New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-22
THE SOCIETY 0FAMERICAN ARTISTS.
SECOND ANNUAL EXHIBITION.


A closer and more careful examination OF
tbe pictures in the present exhibition throws US on
comparatively few works for secure enjoyment and In
strlcuon We come away asking ourselves the Danger
Gus question whether after ALL there Is not more paint
than pleasure; whether execution Is not allowed 10
usurp too much the place that Of right belongs TO IDEAS
1t true that the art of painting in these day runs TOO
exclusively in the ruts OF anecdOte brio a-OTac and
costume; that the ideal is virtually abandoned and
that commonplace sits at ease OH the throne where
poetry once relgned willing subjects. But we are
not much better of IT, for poetry and the ideal. we are
offered the crude work Of undergraduates, the half
finished pictures of artists who seem TO take pride III
never bringing anything completion and the efforts
of am bilious but feeble juveniles to walk III the shoes OF
Veasquez There is much OF all this IN the present
exhibition and though, at first, tired OF the tanenesS VI
the conventional ana struck with the
show of viSor and youthful enthusiasm We confidently
expect TO feed iu OF pleasure the result falls some
thing short of our anticipation.
Something too of tins disappointment may be attrio-
uted to the tact that the larger pictures are In manv
cases least satisfactory nearer wow and yet
they make the rst most striking impression
The strength Of the exhibition Is found to consist in the
smaller pictures and doubt there enough OF these
that good justify in praisng the collection as
whole and in feeling hopeful about the society 1t repre-
seuts.
The more we study Mr.. Thomas Eaknss Professor
Gross" No. z the more wonder grows that ii was
ever painted the rst place, and that was ever ex
hbted in the second As for the power with which tits
painted the intensity of its expression, ana the skill OF
the drawing suppose no one VIII deny that THESE
qualities exist With these technical excelences go as
striking technical faults. There is no composition,
properly so called there is of color for Mr.
Etkns has always shown himself incapable OF that, and
the aerial perspective is wholly mistaken The scene Is
the lcctre-roo1n of medical college. The Professor.
announced portrait and SAID 70 De an excellent one
has paused operation, apparently one Of great diff
Guilty and making remark to his class The patient
lies extended upon the table but ali that we are allowed
10 see Of the body long aud shapeless lump OF flesh
which we conclude to thigh because, after elimnat
ing from the problem all the known members. there
seems nothing but thigh to which this thing can DO
supposed any likeness. We make ont that one
OF the Professors assistants is holding cloth saturated
with chloroform over the patients face meanwhile two
students hold open with eshhoOks longitudinal cut IN
The supposed thigh another assistant pOEes in the cut
VITA some instrument other, and the Professor HIM.
SELF holding up bloody lancet in bloody fingers, gives
the finishing touch TO the sicxenng scene. mile or so
away bighraised desk another impressive assistant
records with swift the Professors remarks and at
about tho same distance al aged woman. the wife or
mother Of the patient holds up her arms and bends
down her head IN feeble effort to shut out the horror oil
the scene Sno is out OF all proportion small compared
with the other figures aud her size IS only to be &C
counted for the impossible theory that she Is at
great distance from the dssectng table This is the
subject OF picture OF heroic size that has occupied the
time Of an artist 1t has often been our pleasure warmly
70 praise aud that society of young artists thinks 1t
proper TO hang a where ladies. young ana Od,
young girls and boys aud little Children are expected to
be- visitors II Is picture that even strong men find 1t
difficult 10 look at long, II they look az 1t at all and
as for people with and stOmachs the scene 50
real that they might well 80 to dissoctlugroom and
cave done with It,
IL impossible 10 conceive. for ourselves, we mean
what good can DO Pushed for art or for anything
else by painting exhibiting such picture as THIS III
was intended, we believe for a medical college; but,
surely, the amorphOus member we have spoken OF
would such doubts in the minds OF neophytes'
and such the minds of experts as to make II
avery troublesome wall ornament. As scientific e1-
Position II this as well other grounds, OF no
great Tue Professors attitude and action are
apparently very unusual, and give an uncomfortable
look OF posing" TO the principal figure, which OF
course could never have been intended by the artist
Then again, Is II usual for the relatives OF patient who
undergoing serious operation TO be admitted TO the
room! And whether II be or be not Is 10 not unneces
sary TO introduce melodramatc elemeut-whOv
hostile TO toe right purpose Of artnto the scene 10
Show us this old woman whing her body and twisting
her hands the Professor details the doings of the
seapel IN the house Of life OF dear TO heri
mere we have horrible sOryhoIrible 10 the layman,
Heast-old in all It's details for the mere sake Of tell