New-York tribune., 1878-03-30

Land and Was even credited by too enthusiastic friends
with having staked out such big ranch there as
amounted 10 virtual monopoly Of the new territory
Now If we look at Mr. Hunts Portrait" in this exhi-
biton No CO. and his Landscape No. Is, and that OF
Mr.. La Fargo, No g. and compare the way in which
these pictures show here, with the way In which thcy
would have shown, say only two years ago. III he Ma
tOnal Academy Exhibition or In any ordinary eAhoi-
ton OF American pictures, shall have at mana srk-
ingproOf how great the change that has come about IN
the ways OF thinking and working OF our artists In Ola
Academy exhibitions these pictures would have looked
strange and foreign Here they quite at home, and
American enough, and judge them fairly because
we can compare them with work Of their own knd.
Seen in the same room with Mr.. Inness's pictures,
with Mr.. Wyants, with Mr.. Lows delightful
sky in No ?, picture that seems much
finer In the last days of the exhibition
than it did at the beginning; with Mr.. A. p Ryders
small but strong landscape, No. So or even with Mr.
Thomas Morans clever tricks OF legerdenain Mr. La
FarGes Bishop Berkeley's Rock is hard and abored
though solemn in feeling and dgnihed in COM
position. But the art of this picture looks backward,
rather than forward and belongs much more to the
practical, realistic school hear called American. than
to the emotional pathetic school of the young men who
come home from France and Munich, and OF which
among the older artists, Mr.. Inuess Is brilliant an
illustration.
Mr.. Thomas Moran and Mr.. Robert c. Minor win all
their ae this at the expense of the artists they
initiate Mr rMoran's clever fsee, but thoroughly
tional stye, shown in the version of the hackryed
theme of the Utah Canons, No. 81 which he seems bent
forcing the service OF art In spite of its manifest
unsuableness for anything but the service Of the The
arc Nobody, it is safe to say, could possibly make
picture out Of this crude and curious cOorng, these
fantastic FORMS this desolaton which always has been.
aud always must be, desolation-not Dead Sea, OF
Egyptian Pompeian horror, which yet recalls the hu-
man happiness that once was there but horror un-
hx-f np1vv fbnnt hnOp hell
all the ghastlier for It's CANDY dyes. An artist might
be excused for painting this once or twice, but
Mr.. Moran Will apparently never be tired OF It,.
He has done the selfimposed task well II can lie
done; he has shown his dexteritv and his power 70
make something out of nothing, and now we respectfully
suggest that he try his skfu hand upon themes that
offer some food for what nOber than the of
wonder. Why, too should Mr.. Moran take pleasure In
showing how well he parody famous artists how
near he come to Diaz, and not hit him Does he
think he makes Diaz. his admirers, ridiculous Mr.
Moran is just in danger OF being ruined by his ow
too much clevernesS
word at parting with Mr.. Minor His parody OF
CorOt reminds of a story that going the round
OF the Paris studios little while ago. certain artist
had a chum who was great admirer OF Corot, while he
himself cared very little for him, and insisted that his
way OF painting mere trick aud afcctation ana
could be successfully initiated by anybody One day he
came into his chum's studio wellsimulated excite
mcnt, and cried out "a find, find! Here's COrot
bought this morning in shop OF fool WHO let me have
IT for francs ~ And he thrust before his chums
who sat at work at his easel bogus Corot that he had
made on wager His friend took 1t, glanced at ii, and
handed II back TO him his shoulder saying: III
paint you twenty Corots day like that for 10 francs
apiece" Whether the bogus COrot OF the story bet
ter than this OF Mr. Minors would be hard say bnt
it could not have been Of mockcy. What object
could Mr.. Minor have had in painting picture like this,
where imitation is pushed to the verge of carcature
1t is a sheer OF his time and of ours for why
should he work 30 hard to produce result that only
muddles his up with that Of famous master. puts
him In the unenviabe light of caricaturist OF great
ness makes all who honor the of the Illus
trous and charming painter feel hurt at the slight put
upon his name. II Mr.. Minor do good work Of his
own, 1t is to be hoped be wiz make haste to prove it
1.-THE Studies of Corot prove nothing but his skill IN
making faces.