The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-06-01
,Hs socyxrY or AxKr1UAs An.7sra

Tho young men of the Society Of American
artists have invaded the Academy Of Design
and have made q spectacle Of themselves.
Their seventh annual exhibition 10 poor and
uninteresting. they have given II under condi-
lions which secure for II only the public In
difference; they have made IL an occasion OF
internal disturbance and strife among them.
solves: and 90 far ~ tho outaids world 10 DON.
cerned they have achieved = complete and
humiliating failure.
Tho world Of art Is full Of conscious and I'M.
conscious humbug. Tho original cause OF ex-
istence Of the Society Of American Artists Was
furnished By the evii practices Of the National
Academy. That well.chastsnsd but unregen-
crate body has been managed - . close cor
poration In the narrow. personal interests Of
the older artists; II has siven very little an
courA9ement TO the younger generation: its
decrepit monopolists hare allotted oil tho good
hanging space to themselves. and Il has. gen.
orally speaking. boon conducted In q most
ungenerous and uncivillnsd spirit Turned
from It's doors. and resenting the indignitiss
hsaped upon them from year to year BY the
stolid pachyderms Of the hanging committees.
the now corners rebeled and established an
Academy Of their own. It was very beautiful to
see the Spartan simplicity Of their early steps
They were disinterested In their motives. they
were tremendously In earnest and they
achieved really interesting results.
Their hrst exhibitions were In tho nature OF
. sincere and effective protest against the
Academy and Its methods and disclosing. a.
they did. . distinct and we'll marked line OF
progress and ambition In art. they were hearth
IL welcomed by the public. They brought
now men to the surface. whence some Of them
have since departed; they affected the hsr-
dened old men Of the Academy to the degree
OF making them do some very subtle work In
theway Of hanging at their ensuing exhibitions.
and they filed the air with promise and en-
thusiasm. All this. while It lasted. was very
lovely. and young men. fred By the contasion
OF tha time. declared that they could study art
just ~ we'll In New York % they could In Paris
or Munich.
This was the non.nuclested and halcyon
period Of tho Society's existence. Later It took
on . more concrete condition; Q little nucleus
Of oficialism appeared and terminated into
banging committees and jurles and finally the
whole concern exfoliatod into we'll developed
art corporation. full-charged with all the vices
and abuses Of tho older body and in those
characteristics more aggressive. turbulent. and
conspicuous. by reason OF youthful fro and
energy and the Lesser space afforded It for
combustion and display. The Academy
never was so arrogant In its rretensions.
or so selfish in It's exclusiveness IA tho
younger body: its Jury of admission was
psver 81 unjust or stupid In Its determinations.
and its Hanging Committee was never moro
fragrant in its interested Partially. This
would be saddening truth II It did not
pRrtake so largely OF the ridiculous. and. while
1t IL most palatable to the ancient and i'm
pervous Acaismicians. 1t docs not say much
for their institution. which deserves = sound
basting whenever occasion admits.
The seventh annual exhibition OF tho Society
ia held ut the beginning OF summer. when the
public interest In such matters has vanished.
It should have been held earlier. and not under
any circums ancss In the Academy building
but rsewhere and in competition with the
Academy. The Society has made no effort to
hold good exhibition. There 10 no sincerity
or enrnestness in what 1t has done. nor any
thing other than IN exploitation Of humbuG
and afveotation. Gentlemen who attitudinize
and pose. rs being easier OF accomplishment,
and quicker OF return than labor or study
have converted It to their uses. 1t In n severe
and virtuous exposition OF their principles
and belieis. 0nd good pictures and good
sculpture have been rejected by them because
Inconsistent th"rowith-not up to the fatuous
md impal pablo standard OF vacuous chic. Il
which they have addressed their own efforts
Even In this respect 1t Ia n mixed w and inco.
herent showing; because ono finds here ant
there upon the walls the very things which the
Society's masters most condemn In theory ant
principle. but which in practice they eithe
nilmt or fail tn recognize.
There are eighty-elght pictures exhibited
some very lnrge-greRt wastes OF canvas; SOM
very smn-grrat wastes Of innnitesima
labor-nnl they inniranately cover tho wall
OF the South Gallery Of the Academy building
Among them there are some very good things
bright and interesting pictures that SHOW
native gifts Joined to honest effort; but. for tn
most part. they are technical exploits. example
OF painting for the sake Of painting the metho
And It's c!",erness far more thought Of than tn
merit and interest OF the thing painted or tn
underlying truth Of it. which. 20 have we'll ex
pressed 1t, hal been worth all possible effort
There are exploits In color after the fashion D
the London afYectationist Whistler. but tho
> lack tho stamp Of ingenuity and originate
which characterIzes the eccentricities OF tina
gentleman There are studies In monochrome
studies In svansscence Of color and In tn
gloom OF Courbet; and there are studies 1
vacuitv Of thought and copiousness OF pain
which are completely successful.
In respect to portraiture the place Of distint
tion very naturally. considering the methods {
the Society. falls to the President. Mr.. Abbo
H. Thayer. for his Portrait Of Two Ladies'
(No 76). This Is most weak and affected pit
ture. with great ambition OF strong paintin
in II. disclosed In the handling. which Is ma.
terly to the degree OF being coarse. and In th
pigment which 10 In lavish thicknesses.
conveys throughout the impression OF moi
strenuous and vein-burstine effort to appear
paint easily For the rest. In its diffusion I
light In It's general proportion. and In sue
suggestion a. one may grasp OF the personalit
and quality Of the subject. II has tho element
OF an agreeable picture. II only Mr.. Thay,
were rightly equipped to carry It to oompl'
ton. A much moro considerable work and
really flne portraits Mr.. J. W. Alexsnder's col
tribution mo. ST. This Is the best portrait o,
hibited this year BY any OF our artists.
strong and vigorous achievement and
broader and greater merit than his jefferson
a. Bob Acres" ono Of the best pictures In Il
late Academy Exhibition. whore It was col
sisned to the ignominy OF the corridor. Al
other excellent portrait. the best that the arti
has shown In New York. 10 Mr.. b. G. Porter
Portrait Of a Lady" tNo. 85). This 10
disnined canvas fine in execution. a.