New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-28
THE cHRISrMlSC4RD C0MPErr0N

! We have already advised our readers that
Dr Prang nad IL IN mind 10 offer prizes for another
competition Of Christmas cards ana since then we nave
published the advertisement which the terms Of the
| competit on are made known The money 10 be dis
trbuted IA, same IN last year nor there
| any material change in the conditions imposed upon
| designers There Ia, however, clange IN the list OF
judges Mr. John La Fargo takes the place OF MIR e. C.
Moore, and the Committee OF Award now consists Of
! Mr John La Fargo Mr.. Samuel COluan and Mr.. Louis
| c. Tiffany. Perhaps may be abe to offer few sug
gesti0ns that may make II appear 10 the committee
matter of importance not to let good nature
| nip up the heels Of their judgment; and while
we about it shall he glad II
persuade the present competitors 10 taEc tle
| serious of their part IN the Undertaking. The
winners IN tnis contest TO be generously paid IN
money and the prizes be awarded whether
OF the designs shall really deserving selection
motor the offer stands for best" and 10 well
be. think the last year mat best may
mean only the best OF bad lot 1T seems 10 Us only
courtesy Mr. Prang and MIR. Moore that the
competitors should show equal generosity and Try
fairly this money and merely allow 10 o. fail
% Them default of legitimate heirs OF one thing The
| prze-wnners may be sure-the Duolic VIII have in
the end the fullest opportunity to judge their work
for itself and confirm dsalOw, tar may he,
the decision the judges. Fer Mr. Prang's copies OF
! the successful prizes such accurate reprodnc ions
they entire justice to the original drawings
that whoever buys them buys to all tents and pur
poses the drawings themselves And fact ought
| give the competitors pause. IL Is easy de-
claim against the supposed partialihes and injustice
OF spaper criticism and to charge To personal feel
ng what only comes from attempt be mDersonal
but when these criticisms read remembered in
the ght upon them by The things
selves the public may De- trusted to make up mind
for Itself, and It's final Judgment pretty side
with that OF the critic rather than with that OF admir-
/ ing friends.
Now what is wanted in this country that every
pleasure brings hm INTO practical rea
lions the of design should try TO do something
ward raising the standard educating he wOl iman, and
bringing the artisans brain little nearer hand No
matter apparently slight The thing De, let who
ever has control of its execution ~ it that
/ II done nearly right possible,
| and that the workman made 90 what
principle lies 40 the bottom OF IT, Mr.. L. G..
Moore the head o. rifanys Silver Worka." His whole
life Is gwen tr.nlns bows Gu, particu-
arly the boys under his charge III ID prime pies of good
design, the ,rade seeing TO IT, for the most part.
that the principles good workmanship understood
ana uractised the laws OF trade knowing nothing
here as yet of PRINCIPLES Of design. We talk about
public schools of design and doubt they may be of
some Itile lse Dut as we have said many TIRES, ho
best the ouly genuine school OF design is the workshop,
and TINS Of Flny'--under tne waicAiu suuern,end-
euce OF Mr. MoOr,--ls the school OF practical
lie, On IN the alt OF the sllyersmitn on TINS side
The water. THIS workshop is supplied with a well
chosen AMI always Increasing working library q.
books of with models OF masterpieces. aut the
training of the mind am is going al tae year
round. TIE re-ui, tlat this department. instead
q depending entirety imported worknen. % their
ProcIsteau rules and iLeg crustt tenp"r-,
paru- scores Of Young American, TO TAX tner places.
WY should lherr D.. 4 llr Moore every shop
the land that has 90 90 WIKI the of desIgnl Why
should the general depression ail tIe arts of design
ST. faay lod year ny this straw of cord com
p.rdou not uc broken up ard life infused INTO aI the
branches Of what reality the soul oil the mechanic
arts Their art sItal America expects every man 10
do his outy. d thousand brushes pencils busy
TOD Law working dear life prizes from
the hands 4 Mr P7ang Let hIu tell ms judges 70 $40
frm bench and insist on deaLns only WITH the
! work that has and purpose In lf. Let hem
throw out and throw out and throw out unul there
shat. be "a real competition between peO Ice Who aave
mixed their co.0r, with conscience well a.
brains Let them do their small but impor-
,ant part this wear in forcing the designer
Of cards 10 put themselves on their metde.
Il il not perl.ps expected that the present
petition suoli1 De marked ny ORIGINALITY. Not 10 COPY
not 10 DE influenced by others THESE days tAe most
difficult problem he young designer has 20 meet. Last
year. there single de- IN on tn" walls THAT pre-
tended 90 be design at ALL ana WIS "a mere picture
of some scene or plce-tuat not directly inspired
SOME IN jd.l fam lar 20 every critic VINO lao tO study
the al4r. ald easily rccogn.z-d %. ar least I'D
many cases, by people Who pretended 10 no special
knowledge " WISH tut Judges culld uhl 10 I'D ilrLl
hearts reject much possible If THIS borrowed dee
-ign-nn rcenuy, often Internationally bOrro wed. but
sA bOri0wfd-aud welcome al the originality there
MAY be- even II IA excellence II be somewhat Inferior
Insist 100, the preieraDeness OF subjects. in
cIu.u.s ais that suggest American and home
ways over the foreign sentimental Iues and oddities.
Would that OF the talent tha SPRING up in cur
dr,gIu--rooms and amuses the nheD occupants .or
dle hour OF Two might slip at window get itself
healthier bloom by sharing ts graces with the public!
WHY should "a talent Ike OF Nr Clrylts harm,
we hope 10 mention tine author OF the Harlequin Playing
Cards tnat amused society last year-stOp at such
pretty performance II pretended 10 be- no more than
pratry bat there was merrmeni ia t, AMI aecaton
whereas in too much OF tine amusement OF to-day
there Is afectatOn plenty and no ineIrment at al
They say tlele moi alter all auy'hn- dlsiiuctvey
American and that Christmas belongs more 10 England
than, 10 H. American" is IN the feeling and one
gels out-d. the world OF millinery ana Ang C-mInla.
more is enough Americanism u any designer IN
mod stead who j. honestly .lermiaed 10 have IT, What
Is wanted IL the rtst should really enjoy untiusht
and by lis nature some form OF beauty Win when
he - long familiar, and should desire 10 give permit
hence Or ne should De nervrd Uy some strong Keeling
toward ms elIO5ys some delight in Their doiug some
svmpathy with joys, and should desire 10 give e1
rsslon 10 these things No matter great his ski.
how extensive knowledge Of the laws OF dsig-tese
will avail nothing II he be not neFved by the love OF his
subject
ant Of course, he must have skill and
knovledge of some Of the laws OF design,
Laws which are themselves only deductions
from the practice OF people VINO were hrst OF all
law unto themselves. But II was observed last year
tina IL ne greater number OF cases the execution fAr
,tran th Thought IN lie drawings offered. They were
nOthlugs, well spoken
Ia the famous competition in Florence for the Gate Oh
san Giovanni md epitOme Of the whole suRJect
nj Art applied 10 Decoration. Two Of the tnadesigns
maae Tor the gate, by BrInellescHi the other by
Cbiberti remain us, and IN these small squares We
read not only the whole history Of tue contemporary
t ot the art in Florence, but the private feelings ana
araeteristcs Of each artist most distinctly revealed
An .sav ON the condition of the art IN florence at that
az these tVO artists |