New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-09

hilton "a fixed az 25 cents-as 20 write upon thei
tickets the number of design they think the best
II will thus be noticed that the labor and responsibility
deciding upon the prizes not TO be lposed ths year
upon few artists but Is TO be shared by a. many per
sons as are willing 10 give the time and trouble necessary
10 make up their minds which OF all the designs eAho
tied they like the best For reality this II all that u
amounts TO In either case, nor Is u 10
be expected that the award Of the artists
and art critics will he essentially of greater
va'ue than that Of the body OF Intelligent eli 'aeu
people who make up the second award.
No one doubts that the gentlemen who have geher-
ously given their time and their professional knowledge
TO deciding on the merits OF the different designs III or
mcr performed their task with earnestneSs ana
good faith But they were artists ana judged tue mat
ter "a WAS to have been expected and as was thelr
right entirely from the side OF their profession lucy
looked at composition at handling, at TINS that IN" V
other point interesting the studios and Interesting 10
them alone, and 80 the award went, in GER
tain cases at least, where 1t wonh he'eI
have gone If the popular voice could Hh'O
been beard We still think hear the tones OF the III
tclueent. go0dloOking lady'smad or chidrens nurse
whichever she may have been who last year houcS"1
appealed TO Us TO solve her doubt Can you ten me-
sir why this design obtained the first prize = ms jean
If this young woman any Ike her shall vf the eA
hibton she will have the opportunity to express hoi
own preference and exert her share OF influence III '
award of prizes
In the old dispute between the educated and the uned
uoatcd as 10 which class does the more TO settle inc
claims OF works OF art 10 final approval 1t u
the firm opinion Of this writer at least that
the popular voice the best worth listening TO In the
long ran Tic advice Of MichelangclO 70 the young
sculptor" Set yuur work in the public square went
to the root of the natter and would nave Deeh
more willing than this greatest Of the modcrns to submit
his works to the Judgment 81 the mass of men, one o
the great difficulties that the painters Of orr own time
have 70 contend with is that their work Is so seldom
Judged by the general public 1t is seen for brci perlou
in the Academy the Salon and theDceiOr"ard s rep
utation is at the mercy Of eiques, OF iaShioh
able "frt-" Of the crowd Of DC, pie who
Judge pictures by precisely the same standard as
is applied TO any mcrchautablc commodity, and MS re-
suit the picture never breahes breath OF healthy air
The only way which the painter OF to-day reaches the
gene raj public Is by Of the photograph or some
other Of the well known processes Of reproduction Ahu
as these are always IN black and white, the puhlc eye
for color Is almost destroyed and the public taste turns
away from the artist whose works, depending on Color
lose bv being repeated in black and white. More than
this It can hardly be denied that the schools OF today
which most urtssully appropr ate 20 themselves the
oplthe artistic" those in which cooris almost an
unknown element.
What is commonly called an educated" taste Is most
apt 10 be narrow founded accidents, and shut III Z"
some social within. often Of a kind not very healthy
And uneucatcd tastes apt their side to be oN'
TOO exclusively in their admiration 10y their feelings ana
by their opinion that in picture statue the subject
Is nearly everything II might be interesting II we hao
time adducc instances In support Of hes" statements
Cases as wide apart those Of Dante oi Rosctu an"
John Rogers, might be ceh on the danger oi
leaving ones reputation exclusively Ia the han's
of either tho oyercducatcd tho undor-cdu
Gated. What is wanted t., opportunity l"
educate the whole public, by bringing
all classes into the presence ~ the artists work and
Injecting Il 10 iId gmcnt that shall lnrludr Tie El
rst possible variety OF elements n ts composition Ana
since We cannot have do not have itc-c"cS or n"h
mental works Of kind In these DAYS. We must tttr
what get drspisc any means, however small
that khgll bring people NJ many different sorts together
to consider what the artist sets before them. EkulDl-
tou 81 pictures, and ia great variety, arc sCaaf on
the increase museums founding IN all dlr"c
tions, manufactures arr rapidly emerging from
TIE slough Of dc-pOud I'm winch iheA
have for many years been sunk. and IN one way or
another the interest In art even II Dee ont' ~ lt7
lumblcst forms. kept awake. Mr.. Prang has done
much to Keep awake his own field, aud We are sure
that iu the form D. competition he has no" miro
duccd shall br able record interesting, and 10
the pL losopuic mind. valuable result. II would
not 10 The least surprise ~ the Judgment ~ a ihc
artists art critics should IN This cd-r agree win ihc
Judgment every body ol-s and that for once We .uuu
the card ihnf lis really the best carry OF inun-
phantly the two prizes.