New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-15
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS.
NOTES FROM BOSTON AND cHIcASo-THEArRICAL
ARCHITECTURE IN AMERIcA-TURNER's
ACCURACY AGAIN IN QUESTION

FOREIGN NEWS.

ARCIHTECTU RE IN AMERlCA-TuhNEhS
ACCURACY AGAIN IN QUESTION
FOREIGN NEWS.
No additions to tie list OF local exhibitions for the
coming week have been announced, but on inesday
evening The Eth the beginning OF the Nerestchagih
sale al the American Art Galleries VIII give VI"
impetus 10 activity In art circles. 1t Is an Interesting
query rs TO who will buy the enormous e"'"se'
which verestcagn has found necessary for MS p'ihc'
nal works There is certainly no vQ0m IN
tbe Metropolitan Museum for any OF them, ana
no private collector could possibly ACCOMMODATE even
one Of them I'm his gallery. The smaller pictures ana
part;cularlv the studies OF Eastern landscape, VIII
probably find ready purchasers The autumn eNHio
ton of the Academy will be ready for the nspe'o Oh
the press within the week. and will be opened to the
public Oh Monday. November %
Mr. j. W. Douton has on exhibition at his twenty
ojrhtb.st shop portrait by Richard Evans OF Johh
PbiIip Kemble rs Conoanus. Evans was pupil OF
Sir Thomas Lawrence from whom he obtained
smooth flowing style. This portrait OF kenble' Win
its classic background, is an example vi se'e'c
subject treated with free brush.
Al 81. Peters Hall. West Twentiethst.. under the
auspices of tn, General Theological Seminary. Mr.
Barr Ferree Is giving series of Illustrated lectures on
Christian architecture The first lecture, which was
delivered Oh the evening OF November g. was devoted to
the baslica. The second and third. announced for
November 20 and December A. will treat OF the cathe
dral and of the part PLAYED by the m0nastlc orders
in the history OF Christian architecture.
The Boston Art Society has issued circulars Tor It's
fortyafth exhibition of oil paintings, which will open
on January - and close en- February u. sum oil
81 500 has been appropriated by the club from its fund
for the purchase Of more works from the exh-
bltion. Pictures will be received at the clubhouse
Dartmouth and Newbury sts., from January 10 sanu-
AIRY Z.
AT the fourth annual exhibition Of American oil
paintings held In Chiacgo by the Art lnstl-
tute Mr. Frank ". Bensons "Twiight" won the Ellis
worth prize of $780, and Mr. S. G. Mechers's Dutch
Pilots, the Institute prize of $3.50. Mr. Mechers and
Mr. George Hitchcock are to paint some large decorative
works for the Chicago Exposition In 1875 At the
Academy exhibition in London Mr.. IIitchcocks 81 Ma
ternity" skied' lately But 1t was discovered
by an English collector who bought 1t for
$4,000. Another American artist. Mr.. Albert Bier
stadt is meeting with some success in London The
critics have been impressed by his analytic views OF the
boundless West. Mr. BierStadt has 1t seems told the
critics that he prefers TO be judged by "The Last OF the
Buffalo," a picture showing band OF Indians hunting
the great beast of the plains.
judging from recent issue OF " Architecture
and Building" ability TO design artistic theatres
or opera houses is at pretty low ebp III
America. Five different buildings are Illus
tlated. Not reflects unmiXed credit upon
its designer The least offensive of the five, IIarrgans
Theatre in Thirty ifth-st for which Mr.. F. H. Kimbsll
is responsible shows considerable taste. but limited
power OF dealing with the materials chosen The rich de-
tails of the facade are derived from authentic European
sources and in themselves while not novel; are grace
full and refined. But Mr. Nmball has disposed OF them
clumsily. The group of three windows in the centre
of the balcony story is smotered In Ornamentation, as
are the windows which appear on either side
OF IL. Just above and in painfully close prox-
unity to the tops of all these windows, Is an
elaborate trieze The total effect Is sp0tty.
The ornament is concentrated heavily in few places
that il obtsive To modify this bad effect by bring
ing the details into closer relation TO the mass VI
the binding the surface Of the second story mas been
striped with projecting horizontal courses OF moulded
Terra Gotta placed twelve eighteen inches apart The
expedent only half successful and it Is rendered still
less attractive by the weakness aud inspproprateness
OF the moulding itself. But the worst feature OF the
facade is its mean and msy first story with Its porch
stuck on In way to suggest very little permanent
connection with the theatre. The first story Is an
absurdy slight base for the heavily omamented build
ing it carries. The facade OF the new Fifth Avenue
Theatre likewise designed by Mr.. Kmball. teshes to
more tact than that of IIarngans in the distribution OF
detail but while the latter. with all its faults. has
certain pcturesqueness the former is a most common
place compositions lacking I'm spots' OF interest
is 10 be erected in Thirtyfourthst from the plans OF
Messrs J. b. McElfatrick & Sons. Its first story Is
broken up into parts having no artistic reference TO each
other whatever The main portal, framed by TWO bulky
engaged columns which spring from large bases to the
third story. has store front and another entrance on
one side and two entrances separated by windows, on
the other The openings this floor are Just as the
architects within has happened to dictate, square,
round arched, fat arched circular. Above this
igsaw base rise four tiers Of utterly expressiOnless
windows finally topped by the conventional iron cor
nice of the day. foolish eycrescence ornaments each
end OF the conice. To call the building an addition
10 the architecture OF the city would be ridiculous.
Published with the illustrations OF these various facades
are some reproductions OF interiors Those OF the
New Park Theatre and HYDE & Behmans Theatre,
both i'm Brooklyn, are beneath contempt. No word
Letter than "mongrel" could be found cor
rectly to classify their styles. Mr.. Klmbal two
theatres are inside as they are outside, examples OF
defeated taste. They suffer from over-decoration
All things considered the surroundings furnished by
the places of amusement that have been mentioned
are unlikely TO be of any assistance in the spread Of
art education. And the depressing fact is that they
are fairly representative of American buildings Of their
class The fingers Of one hand could not be exhausted
In counting the theatres Of NewYO in which highly
artistic results have been obtained
The feebeness of theatrical architecture should
not be asoribed to the architects alone. II is due
largely to the sbOrtighted policy which has insisted.
in nine cases out OF ten upon hemming in the theatre
with constructions for purposes other than theatrical
Thus the Metropolitan Opera House has the appear
ance of hotel and really is hotel that side which
should do most to Its character the chief
temple Of music in America Further there is a restau
rant in one corner of the building and bank is now
fitting up Offices IN the other Could anything appear
more discredltabe to in the eyes Of foreigner than
The peddng spirit which permits such incOngrultcs
these In Europe IL Is generally recognized that a
theatre is rs much OF Il monument as a statue o u
fountain and il is nearly always treated in y Elor.
umental vein. The building stands alone. when pos
sibe and rs rule contains nothing but the stage and
It's adjunct the auditorium, and the administrative
Offices When "a Continental architect sets about
designing a theatre or opera house hc has a
s1Ilninr Is neIed Whom he /. asked design