New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-02
THE LOAN EXHIBITION.
A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE.

alive Art Society closed Saturday evening" and IT is
TO De hoped its has been great enough to
encourage the OF the Society TO reprat The X
pertinent anot er year In its articles upon tue late ex-
hibOn, THE TRIBUNE has confined itself 10 an exhmina
ton OF the objects loaned and has bstnued from criti-
cism OF that portion of the display which rep
resented she work OF the society itself Now that the
exhibition is and the society is about TO begih
new years work with public encouragement ano c'sn
III hand we W sh to Sav word in criticism OF the
general of the articles exhibited and incident
ally OF some Of the methods Of the society.
Tnerr must be very few people, one would tnink III
community like ours who could not make for them
selyss ithout tue help OF the critics. clear dstinc-
ton bet ween the articles exhibited by the society III te
northwest room, and those OF foreish "oiN
men exhibited the other departments VI
the collection. or course, in certain respects
comparison between them would be more
than unealled for would be ungencrons In the ex-
IRENE 1t is our intention to make any such com
pari>On But there points In which comparison
Is not only allowable but Necessary. II our art decora
is take rank above mere chids play In the
first place right insist on obedience TO the
law that sctdowD for artists and that has always pern
followed good The world over viz: neaness ana
finish in the execution. SHOWING the artists thorough
knowledge the technics of his profession his con
scenous desire do his work WELL and his respect Tor
rights Of the purchaser OF his work. All good art III
tines IN all nations has been careful, sudIous nm
ton, good workman. There hos been OF late an al
frctatOn OF admiration among us for whit Is
called "artistic" work in painting. by which 10
meant what We have called s.apdasb. There are
circles where would be dangerous TO ones reputation
for Judgment If he were to admire picture by
Fra Angelica the painting offs hand by HobeInwhlle
Gerome and Messonier names never mentioned
there III ears pOlite.
This lg GRANT praise OF slOveny workmanship, this iG
norant disparagement Of cOnsummate workmanship
would be ridiculous II they not so productive OF
harmful consequences. They have encouraged sloyen
ness in all departments Of art and have had espec-
laly hurtful influence In the domain of Decorative
Art
The first criticism We have to make upon the work Of
amateurs exhibited by the Decorative Art Society is
that il is careless and soveny in execution There are
occasional exceptions, this is the rule The
brndery is not neat, it does not bear eNanlna-
ton for its workmanship, yet it Is all meant
be examined is all To be put where 1t is within easy
reach of hand and eye, an0, in all times, good enhrO
derry has been by nice hand work. the finest
specimens emnlatng the finish Of machine product
All the Oriental emDruidery-with which none
other IN the world will cOmpare-s famous for
its exquisite fneness ana finish. Tie work Is
beautifully and smooth. in many one side
cannot be told from the other, the incest eye
distinguish where the work begins is left of. Yet
this work the highest degree decorative and eec
tive, and there for those who put Gs of
with coarse worsted work material they
ind on the plea that this way OF doing things Is
effective" artistic" decorative" 1t is very rare
that il Is either of these good things.
In the China-paung, OF which so large rart Of the
sOcietys contribution ted. defects uni
verraly found Not that there are not evidence OF latent
talent any rate. of capacity THERE'S plenty OF stun
out which hard work under competent help. SGT
purpose and the stimulus OF competition. might
evolve something Credltabe. But none OF this work,
speaking generally. instructed, OF 1t is earnest,
and the contemplation OF room full Of it, Is in the
highest degree dscournEng, one would think that The
people who undertake deliberately 10 enter the
market and compete with the hard working,
lifelong lahorers Of Europe in this old time art
would begin mOdesty with easy things, would learn
TO draw, TO lay color smoothly and neatly, IN short
could comprehend that every art has deal OF drudgery
lying before its door that must be waded through
before one can enter. But, no, these people
are like Hamlet's French falconers they fly at
anything they see, and having finished their crude
plates and they cOmpaoenty demand for them
prices high and higher than asked good things
in the shops. Tue society will never thrive In
this way, and 1t ought not To expect 10. We
demur at the plea that this being a charity
it ought not to be shaken up. We earnestly desire 10
make it a permanent honorable undertaking, not
mere fashionable squirt, aud this 1t will be until
the managers themselves know something what good
work is. and refuse TO accept any other
The other criticism have make relates to a mat
ter that society control and that in
case DC a thing OF slow growth. We mean the lack Of
independent original design. The greater part
of all this rOom-iull OF embrolderies. china
painting. etc, etc, etc. Is imitation OF other
peoples doiBgs, direct copy; there is IN
no case anything American about 1t. in than
one or two anything that shows attempt at
doing something out the doors own head. We
looked In vain a half evidences that had
-
welcome guest appeared to be the decorator OF small
municipalities a shelf on the north wall. We under
stood that the person who decorated plates had
begun by going to the pottery and messing her pattern
on the claw and had then colored the design
graved The little pieces without pretenson OF any
kind but they had an encouraging look
Some pieces Of pottery painted and glazed by Miss
Louise Mclaughlin, the writer OF the clever and descry
eddy popular little treatise china painting which is
in every amateur china painters hands, attracted
great deal Of wondering attention during the exhibition.
It was said that this lady had spent deal Of
and money in an attempt TO discover the secret
OF the Limoges enamel and these pieces offered
IN evidence that she had succeeded. While giving the
lady all the praise due her for her perseyerng energy
we cannot say find anything to admire in the result
of her labor. Nobody ever gets deserves much
praise for doing pretty well what some before
them has done very well. Bernard Palsy
glaze that admired. and he gave up his time, his
money and great many things ought not to give
ND for anything sake of finding out the Of
that glaze. But the name Of Palsy the Potter lives.
because when at tremendous sacrifice he had found
the glaze he did something with 1t that
no one, far he knew, had ever
done before. Miss Mclaughlin might have won
potters wreath II she had had the happiness do
something better with her dear bought glaze than give
us a weak and washedout plagiarism on strong ana
masteriul itself departure in the potter's
art
The only contribution 10 the room OF the Decorative
Art Society that looked like independence Mrs.
Hoyts pieces Of tapestry IL IL true these i'm
tatons, but they ingenious. original In their