The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-27
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY.

never was Mt any time. but II cannot even be
said Of II this year that in the pictures OF that
class which are contributed there Ia anything
encouraging to he discovered. Mr.. James Hart
exhibits two which are as true to the mould
they we're conceived in as were any Of their pre-
deccssors that were turned out Of IT, II would
be dinlcult to imagine work more soulless. or
In which the dreary. mechanical quality OF
perfunctory execution was more painfully ap-
parent The same unwhoesOme tone. the samo
wearisome trick OF foliage aud the same linn
tied notion Of composition appear periodically.
modified merely in the area OF the canvas and
always looking as II fresh from some widows
cruise OF mediOcrity. OF Mr.. William Harris
work little more can he said. There is more Of
n decorative sense in II. and n better feeling for
composition, but these qualities are attributa-
bic simply to the fact that he began with more
iudiciousy compounded recipe. Nothing is
more tiresome or Improbable than his dead
level Of nero empty prettness terated and re-
terated until ono feels as II the picture had
been made like an npothecary'e drauRht Mr..
William Harris page in the pharmacopDia OF art
reads Take many cows. 80 many trees so
much cloud, so much foreground vegetation. so
much water; mix all carefully. and serve in q
gold frame with label
Mr.. George Inness. Jr.. can do better work
than is contained In his Pasture Mt Watching"
tNo. 1861. but nothing that he has yet done af-
iords my justification Of his attempting to
paint animals. other than as incidents Of his
landscapes. lie has no feeling Whatever for
them in any other aspect than rs objects Of
well-markcd decorative value. His drawing Of
them is wholly and irredeemaby bad. and in
no one instance that comes to mind can ono
recoect COW or calf Of his that betrayed the
least sense Of. orsympathy WITH the true quality
and feeling Of what he attempted to portray.
The animal nature cvades him wholly. and
there Is not In his work such suggestion Of
real capahility az would indicate that even
very asslduous study would ever be fully
repaid. His contribution to tho Society Of
American Artists furnished very conclusive
| evidence OF the truth OF this view. and IL
suggested n direction OF effort, which. II fol-
| lowed. would undoubtedly bring him TO far
more gratifying results. There is good work
| in his Academy picture. but it is not in his COW.
| which inverts the idea Of the fable and initiates
| the frog-at least in the matter Of attitude-nor
In his bull. which has not even the merit 81
| being Internationally funny. as the other AMI
nal assuredly Is.
The best bit Of animal painting indeed tho
only example in the exhibition that is at all
worthy Of serious attention is a little study in
the Enst Room. entitled Landscape" NO. 303l.
| by Mr. c. A. Fisko. 1t has some admirable
| qualities Of drawing and color. and is not n lit
tic instructive, if only for purposes Of compari-
| son. Not far from IL is another landscape. with
| cattle. Sumner Time" TO 29l). by Mr.. j. o.
| Wood. which visitors 10 the Academy must have
| found very amusing. One is In doubt. at first.
rs TO whether one ought not 10 sympathize with
| tho unfortunate animals. but all RESTITUTION
vanlshos rs the depletion Of preposterous inilu-
enza reveals itself. and it becomes apparent that
| the artist should be allowed 10 have his little
| Joke.
| Mr. J. c. Virgins Is a far more careful stu
| dent OF the pictures Of Van Marcke than he 10
| Of nature. He has caught the spirit Of that
artists method Of composition and general
| treatment with some cleverness and produces
| pictures that are well put together HI q" On
| the Road" no. 800 Is a characteristic example.
| Ones first glance at II conveys the impression
that it is a Van Marckc. but the next moment
| one Is aware of its merely superficial resem-
blance Ho does not know the animals he
paints. Like Mr. Wood. he is alive to their pic
torial value. but he has no deeper sense Of their
character or Of their qualities as subjects Of mr.
tisuc Interpretation. His drawing Is careless
and Indifferent and the suggestions Of simple
| outlines that are so valuable in animal studies
as indications OF typical forms are wholly lack
ing in his work.
Schreyer pa ints horses with view to convey
INK a certain feeling Of the nature and dispO-
cal characicrlstiesg or tho GirRm2ttP GTmbyjf
different actions in which they may Ire made to
appear. He gives on his canvascs the results u
the most faithful and painstaking study Of tho
animal in its familiar everyday condition. Mr..
| Virgins. Mr.. Wood and both the Messrs Hart
show as much feeling for these qualities IL
they had studied their subjects from the toy
contents Of some elaborate Nonhs Ark. Oxen
are the favorite subjects Of Troyon, de Haas.
and Van Marcke. who have painted thom with
| the same seriousness and depth Of devotion
| that led Mr. Charles Jacquo at one time into hls
| pig pons. They are not content with mere gcn-
ordinations Of form and color composition. bur
| think those qualities the least things that they
| have 10 attain. Theyare found striving instead
| to express the animal nature at the sac-
rnce OF all other considerations; and
when one discovers in one OF their
works a group Of cows. for instance. whcn
gives one n sense Of massivcncss and clumsi-
ness of outline. OF stolid umiabllity Of dcmea-
nor Of heavy alertness of apprehension. 81
such subtle grace rs is Inherent in all the high
er forms OF animal lie-thcn, the works OF
such artists have. indeed. value that IS
very remote from the pictures OF our Acad'
envy exhibitors Of like subjects. Animal paint.
ing is q branch OF art that requires the NOSE
profound study amt the most assduous and
painstHking application n fact. however, which
seldom deters artists who have failed as paint
ers OF pure landscape from onIbarking in u
with tho utmost assurance.
There is one branch OF II which is open to
every one who can join TO a low and obvious
sort Of humor some little technical deftness
Of execution. Even the art Of the late Sir
Edwin Lundscer never could lit n certain and
too familiar class Of pictures that he produced
above the plane Of mere vuigar,ty. His cryer-
ncss, his skill. and His ingenuity, and certain