New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-27
SCHOOLS IN THE OPEN AIR.
AN ARTISTS ADVICE TO AMERICANS.
vAsSILI vEREsTCHAGIN THINKs THAT THIS
COUNTRY NEEDS MORE ART AND
FEWER EXCHANGES


FEWER EXCHANGES.
Vassih Yerestchagtn entertained good-humored
crowd of Americans at the American Art Galleries
last night with discourse on the weakness of this
Nation according TO the conception of the artists
of his school The genial ridicule which he be-
slowed on Americans under the title of "A Talk
on Art had about il smack of Max 0Relrs
happier sarcasms Like the Frenchman, the
Russian sugared his pills we'll, and they were
swallowed with positive susto. Mr.. verestchagin
presented to his audience, partly artistic partly
fashionable the aspect Of a Tartar in evening
dress. His long, black forked beard, his keen
eyes, his hooked nose, his roughly brushed hair
his suit, by no means well-ftting, his impctuous
words, his nervous gestures, his walk TO and
fro as he spoke, had in them SUGGESTION faint
perhaps, but still there, of a sort of savagery in
conventional cage.
But the man and his surroundings were novel,
and his words and his style were original and
neither his jocularities nor his advice lightly
uttered soon to be forgotten. Colonel George
F. Gardiner INTRODUCED him with evidences of some
doubt as 10 the correct pronunciation of his name
Without any useless preamble, the great artist
said that this was glorious country, but he
continued, / find here too many stock exchanges
not enough picture galleries. You struggle too
much for the dollar, and it dries your character
To give you an Illustration: Suppose am sitting
chatting agreeaby with some nice people; there
comes young man and cries 'seventy-seven an a
half" Immediately the whole societee 1t is
not possibe 771-2i No! Yes!' 1t began
IS, went &c, 761- ~! l thank God that | sold
as well!n
THE ARTIST LIKES HIS OWN WAY.
Mr.. Verestchagin performed his illustration with
an enthusiasm that filed the room with applause.
II really the text of his whole matter,-the
haste TO be rich. But he gave by the way, some
little personalities that were no less interesting
than his treatment of this text. lie emphasized
his originality lie said that he liked 10 do things
such and such o way because that was the way he
liked. He laid stress of the fact that his pictures
were painted IN the open air and told about his
open air studiO near Paris lie recalled the same
Of portraits by old masters. admirable their
hesh-tints we;e as instance OF what they lost by
not doing so. He said he often carried pictures IN
his mind before he painted them. lie talked COM
placently of having seen the hanging
of it and of having studied the
unoouth pastures of his dead and dying on battle
about war; except that it is a dangerous thing
which COSTS very dear. They want 20 have for
their money. something heroic, and the painter
gives them these heroes If a man j. going to the
assault he goes In u beautiful position If he dies
he dies iu a beautiful pose. | cannot see this
The soldier when be dies dies with the idea of his
wife, mother, sister and hc has not the time 10
take the beautiful pose ~
Mr.. Vcrestchagin then playfully went for
Americans He limited that one OF the critics here
had borrowed his matter from French paper, ana
was engineer by profession. He said that oil
the critics here were apt 10 give short and unsatls
factory comments on this individual picture and
that indy idual picture and not, IKE some Euro
pean critics, give long and careful reviews OF the
school and the collection as whole. He accused
Americans of having no American art, and OF being
devoid of taste. To remedy this, he proposed, II
he were elected President OF the United states ~
devote the surplus To founding art schools all over
the country Americans couldn't safely reduce the
tariff yet, he argued because the wOrkmcn could
not compete with European worEmen; on account
Of the latter having better taste. His advice 10
Americans was to paint pictures in the open air and
&c make schools Of art with open-air studios.
THE AMERICAN WAY OF PUYING PICTURES.
But the miserable state Of the country as "a art
until his remedy shall be tried he depicted in de-
sc1ipticns of American milhonares, scurrying over
the old world, with no time TO see anything, buy
ing pictures by the gross 10 give an impression Of
their vast wealth. ordering them sent home and
handing over such ashley found bad or unSatlsiac-
tory TO the Metropolitan Museum OF Art -,
For instance, ] sec you like pictures here,
he said The walls of your houses are covered
with pictures. l said TO a friend Where .yolu!
have found these pictures? They are dreadful!
furnished the pictures ! don't care for the
pictures. The frames good Much
laughterl
II Mr. Verestchagn fears that the Nations taste
as rule is bad he thinks that It's machinery is eX
cellent But if he were President he would look
out that the money from the surplus went OF the
schools, and not between the schools"
All his expressed opinions and bis witty illustra-
tons were warmly applauded and Mr. Verestcha-
gin wished long life and prosperity to highly
pleased audience