New-York tribune., 1881-03-29
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN
FIFrY-SIXra ANNUAL rxnmiTION.


FIFTY-siXra ANNUAL EXHIBITION.
We should suppose that the manifest failure
of the AcAdemcians and this year TO make
cut OF their exhibition Of pictures that
can prove attractive 20 the intelligent aud educated pub
lie would set these gentlemen 60 thinking what course
they ought TO pursue back the GavoF Of that
cety whisa fame and fortune depend.
One thing plain. WAatever they ought now to do
there thing they themselves must they ought
not 10 have dOne-they never should have forced the
younger men 70 go OF and up exhibition Of their
OVID The younger men can 90 perfectly well wiChOut
the Academy. but The Academy IL il would continue TO
exist. absolutely nesds the infusion OF youthful blood
into its shfuDkcn veins
But with obstinate refusal to face tle sltuation
which by without precedent IN the history OF
institutouS" the Academy has refused al along and
sim reus 10 recogu.zs two three selfevident facts
One hat pubc which has helped t0 iOund the in
stituiion has proyded!t with handsomo building sud
has generously tOrGar5 on occasion TO Id II Oi
dsb has doae all this for the purpose ~ assisting
limited number artists feather their nests and
rule the roOst but from desire to help forward the
Arts and with n belief that tli's was tho way TO do IT.
Tho Academy if it did not understand things 70;
it calls Itself private Institutions tne nrtats WHO rule
IL insist that !: belongs to them and that they have
perfect right out outsiders. and 70 give them
selves pases independent OF merit; aai az hey
believe this quite honestly they act on their belief Tho
public however does not look at things with The
same eyes, and Ii vero 20 grant
shat the Aeademicans have the law on their
side they thuk they ought in reason 70 remember one
or two other facts Thus IL is most certain that human
beings grow Old ana that their faculties decay Aud
artists are not exempt from the law that rules poii
caus professional aud mechanics the BRAN wall
tire ana the hand Of the danfiest scTse will lose his
Cuhutng Surely this u old enough story that We
should all he willing believe i;. and prepare tn eede
gracefully TO a generation the places VIC can no
longer m Again, IL Is certain tha; not only d" the
young roOping along ready TO take up the work
where ne leave IL, but they bTing their friends win
the,u. who have more hvely Interest In what
their contemporaries arc doing than they have
in what their immediate predecessors did. or are
doing Theresore II Is 70 want tact aud not 90 take
rractical viN OF things for tho Academy 60 act A. h u
undoubtedly acuuK How can nsyOno who pretenda TO
love plcturos and know something about taeo so
from the present Academy EKhiben TO that of the So
clety American Artists aud uOt acknowledge iat the
Academy Exhibition would Dc more Interesting II ron
taned thu greater part OF the pictures that are In the
gallery OF she rival eocieiyi
But n the elder men OF the Academy. the men Who
ruo f. will not yield gracefully. there ongat 90 be meas
ures taken 70 ieayen the dough that refuses TO rise
with enough democratic yeast to bring ocNcr
state of things gently and naturally about
30 good friend Of either institution likes the present
state Of things or wishes to ifeeing continue In
our optuicn all that rs needed to put end 10 INC
mild hosulues that exist, aud 20 h1ng back the
nen OF the new Society the Academy "a to bteak
dow the present bar between tho Associates and the
Academcians elect iuio the Academy the men Oft
new Society OF American Artists. aud then by Iree
democratic ballot choose each yeSr committee to mke
an exhibition ali the pictures sent in. the selection
n n decided by ballot after tho examination Of caeh
| p.oture Tt was by such a ballot ~ thi-.
made SO far az humanly possible In
each case n Ignorance OF the name o tho aFu%
that the present exhibition OF the Society OF American
Arrests vas made up Then each rear there onsh' {" DC
prsu.r OF new uaen the Academy Hs O.
provide hei-s for succession. The Preseut sr'n
OF breeding in and IN has resulted In a reign OF Bos
Faa60gls and UnhApPy. rs the procession Hes Wy te
lat one iiods glass ;hat shows a. many more II a
mHs.msunered Macbeth or so could along aDd Go
nise enee murder We should all OF us be tn better
! for IL.
| In reviewing tire exhibition does rot very
| we'll know whore 90 begin. Toe Characteristic
| quality Of TIE display Is daness; dai1ess IN
| ,he subjects chosen, AID duluess In the treat
| uent Take for a start Mr. Eastman JobnsOn's " The
Funding Bili-POraaitA az two &en." Did this an Al,
than whom DO Interested more Americans ~ his
! work ever PANT q unntercsiing piet0fs9 And
why did lac paint itt We told Il is mol oOisionod
portrai, group and ye: It Is not offered 70: sale The
men, 90 fur as know not famous ana tie arts'
| bns certainly not known how 10 make them CO. They
arc not taking though. by their se@tures inej should
seem 20 say So aud there Ia neither dcniy IN Their a
uaes wuch Of the Ordinary every day sO uof any
beauty 10 the surroundings Natural certainly, but
the pctrre Is defended by persons, who assert
| thai Tins and SO Peu Ycrmese. Yandke, Titan
| uanted the men and women OF their times. fes; bat
| with Idnrsnoe. These men. II they Gid not actually
sink thelr subjects for the spectator Of their own tne
in me pcinr,saue artistic trsa,mepE with which they
clothed them m most casss they are 30 sunk Tor u.s.
and ncthtng remains for but the beauty, nobility or
uicaesuuens OF the treatment and The spienoor Of tile
execution. Bat let anyone AK why coming GENERATIONS
should take any pleasure In this dull. muddy-eolored
| painting--the answer Will bo hard TO give. Bat, OF
| courae no painting by Mr. JOnnsOn be without
sehlariy qualities; te laws OF his profession
and no follows them but much to expect that he
will always aad case that brings forth ali his powers
He has wasted much strength on hts picture in the
Academy; he has seldom painted better picture than
the ono sent 20 the Society OF American Artists
| Mr. W. J. Honnessy has q picture IN the East Room
caIIod Spring Pantaay,"a OF decorative panel
hsopeanS TO the POstleth waite Maadn school. though
hardly utter enough satisfy fully tho demands Of tho
sat This lady, "more than common tall. stands win
her back 20 us and Vatican train sweeps the ground
ma she turns head sideways 70 look at an aHseabush
that IA stuck into porcelain (fOr Il docs not grow
IN H. Though IL wishes think 1t does AZ one Sde
| while peacook with q train OF unusual size sares
| at her from the opposite side OF tho lawn Seen
near b. this pctnFe-which does not seem To convey
anv particular meaning-is not without some grace OF
Ia c u.l,td sweetness OF tint but few feet away Il
heco1rs obscure entirely whatever decorative
effect A. rniyt ssem promise on nearer VieW VIC
bnpe this IN only in Mi Hannessy's what Ia 10
that of dozsa other artists here failure 20 lot him
| self be represented by the best lie can do.
/ Mr. b. c. Porter, OF Boston, whpse Portrait OF
Lady" three years agU created real sensation ia the
| Academy Exhibition, T. most disappointing this year
| rt,h his "Portrait OF Iady" N the south Room-a
| work of no merit that we can discover but
| ,Vnh poxtfiYe deInerts Of drawing tnoxcusable
| IN our eyes. There is, however,, portrait
nv Mr.. Porter OF little boy No.
A7a Mrs Anna Lea MerIilts portgat OF young girl
onT wants q lc lighting up Of tho rather heavy Eng