The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-16
THE SOCIETY or AMERICAN ARTIsrs

Inc DltbuItS vi bllb 6tCbllAl exhibition
Of tho Society OF American Artists attract a good
deal OF attention ut the Kurt Gallery in Mad.
ison square. and have provoked no little dis.
cusslon as all distlnctlvey new things in nrt
have not failed to do Of late Tho fact that peo.
pr are inclined to bo disputatous about nero
rcturcs and statuary. and tho existence among
several OF them OF violent and extreme views
should be regarded IA encouraging. 1t ought
tp be more or less gratifying to any ono al all
solicilous about the public interest in md
knowledge OF art to find so many persons
willing to quarrel outright over delicate ns,hctlc
considerations. and TO call each other names
because they differ about little distinctions Of
artistic style or nice determinations Of technical
theory or practice. 1t would seem M IL n well.
bred nfIcctation of interest in art were no longer
sufficient for people supposed to be Of some
social consequence. but that now II is essential
10 entertain distinct vicws-views not nece,-
sarily rational or coherent. but with the merit
! OF being radical and extreme at any rate Pee
ple in this stage are very Interesting and can
be detected by their noise whenever any
! thoughtful person in search Of amusement de-
sires to make them subject OF study.
No one Is more certain to secure a largo fol.
| lowing from among such people than the zen.
tleman Of deep expedicncy who shuns the dis
cOuragcments Of tedious mediocrty and seeks
| the easy honors Of artistic ccccntricity. For.
mcrly the only way Of doing this was to
"schew the halrdresser and attain reputation
| by making ones locks to sweep n greasy semi.
circle on the back OF ones coat. To-day il ia
altogether different. and the hirsute in art Is
comparatively a thing Of tho past II Is only
necessary to lay aside art itself throw all its
| principles 10 the winds. avoid truth az
a pestilcnce. discard and wholly contemn
all nonscnslcal considerations Of drawing.
| color. and the like. get u valuable sigma.
| ture. n Characteristic signature. sigma.
ture with things" in tor do withou;
n signature altoGether-and then notify YOU
personal world OF the fact that you are famous
There is really very little difference between thu
two methods. but the former one was open t.
the objection Of being too obvious. OF being tn
reverse Of conducive 20 cleanliness Of the per
son. and of boinE too easy Of acquisition. Ii
fnct. artists began to be- fatally frequent. the
present Academy onsucd and. besides. with
badness there came drcndrnr' Of fame. More
over. brutal and cynical critics would keep
pointing to tho fact that the worthlessness OF
pictures was In n direct ratio TO tho length OF
the hair OF the artists who made them. which
was found to create nm unhealthy prejudice. and
the method. in an art sense gradually dropped
| INTO disuse
The now method is much more subtle and
can be exploited with infinitely better results
| and without the slightest danger OF ia,gue-to
| ones self. IT sometimes leads those who prac-
| tise H. through soma fortuity or happy acci-
! dent. to real achievement and knowledge but
that is an inspect OF il which Just ut present it is
inexpedipnt to consider. Failure. in a certain
sense. is improbable the recognition Of merit
! being sort OF regulation OF fashion and not
/ a little reminding one OF the famous clothes
/ that the wicked weavers made for the king. and
/ which hal the singular quality Of being invsi-
| bic to bad people. The kings own doubtful
ness about his chilly costume WIS more than
| compensated for by the admiration his sub
/ jects hnstenpd to bestow upon the beauty Of II;
! but artists who produce alleged pictures must
have a shivery sort Of feeling when they hear
/ them praised. Besides. il must be confessed
! that in these days there arc nm inconvenient
number OF innocent children always about,
whose criticisms are very dsquetnG.
Among pictures In the exhibition in the Kurtz
| Gallery. which people Mt all sollcitous OF their
social standing will take caro- to audiby ad.
! miro. is the Niagara or Waterfall" OF Mr..
| william Hunt The principles OF our later
method nre we'll set forth in IT, Color II pos
sesses not. except in the matter Of quantity: il
| is above anything so low MS mere drawing; and
rs b truth 10 nature how free it is from thai
vulgar and obsolete quality Is apparent in the
unholy green and mother-oi.r earl Of its water.
| N lie rainbow projected with simple unaffected
mendacity across the clear sky. and in tho gem
cral intellectual imhecility OF It's handling.
Before this work of art il is essential to pose In
| nm attitude indicative Of roverence-and Boston.
Nos q. l02. 1917, and Jag in the catalogue next
commend ITEMS Ives 10 lulirious considera-
ZION. The first is entitled " The Chase" and
depicts in u grave portiral way. the aspect Of
. ! EflIfou rlfpea tIal "a hv hoffla.
green dogs. The exquisite purity OF the sly.
the deep botanical sentiment OF the Landscape.
and the nice feeling of poetic mystery that per-
wade H. appeal naturally and cog nty to even
the cnarsest intelligence. No 1902 Is called "A
Landscape with gures." AMI tits more less
The ru Idly exhibitions OF the rep oseful groups
convey the first Glmmerngs Of the familiar
uheuomenn Of Internal combustion. so chara,.
trrstc Of mun and the lower animals No. lGi
In the Wool has an interest even for the
vulgar on account Of an effcrt OF color and tone
that Is to be respected. No. l46 however Is IN
II higher leyei-al are on the line-and is
known as Spring" II is pervaded by 'ho
sweet AMI lovely sentiment characteristic Of
that season, and is full O. that exquisite sense
Of th amorphous. the chaotic. and the Inchoate.
which .mpi.es only the highest AMI most re-
nnel expression Of Hrt. Tho vulgar herd has
nothing In common with tho ideas that have
inspired these iru.tions u genius. They ap'
peal Co the favored few who. specially "nloTed
in the matter of gravity of the intellect soar
naturally into the superior strata OF the J rams.
c'ndenal. wlere they remain eman'Ipated
from tho ord nary emotions ~ humanity anu
iua'cessiblc to common sense.
Two pictures. which tho SIGNATURES In "
once to the highest rank OF American geTf
are Nos. 1877 and 1872 IN the cataogIe Iho
former is called Song In Time OF Harvest
and depicts an eXhNHrated young person max
ing the landscape 10 echo with runIc measures
In both pictures there is some drauory thar has
the nice t'ytlie flow and pab.cpe-s that are
more or less associated with on-'s ideas oil
sheet iron.
On Thursdny evening ihe Union League Clm
anye rs monthly art reception lhal ga
berry filed with an interesting coll sion OF new
pictures. Among them were two nni-ApH
by Dir Thouns Mor'.u and Mr. Il. e. Nnrp-
sp"ctiyeN. which On" Society ot American AT
lists refused to ulmtto its present rNN'oloh
Mother pl.turH affords amy explanation W'a''
% % Ii. tIIf