New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-03
THE CHRLSTM4SC4RD C0MPE71TIoM

THE CHRLSTMAS-CARD COMPETITION
At the American Art Gallery of Mr.. r. E.
Moore No. East Twenty-third-st, there
hibon nearly six hundred original designs for Christ
cards. sent to compete for the four prizes
ing in all to 80 OOO offered by Messrs L. Prang Co..
announced in THE TRIBUNE OF May 8. These prizes
havejust been awarded as follows: The first to Miss
Rosina Emmett, 81 900; the second TO Alex Sander,
$500; the third to Unknown, $500; the fourth to
Goddard Morse, 5000. The judges were Richard NJ.
Hunt, Samuel COlma and E. c. Moore.
The designs displayed In good light, conveniently
FOR examination the walls of the room Just added
by Mr. Moore the original Kurtz Gallery. This room 10
on Broadway over DOrlons and is connected with the
main gallery by brdge.vrstibue. which Mr.. Moore has
fitted up In pretty fashion and decorated It with
exquisite specimens Of japanese skill In carvlng paint
ing and porcelain This suite OF rooms comprising the
large gallery hung with American pictures and contain
ing several cabinets filed with objects OF Oriental art
from the collection OF Mr.. Samuel Coleman; the
smaller Twenty-third-st, devoted more
exclusively to objects OF Oriental art and the
new Broadway, where the Christmas cards are
placed, is the handsomest, most convenient. and
most accessible place OF its kind In our city, aud the
enterprising propretOrs they have begun. we
shall expect to here many Interesting exhibitions Of
American In the OF the next few years. OF
course the art the varied art, see
better and cordially hope that the Messrs.
COtller, G0upl anu VIII CONTINUE
Piled with specimens OF the best that ia doing by the
Modern Dutch, the German and the French artists but
1t is time, think. that American artists also should
have to look after their interests and give
them fair chance such as they have never yet had.
outside Of the yearly exhibitions keep the public In
formed their progress and to their pictures
they their easels is this want that Mr. R.
f. Moore mears to supply and the interest the public
and the artists have taken in the undertaking since
began proves at the existence Of the want and the
business foresight Of the proprietor
Because cannot find many OF the designs for Christ
mas cards present exhibition deserving OF praise
is not to say disappointed. 1t would have
unreasonable to have looked for result very diff
ferent from before As for Mr. Prangs views.
we to conclude either, because he has renewed
his present offer for another competition next year.
that he satisfied with the result than
We ourselves glad that beginning has been made,
and glad that 50 many have competed. II the Is
not at first blush encouraging One 1t must be
membered that at present nation Of copyists;
that In art literature and fashions even IN the manners
OF what is called society give originality the cold
shoulder. and hang Amertcanism halfmast high The
present exhibition merely repeats, on smaller scale,
what the Decorative Art Society and the Decorative Arr
Magazines doing. Copysm aud plagiarism are the
constant things originality thinking for ones SELF tue
exceptions Our art IL pretty much game of following
leader, aud whether the leader DO born in Munich or
Paris home, follow him or her to the last
ditch, and not seldom die In 10, along win our IDOL OF
the hour
This Is illustrated IN the present exhibition Of Christ
mas cards where out OF nearly six hundred competitors
not bakers dozen have given any proof that they have
studied thought about the matter Of their compefi
ton that they have any the least notion OF what Is
meant by principles OF design. To get something in
trnscay pretty sentimental their paper or card
board not TO trouble their heads about its relative
beauty pretiness appropriateness, has been the
extent u their In the greater number Of cases
they gone the shortest way 10 work. copying the
weakest and least decorative flowers in the crudes way
and taking any device that TO hand matter who
might orginators that no who vewsmay
read Kate Greenway, Walter Crane English Christmas
cards. copied directly with sweet ingenuousness,
Examinations from Mssals, and this, that and the other
original every side. The fantastic arrangement OF
picture overlapping picture which Is vexng in the
popular magazines, the dsorderly and affected device
Of packing as many foolish little cuts into given
number OF square inches, Is much In fashion
here and few OF the competing multitude have dared
trust to the simplicity and dignity which always mark
good design. Tue nguredra~lng in almost every case
is bad aud the few where 1t Is at all slful II
is marred by certan conventional; mechanic treat
ment which suggests the professional designer Of wall
papers or ARCHITECTURAL ornaments II this exhibition
well meant, does other good IL will do this Of BRING
the arts Of design. painful see here the proof Of
how little are learning and how little we are being
exhibition should the result another field.
These hundred sheep wander about. Dleatng help
v,
pretiy painted but tue design spoiled By the crude
on pony loaded with paniers OF good Christ
mas cheer, holds up fat fowl. This
"a really pretty, well-painted picture but rather
too uIucn for CHRISTMAS card. Like many others
heIe suggests English life and ways aud own;
but tnrn have SAID, America Is ut sad discount
here Nos. 90, ~, 73, entIonally clever
cOOling and drawing but have little applicability the
occasion, and originality. freshness, BOr intrinsic
beauty. The professional designers Of decoration in
rsIciass shop like mat OF CUttier Herer Narcotic,
get OF tIing by recipe. No. 227 has &c
the best hguredwing In the room. little heads
have "a copied look like adaptations from Della R0bba,
Though they done with much skill and sweetness.
there Is design IN the arrangement, the Of
harsh and crude, and the child looks
IKE German stOrks nest is IL not copied from some
German Christmas devicea No As u row OF alternate
babies and birds suggest Mr. Church, and. ndetdwe
suspect spy great peard under the muier" but
fancy, with particular meaning. this
does well enough Nos. 25S To 263 with more by tho
hand on the s0uth wall. are amusing, and almost
all would be- successful Christmas pictures printed IN
fac-simile. These again are by practIsed hand. and
though two the fun Ia rather forced they
laugh. The bayelephant getting Its Santa Claus,
aud the Darkey Santa Ciaus, black coaclmau
loaded with presents and with Dycice for halo, are
Tnerr enough and spare Of the designs
fingered by Delighted ana dc ghtful scbOoi-erls
with these ecStao 'perey lovelles I" ami 50 sweetsV
pale, cOOress copies U flowers rapid seniimentates,
elegant cccesiasticsmS, aud the whole family Of nonen'
titles. These were to be expected and Ia time Will give
way to healthier things.
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