New-York tribune., 1878-05-27
FINE ARTS.
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN.
FIFTY-THRD AENUAL EXHIBITION.


late years one Of the mainstays Of the Academy eX
hibitons sends only picture TO this seasons show
This large No 307 to us from san Fran
cisco but though Mr. Perry has changed his sky, his
mind remains constant and wherever he rides the ghost
OF the OF the late Dr. Doddridge mounts up be-
hind. Mr. Perry is, however no mere slavish copyst
either OF himself OF anybody else and accordingly in
telling again the story of Dr. DOGdrdge's mother who
taught her late lameuted his Bible history from the
painted tiles around the fireplace, he has kindly con
suited feelings by varying the composition little
Ia tie present picture although the ato Doddridgo Is
still the small boy in velvet Jacket and Knckr-
bockers with rod-vorted stockin whom r Perry has
SO often painted his respected mother has aged con
sldcrably, and is brought before at an advanced
anG venerable period I'm her career Her young sou Is
stlll studying tile, but. with great ingenuity, the
artist has transferred It from the fireplace TO the old
lady herself, whose face Is
In Cut ana Dye 40 like rile,
sudden View 1t would beguile.
II is perhaps, owing to his being rap; in the wonder OF
this transformation, that the yOutniul Doddridge has
lost all power Of facial expression butwhaeyer may Dc
the for this wooden cOuntenanco ii is to be re-
Cre;ed that should be forced TO such damaging COM
parsons as must be made between tn, painting OF the SO
called human figures in TINS picture and that Of the furn
turc Tns moi the first time we have been reminded
Uy Mr. Ptnys pictures OF the great difference between
the ,hi required TO paint things thar VIII s stll 10 be
paiutcd and that whlcb a must have TO paint the
human bcing-lhe very lite Of the machine Mr. Perry
Is often very successful tho former feat but in the lat
Ter he has never to knowledge had the least pros
poriy This is not his fault lie takes rs much pains
with his pictures as any artist have, and in all his
dealings with his art Is thoroughly conscientious. But
he simply cannot put into human beings any life or eS
preston; and now that for several years, he has faith
fully tried TO do this, and has failed, why viii he not
withdraw his hand from these difficult undertakings,
these halt herocs, and deal with matters better suited 10
his ohservant eye and patient hand.
Mr Oliver j. Lays Two Friends" No. G32. is m eN
ample Of nearly the same sort OF INSTRUCTED effort
though the result disappointing III his case than III
Mr. Pcrrys because Nj Lay promised to do good work IN
the field OF figure painting But the difference between
ms picture and Mr. Pcrrys In the present htion If
tic difference between positive badness aud badness
that merely negative Mr. Perry's figures are 50 life
less that we pay no attention to them than we do
10 h hours and rcd Indians OF the tobaoconss shops
or 10 the supcrne people In the hairresscr wndp"s
Bat a, M LAYS young women We must look whether
We VIII or no. they sOfascnatngly homcly ana heavy
especially the melancholy maiden our left, who has
face as broad and fcaturccss as q Western pfaire
These young women Tasp our nerves, excite now our
animo>y and now dcrison; and yet there IS some
thing their yastuess and their so 10 speak, equine
build, that draws rs 20 them every time we lni our
selves Ia the building. Sometimes anuse ourselves
by measuring them with Our eyes aud guessing Wh're
they would reach to II they stood up. Their port would
for them to stand would be mpossibo-thcsc limbs are
not made to support such ophcavy trunks and heads
What most afIcts IN them IL, however, their clc-
Ihanne ponferousness OF mind. ono fances that The
book with which they are Willing away their afternoon
can be lighter a performance than HOoDrss
Iayathsn" And the furniture which surrounds them
befts this gravity The framing OF the bookcase Is as
heavy az IT, Instead OF tiers of books had TO sup
port dozen The pieces of porcelain On the top Of The
bookcase seem by their monumental ar to have READ All
the duest and most learned rcatscs on Themselves ana
their family, and look ready TO focmniy cut auH low
down person who should pronounce kcramcs with SOFT
&C." The wallpaper calls attention mprcssiyely to
the tact that though Mr.. Morris designed H. II Is strictly
sincere aud has poetry about y, while
tie rorerc proud To know that there nothing tn its
pattern that c1n pegsc Illogical sentimental persons
The floor too not to be behind the rest OF the room In
proUrey IL Of hardwood aud covered with the ortho-
dox rug while from end end OF thls eheerlcss room
there l. a stiffness formaliiy, absence OF al human
comforta1encss that is thoroughly IN keel ing with the
characters Of these two daughters Of Phihstia.
All this want OF tact aud Tenderness. how
ever, consists with most careful pain-takins In
the execution Of the picture. aud with some really
skal painting IN the obrctsis good ptung. In fact
n need be- Neither Bi4i.c-Desgodt nor Alma-Tudema
would De ashamed We dare 20 say, 10 Own the painting
Of the necklace o. head. by OF these girls. While
the porcelain jar the sltsuma vase, the bronze bowl
the acqurrod box and the plate OF cosOune enamel on
the bookcusc, well done that they make pleas
ant relief FOR the mind that shruks from the study Of
these oppressive maidcns.
Mr. D.Ipb, in The Rehearsal" No. i2s. IS another
illustration OF the diHculty even those who very
clever with their brushes may sometimes nd In repre-
sentag lfe especially lie IN action This IS Snowman
Who l. training dogs to jump through hoop The sub
ect t. a good one and Mr.. Dolph has managed his com
position very we'll The man Is correctly drawn, aud
both the poodle who has cleared the hoop and rother
poodle who j. wrsgug about with half his mind on the
hoop and the other half bis master reasonably
satisfactory; but after ALL The beet painting In the pic
ture Is in hound Who IS doing nothing and IN the end
OF the faded rug which ho ir sitting Whom We have
once found hm-aud We are not long IN hndng hm-lhe
the picture has no attraction for rs This hound
Is painted with so much comparative solidy ana free
dom that lac makes rest Of the pcturc-he man. the
poodles and the acccssorcs-ook thin and feeble We
say TO ourselves that II this cut ont OF the
canyts II would make a good subject just rs II ~.
Mr.. T. J. Guy another sufficiently clever painter,
with nothing TO paint. Lot him ask himself how he
would IKE to be shut NJ n rainy day with nothing to
look al but Born Tired" fat bulSng boy, sci 20 saw
wood aud yswnug and stretching out OF pure azness!
Or The Bitter Bit" another boy OF the same SORT with
greediness superadIcd. who Is robbng the iam-and-
picklccosct and making wry face over red pepper
be has bitten A. the boy could be found who liked
pickles well enough to steal them, and yet didn't know
that red peppers hot tho mouth Either Of these
would be nt subject for hye-cen chrome, to be given
away to the purchaser pound of beanandchiccory
coffee they not subjects for trained and sklful
painter like Mr.. Guy 10 waste himself upon Mr.. Guy,
however, continually wastes his skill Why should he
take big canvas TO paint this little girl dawdng over
her Bible OF Sundayi And why not have wasted Ill
Tie time the accessories, that could asSO-
ciate some pleasant ideas with the chld's home-fe.