The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-03
TIE BLACK AND WHITE Exhibition.
Our friend, NJ. Bartholdi whose gigantic

statue was the theme of Mr.. Evarts's equally
colossal sentences the othcr night once told II
New York artist who complained OF an unnp-
precatiye public. that he ought to draw pic
lures in black and white for reproduction. 1t
was sound advice. because 1t is through the
medium Of the arts OF engraving and printing
that by far the greater part OF our people gain
their notions of art Of every kind. illustrated
books and papers and magazines so every
where. 1t would be hard to find tho farmers
boy who Is not n connoisseur Of wood engrav-
inGs. and every pretty girl IL as familiar with
the photographers camera as with her look
ing glass. while. II she keeps an album ~ she
probably does. Photographic copies OF Ra-
phaeps or Titians beauties help to fill 1t. and
occasionally modern picture finds place.
Steel cngravings Autographs and etchings IRE
nowhere uncommon. but. except the chrome"
which can be named only to be abominated.
there is no means Of popuarizing works in color
| Our popular art is black-and white art. and no
artist has a chance Of becoming widely known
| unless he draws for the magazines" or n
| some way brings printers ink to serve him.
This has been the cause OF the very remark
able progress Of that kind Of art among us. IL
| has given us wood engravers more capable OF
| doing full justice to any drawing that they may
| havo to copy. than tho best OF their fellow
| craftsmen in Europe. In the small room in the
| Academy OF Design which is given over
to engravings and etchings and mon
otypes. the woodcuts are especially re-
! marknble. Whoever knows the present con-
dition Of this art in France and in England,
can readily understand why it is that
work like the little girl in No. 3l4. or the en-
| cravings OF Greek statues. Nos. 273. 2I9 or the
st. Agnes Eve" By Mr.. Wolf. or the Roman
bathing scene after Alma Tadema. by Mr.. Da-
Wis should excite the wonder Of French and
| English critics. Our engravers have been
| called upon to render a service which II has
never fallen to the lot Of their European breth-
rem to render. They have had to become tho
| Spokesman for our artists to the public-to
| that great American public which never sees
| the inside of museum or picture gallery.
| In Europe IL may be- said that no such public
exists. Every provincial town has its museum.
free to ALL and. as a rule. containing finer works
than we have to show in New York. People do
not look to reproductions on a small scale.
without color and essentially imperfect in
other respects. to make them acquainted with
the higher arts. At the most. they ask only for
| u sketch. or memorandum of some painting
| which perhaps they cannot see in the original
| without going to some expense or trouble. Inc
different state of things in this country has oc
casioned strenuous effort to render in wood
engraving qualities and effects supposed In
general to belong exclusively to higher forms
OF art. The attempt has been successful be-
yond all expectation. though complete success
was. of course. out OF the question.
By an error of judgment. the jury OF admis-
sion of the present exhibition has avoided
bringing together engravings and the originals
after which they were made. but n series OF
drawings in the corridor. the engravings from
which are to be seen ut every book store and
newspaper stand will serve for comparison.
Mr.. Fred Delmans A Girl Know" is re-
produced on the first page of the Messrs Har-
per's Christmas publication. but with
out a trace of its delicate beauty. Mr.
Chases "Burgomaster' and f. ID Mil
let's Christmas Amenities" have suffered
almost as badly. On the other hand Mr.. We'd
dcr's "Sansone" has gained by passing under
Mr. Coles graver. Still the impression must
remain among artists at any rate. that it is ex
trcmcly unsatisfactory to be represented to
the public by another man. working with tools
less expressive than ones own. Even with US.
work done with full reference to the engraver >
requirements. such as the Gas pc Hcadlend' Of
Mr.. Frazer in the corridor. is by no means sure
Of adequate treatment. How much less likely
would Mr.. Curriers' charcoal sketches or Mr..
Bicknels monotypes be To get fair translation.
These considerations have evidently been
weighing upon the artists. for in this fifth an
| nual SNOW OF WOrkS IN anu WHITE, en-
cravings and drawings done for engraving
take up less space than ever before. The pub
lie appealed to this time is not composed Of
publishers and their customers all the
country but is distinctly metropolitan.
An experiment is made to see whether
black and white cannot please at first hand.
The term includes so many different methods.
constantly in use among artists, whether they
also produce works in color or not that the
success or failure of the venture will fairly in
dictate whether here in New York we have got
beyond the magazine and newspaper period Of
our development in the fine arts.
Best of all the works here shown that were
clearly made for their own sake. and not for re-
production. are the charcoal drawings and
sketches that have been contributed by Walter
Shirlaw. Four OF these are Italian landscapes
two landscapes with figures, Washing at a
Roman Vel" and Twilight" and one a large
cartoon. Italia, for decorative panel. The
six smaller drawings landscapes and figures
both have all the manly and simple beauty
which Mr. Shirlaw's admirers have claimed for
him. but which many were afraid had been