparently OF their
very worst 1t Is an nvidious task to observe year
after year upon tho glarng dement's Of certain veteran
members Of the academy VINO persist Ia displaying
performances that arc ludicrousy and concmp iibly
worthless; but tho academy should DO able 10 control
Its academiciaus, and. when mood arises, should
compel their retirement IRON tho list OF ex.
hibitors. IL becomes gross anront
to the public to place upon the line, TO
the exclusion OF really competent painters, ex.
ampies OF the absolute incapaciy of Mr.. Charles
Lqndsecr, M Hart aud Mr.. rhorburn, TO name no
others II is really time the academy, as matter
OF sefrespecs TO insist upon us members possessing
some OF ability, and learning - least 10
dtaw; the institution was never designed TO DO
Hotel dcs Invaidcs or hospital for ihcurabies."
UNIVERSAL CONDENSATION.
The whole London press, almost without exception,
denounces the show. The Times calls II an excep.
ionay weak exhibition, asserts that nglish art
Is gricvously dscredited. Tho Sdndrrd thinks that
tho academy is passing through long period Of
crisis, and that as a whole thu exhibition Of tho pros.
ont year is wha, those proud Of tho ira
dtons OF tho academy would have been gnd TO see IT,
Tho Morning Post quotes tho famous exclamation OF
Socrates ne walked through the market place OF
Athons, 20 Jupiter, King OF Olympus how many
things tnero are hero that do not want |"
HANGING COMMITTEE.
These un fortunate gentlemen in for q regular
ye!i OF exec alton every year both rom tho artists OF
the rejected pictures aud the public. FMS year tho
recctions wcro on IN extraordinarily sweeping scae
out OF 900 pictures sent III only 500 being accepted
As tho majority OF the favored 500 worthless
trash tho mind stands appalled, At the task OF imagn-
ing what tine 0, 200 must have been. But upon this
point The Otserusr remarks that much has been
Jectcd that ought 10 have found place much else
h s found u bad place; too many OF tho good places
are appropriated by pictures intrinsicaily ana
unqusstionaby bad. mo one who undertakes to die
cuss tho exhibition can rightly discharge hts duty
without protesting, however hopccssly against tho
injustice to art and 10 tho public which the
obstinate pcrsisicnco in tho present system
Involves Ono oil tho evening papers gives
list or the pictures which should either have been
suppressed ''skied out OF sight The list is long
one tho boldly ne has taken only tho
most glaring cases, and has by no means exhausted
the examples OF injudicioas Iavortsm or gross m
capacity the part OF tho kclectors or hangers. so
much for English opinion on the representative exhi.
bition oil English art Now, 10 mention come OF tho
principal pictures in tho snow--thcre are but very
few worth IN CO touing-nnd by passing over In silence
tho hundreds winch would not DO worth sttcnins to-
gethcr to make noor cloth Tor pawnbroxer's shop,
TO keep this letter within proper bounds.
ALMA rADEmA.
A. tho head OF the isi sands tho great Dutch
arlst-now a naturalizcd Ebgilshman-Mr Laurens
Alma Tadcui, who contributes two pictures to this
YEARS. oxh,bition-"A Scuptor's Model Venus Es-
qunino)i and "a Love Missile" Tne former repre-.
son,s lite SIZE female figure, completely naked,
posed Tor famous Venus" OF CLASSIC art,
On the round table. Sue stands. facing the
right hip, the LETT knee slightly bcnL Her head
Inclined forward, her left hand is raised TO It, and IN
which rests on tho taos. Behind ana below her
stands the sculptor who Is fashioning her charming
nesn is delicate ana delightful ana IS relieved IN the
most perfect taste against tho background Tho work
Is masterpiece, by lar the best Of the lew works OF
art IN tho Exhibition.
NAUGHTY NUDITY
The courage oil Mr.. radema ~ Drawing the prejudice
OF Engsh people against studies IRON the nude aud
IN asserting the rights OF high art IN lace OF TIE
sunday school temper Of his ADOPTED country cannot
be too highly commended aud outraged. the
World recently published biographical account OF Mr.
Taaema and quoted the following remarks OF the artist
apropos OF this very picture:"t very dlcuii aud
not very profitable to paint nude subjects. You know
that am very fond OF England and am naturaIized
subject oithe Queen. finereiorc am the last person
IN the world to complain OF English taste. English
people do not care for nude subjects and am not sure
that artists arc the worse OF on that account Tor
model is never complete The writer goes on 70 say
the idea OF the scuiptors model suggested by
tho Esquilne venus discovered three or TOUR years
ago.
on 1nE
There 10 an amusing paragraph in one OF tho
weekly Journals about TINS picurc IL hangs IN tho
corner OF ono OF the rooms aud tho Is cut of
by an arrangement OF maroon drapery icstooned be.
hind the picture The Princess OF Tock. OF tho
Queen, while walking through the galleries on tho
'prvate view" day, stopped before the Venus Esqui.
lima. There Is somo mistake said Her Royal
Highnesa "rhe dfapcry Is behind the picture. u
should have been In ironLn
LOVE- MISSILE
Mr. 1adema,s scc0nd trtur, a. vcrv much en,nilor
than the one Just descr bed beneath when IL hangs
1t Is entitled ''rhe Love Missile" aud Is conceived
and executed In the well know peculiar archaeological
manner Of tho artist rci.haired Roman dsmsc
rests ono Knee on couch placed beneath the window
aud leans back TO gvc impetus 10 the throw OF largo
bunch OF roses, to winch rs attached billet doux
Her lover Is, no doubt passing outside aud looking
eagerly up TO his mistress' easement Tho Ahsn0um
says OF this work I'VE note with pleasure he lovely
flesh tints renewed against marble; the learned aud
thoughtful colorng ~ tho various powerful ~ sub
Gucd nts IN the gris dross har the couch, glimpse
Of skY and hrighl AunILRhL nnlanl lna