New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-03
THE CHRISTM1S carr EXHIBiTfON

Vndiscouragcd by the more or less unsa'ls'
hctorY results of previous Christmas caTn "Nh"nS'
!, hy the failure u the Harper prize competitions Nh
Pr,n- Is again To the fore with " pri@" 'Ahm""h "'
i,t. for ,tina- cards" Nh Irang has proied by
,as experience. In 1880 his invitation brought upon
,iu Hood of de,irus, many OF them lnapi'cnh' many
borrowed without credit" aud the majority OF
distinctly Nmatcursh execution III 1851 Tue
n1ibltos showed u better understanding OF
.ho elementary proposition that Christmas ca'd'
,nht Ia bnyo SOME reference to Christmas, hut th'i'
IA. aean adcarth of original ideas coupled with too
much crude or so,ouh workmanship There was niue
.hanfc IN 1882.
I'M. wear Mr. prng has not opened his doors io All
.omrs lie has obtained d,.igus from twenty-five
artists mostly 10 bo ca.s.d with those whom We tiH
,sll the Young, painters none unknown or amateur
,ut all with a record Of some good work THIS course
may exclude unrcoognilod genius here ana 'hoie' nut
FOR mis- possible loss there is certain gain III the EN-"
lutiol nf % hundred or two designs which ~ Woud ne
vaslc Of time To consider. The former theory Of nm
artl.c verdict from the votes oi visitors oi oi hillsS
and a critics has hccu discarded The awards In this
exhibition are made 10y the VOTES al dealers an"
The dealers naturally vote for She designs "hhh
They believe nfior long practical experience VIII prove
most acceptable 10 the popular taste fuch S'l''U"r
may he a variance wlth aesthetic" opinions. but II h.
uhcl, that the iud incu o the men who sell 'nisinhs
rnrs N IN be- more apt give the great public III" styles
of cards witch the public want' An ih'lhgcni Hci IN
trcst Is tine shapcncr of the witt nud w. nro SURF h
The dealers have given these designs th'r careful md
prNotnl consideration with commercial @imdld "i
awards thus fankl, acnoN ledg,d the whole matter IL
,mplned At once M Iraug Is toho regarded n- the
head Of Wholesale house aud the VOTERS ON The ll's
as retail merchants who come tu ecl'ct the e""d- Whhh
they think Will thkc thc ho4t la theh mhkvis. "
would hc rlcorl, rrcrostotous tor the makers ei t'
goods which are mot purchased to accuse u' l''h'l'"
an unluai hna
n ts duo ST. tram "a sa, that he h,a uruhahly soourd
the hst gnmia within his sch aud that ,hui ate iui the
,nust tan ~ excellent workmanship - ioRa'd' uc
much ,u,rd question: uf ouainMit, m dosiruu ~ noH.
sa, tu ,unl,ss that the exhibition Ina brought ioiih
nolbus which oels iot an esuno'aui ace cot 'ul"N'
lNrst
gho mrbd, ~ Christmas eong. tho enlci. pto,lun'
t, al Peace un earth" and tho loiuua au.s iuna al
u, hiianas tiru. che mlsrtoo tul to holly h"nsh az
thu motives witch note a. the la'"iiir7 lh l"'hhs
al tho twenty irar dosisus az ino gallery ct
Eeiohard a 60 Mrs-rs Low, hewiug hla-hh"d'
eol With ana Mic, wheeler come hst with what may he
termed idoalhod religious Subjects MI l"" hh7 drawn
u group 81 angels With long Irunrrs hchnd The CHRIST
cld ana the VIRGIN, whose cSos are ted r"n he straw
of the mangcr Ia ecstacl at thu sound ot the ""'d 40
trceisa VIZ ooufos, strong liking for MI Lave de
sgn Oh account OF the simple dSNout thrnf.u''- Mlch
breaches In his figures Ills swcci-faccd singing angel
shows fairly medayal sincerity There aiN harsh lines
In the composition. but In none of the designs l. this
aspect Of Christmas presented with more true feeling
MossIs DcVug and Blashhold have boih ttlod Tor
aristic eject but they have lost IN appropriateness
Mr.. Dcwing. borrowing freely from his picture
Tho Prelude" preserves something ~ e. dcicacY u
colorng hut what Christmas feeling IL there ~ these
eaubt Vsagcd. sorroWfu, hollow.cied angels WIN tn'r
IONS of the earlier work of the Burnc Jones ltoN
sciti school Mr. Ba-hheids angels come TO biins not
pcace bat sword Judging frOu ihrir iuteu-hc1 h'ilOl
In design Of tins nature there should surely be qud
~ OF rcIo-c bat this instance the impression OF UP
l. not llaycd by the magic lantern lmse
OF the Christ chd ia the background II "a pity that
The good workmanship of this card should be 80 m-
pied think that Miss Wheelers desgn vii be found
disappointing by moot oI th' Nls''"'s Z" W,
gallery. The chalAy wbtencss oi ne anth
white lines of the doves symboizlng presumably
the Holy Ghost give effect ~ hartness which much
NOR. prominent than the feeling sought 80 DC expressed
in the figures of the Virgin and Christ CHA Asior Nj
BccL Aiths composition Of one Neiy large ana one very
cetcsm of whose body II beel by me a~ish e"cG o ns
hair one there Is really nothing 10 bo sAla ana
81 Mr. Boodeoods fair harper VINO pace through Gum
field against an illuminated background
thai OF the angel making the Christmas proclamation ON
One dess rhte nG e curc i'' and vii" Church rel S
and on another the ssgei soars above the
enoS Mi to Men We fancy that The objection 70 this
favorie idea VIII he iiIt popular Christmas card
should contain figures more OF concrete appeal
H. human interest And yet While The desgn- Of Mes,fs
Percy Moran and A. VI Turner are hSuie pieces ihey
sie especially pertinent Inc ioi'I present, thite
drmure indeed rather downca>t, choir singers clad IN
his familiar last century costumes ana 'no s~s
a group Of singers aud players around Iiaho 1917
Tor the borders these good people mitht as "'i we
ing Easter ~ as Christmas dutheD' NJ u. ",
Pierce nkes bi, holly boughs play 80 prominent par
thai mistake the nature of the in''l."
IN which lls characters are tnSaecH Ihe IA
lar Christmas N.its. utilized IN various way 10 nor
designs, To have been ignored mere, unless Mrs
II nmphnyss pretty children, apparently lowing nc
ErOwctgmcnt- Tor holly sprgs ana nON"Ir, are - p'
taken Tor Christmas scicnadeTs who viii De promptly re
wardcd Win ihot" substantial glits from the sini7
tree ihs bilhss us 10 another phase al 'hlls'nAs iiu',
which has ELECTED Mr. oalgas low toned oil sketch ol
mother and child bringing home Christmas along
"A snowy road. and MI MCdOu's design of little girl
sitting before the open lire aud seeiug Visions OF
EsI fs. Al
sway bsLind his reindeer. Mr. weldon 0hers good
ample Of the popular card amt, although We write
befors the announcement ~ the pf1Lcs,
fancy him likely 20 appear among the
winners. 1helt are SUM- s!vyocN "in'h
never seem 10 oe popularity by repetition and In this
instance there viii be trouble IN seeing al lere u 10
- Ina tue design al glance. Mise LIne tells the soiy