Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-25
ANEW SOUTHERN ART MUSEUM
! The Telfair Academy, Savannah, GeOr-
gia-DirectOr Brandt's European Mis-

s1ons
Tie Art Union fer april.
Within the past few years the growth
of general interest in the Fine Arts has
been most remarkable throughout the
country, and with this interest has
sprung up means for its cultivation in
many localities. At least three perma-
nent art galleries have been begun in
Northern cities during the past year, and
one has been started most successfully in
the South through the mediumship Of the
Art Union. Another Art Institution of
great promise IS now being established in
another Southern State, and before very
long almost every prominent city in this
country will have its Art Museum just as
has almost every prominent city in
Europe.
The South offers a wide field for the
future of American art. The climatic
conditions of some of our Southern States
do not differ materially from those of
certain European States whence have
sprung many of the greatest painters and
writers Of the time; our Southern coun-
try has as bright blue skies as those Of
Italy and it contains much excellent
matter that is paintable and that thus
far has scarcely come under the brush.
The Southern people seem to have an in
herent CIVILIZATIONS; they love what is
beautiful, and, when they are able TO do
so. surround themselves with elegance.
Ii they come to take up art, they will
surround themselves with what is best in
art. and if the SOutheTner resolves to fol-
low art, he willfOllOW it with earnestness.
That there have been few Southern
artists may be attributed mainly to the
fact that there has been little or no art in
the South to encourage the art-student.
The rebellion swept away what had been
gathered together previous to 1861, and
since that time many of those who might
have been particularly friendly to art,
have found themselves without the means
to crafty their tastes.
A new Art Academy, with a perma-
nent gallery of carefully selected works,
now being established in Savannah, Ga,
will doubtless have great influence in
the artistic development of the South.
Some seven years ago, Miss Telfair, the
daughter Of one Of the former Governors
of Georgia, died, and lett, among other
requests, the old Telfair mansion with its
comprising some works OF art
of more or less historic interest and
value-together with a large sum OF
money, to the Georgia Historical Society,
to be used in the establishment and future
maintenance of an academy to be known
as "The Telfair Academy Of Arts and
Sciences"
For about six years Miss Telfair's tesla
ment was contested, but year ago the
courts decided that it should stand. In
the meanwhile, interest on the money in
vOlved had accumulated to the amount Of
nearly fifty thousand dollars. The trus-
tees of the fund then came to consider
what active measures should be taken for
the cOnsummatiOn of Miss Telfair's inteu-
tiOns, and after some correspondence, the
President of the Georgia Historical
Society came North, and, at the instance
Of the board, rendered the dictatorship
of the new academy to MIR. Carl J..
Brandt, n. A. Mr. Brandt Immediately
went South, inspected the building at the
disposal of the trustees, and projected the
alterations necessary to render it adapta-
BILE for its new purposes, and which are
now nearly completed. AS director Of the
enterprise, Mr.. Brandt suggested that it
would be wise to visit Europe to obtain
casts, pictures and other suitable works
of art for the nucleus OF the academy
collections, and that that would be an
especially favorable time to visit Europe,
on account of the various prominent art
exhibitions to be held during the season.
The trustees of the society thereupOn
desired Mr.. Brandt to go abroad for this
purpose.
Three great art exhibitions were held
in Europe last summer; the Amsterdam
Exhibition, the Munich Exhibition and
the French Salon Triennial. Mr.. Brandt
visited all of them and the principal art
centres of Europe besides. In conversing
with him concerning this mission abroad,
he SAID:
SIN Amsterdam there were many pic
lures of great excellence, loaned by vari-
GUS museums, but few Of Importance or
value that were offered for sale. French
art was fairly well represented by pictures
loaned by the government; German art
was feebly shown with the exception of
some excellent pictures by Achenbach),
probably on account Of the demands made
upon their national art by the Munich
Exhibition. The japanese department,
at Amsterdam, particularly interested
me. Never before had | realized how far
japanese art had advanced. Some Of the
brOnzes and textiles were perfect mar
wells of beauty, and l was glad to secure
some of them Tor the Southern Museum.
A large PLAGUE which | purchased is the
work of the artist Muracami, probably
the most expert of the Japanese artists
of the present time. The design is traced
in gold and silver lines in a metal ground
(inlaid) and is most eXquisitely beauti.
full. 1t was manufactured expressly for
the Amsterdam Exhibition and is unique.
A fine piece ofJapanese embroidery which
purchased, was greatly desired by the
Director of the South KensingtOn Mu-
scum, who had been requested by the
Director Of the Hermetage, Of st. Peters
burg, to buy a few unique specimens for
it from the japanese department.
''In Munich, l purchased a number of
pictures, and a series of tapestry paint
ings which had been executed by Direc-
tor Schraudolph, of the Stuttgart
Academy, for the Exposition of Nurem-
berg, held some years ago. These paint
ings attracted considerable attention at
Nuremberg, and the managers Of the
Munich exhibition were very glad to
secure them for their exhibition. The
series constitutes lrieZe ten feet high,
and, in its entirety, nearly two hundred
feet long. 1t contains number of figures
representing the different arts, with god
desses distributing wreaths of honor and
fame" each figure of this composition,
says Friedrich Pecht, in his letters OF
Die D1Ode2Re huRSt Quf der InteTag-
tioRdlen HunStdaSSteLluRq 20 Muncben,
1888, expresses the vocation assigned in
so characteristic a manner, that one is
astOnished at the talent displayed in the
production Of this creation, so rich and
elegant, and so correct in the character
of the German Renaissance. 7-ED.)
"When the Director Of the Kensington
Museum, Sir Philip Conlifie Owen, first
saw these paintings, at the Nuremberg
Exposition, he prevailed upon Schrau-
dOlph to make him copies of two of them
for the museum, and subsequently in
duced the artist TO visit Kensington to
give instruction to the students there in
the method Of producing the effects
shown in these works, which, at the
proper distance, can scarcely be distin-
guished from superb tapestries. These
paintings, which were placed as a frieze
about the central bali of the German
Department of the Munich Exhibition,
are to be hung as trleze in our gallery
of paintings in Savannah"
Mr.. Brandt neXt went to Vienna, where
he ordered a number of statues to be
cut in stone, for the ornamentation of the
grounds about the Telfair Academy,
representing Phidias, Raphael, Michel
Angelo, Rubens and Rembrandt. From
Vienna the Director went to Venice,
Florence and Rome, where he was eX-
ceptiOnally successful in obtaining per-
mission from the Vatican to have made
from thirty to forty new mOulds from the
most famous sculptures in the collection,
from which casts in plaster are now
being made for the Telfair Gallery. This
Is a permission rarely granted. Mr..
Brandt was greatly aided in his enter
prise by the efforts of Minister w. w.
AstOr, who for many years has been his
personal friend, and is the possessor of a
number of his paintings. In Naples, were
ordered a large number of duplicate
casts from the National Museum, and,
a mon ~ Ofbnrc ono Of tho rotoJ No.