The sun., 1890-01-05
THE ARcH1rECrURAb LEAeUE,
Ana Its Enhih,tlon nt ortr,s.,..

AS is usual at the exhibitions of the Archi-
tectural League, the smaller room In the ort-
Ries Gallery is filled with works OF household
and decorative art and with designs for such
works Few interesting contemporary produc-
tions are shown. Chief among them stands tho
cover for the new Century Dictionary, de-
signed by Mr.. Stanford White Although the
pattern is stamped. 1t has not the mechanical
aspect usually produced by this process, and Is
quite delightful in both scheme and execution.
The example printed In gold on yellow calfskin
is better than the one whore white vellum is
used, the harmony of tone being more com
plete and the design sufficiently emphatic.
Other book covers are exhibited. but this is the
only one that can be called work of art.
Among the designs for stained glass much
tho best is MIR. Millet's small water COLOR No.
l3S The copy OF Bottlcelli's Louvre
Madonna. executed In glass by tho Tiffany
Company. ia very faithful. but at least ns now
lighted by gas. 1t is rather disaGreeaby hot iu
color The effectiveness of its strong, simple
| composition should teach q lesson sadly needed
by most American designers for glass. Among
the pictures contributed by our own artists.
MIR. Chase's sketch OF children playing croauet
should be noted; Mr.. Deenbaugh's View Of
Moki Town." and MIR. Walkers Gift Bearer"
Interesting old pictures can be found
among the number loaned by Dr. Nevins.
| Dub bu0 tlIlcS ullNpu TO
some OF them may prejudice the student who
does not like to see Correzgio and Iaphael SO
recklossly invoked. The most interesting an
cient objects are. as a class, the woven and
embroidered stufTs, largely contributed by Mr..
| Marluand and Mr.. Glaenzer Tho cast OF u
panel attributed to Donatello seems doubly at
tractive when wo are told that the original is
owned In New York. The quicker one
passes tho bronze low-reef portrait of
Browning by Mr.. Natorp. the pleasant
er will le ones memories OF the
exhibition. and, indeed. mono Of the
modern rolieis deserve much attention.
One OF the very finest objects shown Is the large
Greek amphora lent BIZ Mr.. Stanford White.
Modern work is desirable in exhbitionsli like this
to prove the condition Of our art; and ancient
work Is valuable to form public taste and In
spire the workman. But for either class 10
achieve its end, only products OF real excellence
should bo accepted This years collection too
plainly reveals the fact that no jury passed upon
the loaned contributions.
In studying the architectural designs In the
larger room. two different standards OF criti-
| cism should. OF course. be borne in mind. The
qualities Of the building portrayed should not
be confounded with those OF the portrayal.
Noting first the draughtmanship. we find the
| level much higher than 1t was few years ago.
| There Ia less straining after pictorial effect in
what purport ito be. not pictures. but archi-
| tectural drawings; there Is clearer idea with
regard to the proper end to be attained. and
much more skill in working toward it. Certain
| ly the finest drawings in the room are those OF
foreign buildings contributed by Mr.. Whitney
| Warren OF this city. which at the recent Salon
received the first honorable mention that had
ever been bestowed on an American in tho
section OF architecture. They include pencil
drawings and water colors, and the latter es-
pecialy are veritable marvels: They are small
T
but PainftakinE e stTdes d YET hey are not Ia q
go Tar in his profession WHO as, a student
shows 80 strong feeling for It's artistic
Interest in its scientific requirements. Mr..
Brennan's vigorously brilliant pen drawings of
Mr. Mr. JosseIyn's s and MI. stewardson's foreign
sketches in pencil are attractive, and Mr., G. +.
is good example OF broad work done, from an
architectural point Of view. Mr.. s. w. Mead's
90 With
ono has learned to expect from his hand.
It is impossible within % our space to speak In
would such examination be interesting to nom
professional readers. Suffice it, to note that
| Ing OF any new talent. the general average dis
Among the tall Commercial structures Mr.
Posts Union Trust Company'e building best
ome ss Int oppn his Save Inn pas at
ali the architecture he could remember.
and a similar dsjointed. heterogeneous
buildings. Much simpler and better is Messrs.
drummer and Tryon's design for hotel at Big
Chandlers Hall for Harvard College" is q
sensible and digned piece , Of y work; H. and
Hall" now being built on Seventh avenue. An
Interesting simple country church is shown by
the racery in tne large Se wp
SOw Eq tBaS i nHhn M wa re
| are charmingly refined. and some exceptionally
kind client has given an opportunity to build
more NOR, than the two lower stories of this build
ior country houses may be noted some by
Messrs. Gilbert Taylor Of St. Paul; and Mr.;
tbis fgeHyo cty % the very % Ambitious ones conceived
by Messrs. Melen, Westel and Kirby would
look less fantastic had i they sy been diiIetenily
trasts OF black ink and white paper they make.
Of course. the same effect on the popular eye
With with black trimmings. This is a case which
we'll illustrates that In considering such things
nnS medHm. as' As H they Would naturally be built.
these houses might look very we'll to those who
sixteenth six century in nineteenth century, Amer
ican structures. But to see how far behind
their models. even fair modern designers may
fall in the matter OF uniting tall roofs and taller
turrets one may turn to the Normandy sketch
Cs of Mr. Cone. Here there Is union: in mod
ern essays there is usually but conjunction.
Another case where the draughtsmanship
has hurt designs may be found in Mr. LittIes
country home interiors. vugarized by crude
water color treatment
In the yestbule we find several designs sub
mitted in competition for this years medals.
but none OF them call for detailed mention.
The problem was AN Entrance to n Worlds
Julius Harder OF this city. while the silver one
iell to Mr.. e. +. BraGdon Of Rochester.
Here likewise hang, on walls and screens, a
number Of the designs submitted last spring
TO the committee In charge OF tho erection OF a
cathedral In New York. The series is not COM
plete and does not represent some OF the most
distinguished architects who arc said to have
and. as the cases are rare when more than a
perspective and plan are given, nearly half
that number of schemes may be judged. The
survey Is very interesting, but 1t can hardly be