New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-15

world. in fact. save in France is mural painting
widely understood and practis'd today. " ''h Us
IL promises TO meet its opportunity more ana hiof'
frequently as large buildings OF puohc nature
are erected-they find themselves every year Ill
more liberal and enlightened hands-and IL Is
hone entertained by every patriotic watcher OF
huildinp operations that the opportunity may oe
"a improved that we will sustain proud position
In the race in which France Is now bIst, put III
which Wa are not seriously Ovcrshadow"d ny any
other nation. Because of the possibilities 'hercih
appcaling 10 the imagination, the comparatively
small amount OF mural decoration about the fair
buildings cannot be approached with any but very
lively feelings of curiosity and concern.
Tn Tho Ncw-YorlS State Building there is to he
a ceiling PAINTED by Mr.. F. ID. Millet, and cell
ins for the Woman's Building Is in course oil COM
nletou by Mrs Dora Wheeler Keith. with the
exoeption of these works, which are not yet IN
nIace tho mural decoration Of the Fair is centred
in the court of honor and in three OF the buuihgs
which belp to enclose that space in the Admin
istrs.ion Agricultural and Liberal Arts Bulid-
inQs. Reference has already been made to the
,oIvchrcmatic decoration of tie Transportation
Ruildinc which lies outside the court, and 70 the
brilliant effect which it will add 10 the color
scheme OF the Exposition, but this painting is OF
cour.e not of the sort which is correctly described
"A mural any more than is the charming decoration
applied by Mr.. ID. NJ. Armstrong TO the moulded
and modelled door and window frames OF 'h"
logQia Of the Machinery Building. This decora-
ton is strictly conventional and into mural paint
ine in its true character the figure necessarily enters
as leading factor. There can he, naturally, de-
gree Of freedom in mural painting ana some OK
smules OF IL are more comprehensive, more life
like. have more animation and human interest
than others. There is more movement ana
literary power in Piniurcchio and Signorclli than
there is in PeruginO, and there is mole II
Michael Angelo and Raphael than in the three
other great Italian decorators. The three build
ines in the court of honor, which rejoice in
mural decoration Of pretensions, illustrate in
their paintings three phases of the art. Mr..
MAYNARD. in painting the recessed walls of the
Agricultural Building. those of the arcade and
pavilions, has used the figure as convcntonally
M possible. placing a single figure cmblematic Of
abundance, fertility, whatever il happens 10
be- In the centre OF a large panel OF one fiat
tone after the fashion OF Pompeiian walls. More
realism and elasticity have been injected into
tho designs by the painters to whom the arcade
domes and tympanums OF the Liberal Arts Build
INF were assigned, and in the decoration of tho
biz dome Of the Administration Building, Mr..
W. /. Dodge has been able to go further than
spy Of his colleagues and to produce a comp-
Gated composition. Only an incomplete Judg-
mcnt on Mr.. Dodge's work is possible now, for
IL y meant 20 be secn from level about 200
Sset below, and at present the only way in
which 1t can be studied IL by climbing ladder
70 the scafoll from which it has been painted and
from which il is seen altogether too closely.
Yet its qualities can be approximately as
cestained, and it may be freely said that it and
Mr.. Maynards work on the Agricultural Build
Ing are the best pieces Of mural decoration at
the Fair. The work on the Liberal Arts building.