New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-18

difference between the work of the painters Of tho
carly twenties and thirtics and that of the pres
cnt day, but it ia difference, mainly, in execu-
ton and technique. In poetic feeling. in imasi-
native quality, in earnestness Of purpose, in free
dom from the trammels Of conventiOnality 1t Is
n nice question whether the old painters were not
after all the equals of their SUCCESSORS. Indeed,
what must strike every one in going through the
rooms Of the American section is with Few eX-
ccptons to he noted presently, the apparent lack
of originality in execution, choice OF subject and
/ Interpretation. II is astonishing with what
clevcrncss initiate the tricks and devices OF
Others and adapt them to slightly changed coHdi-
tibns But il is not sign, ] fear, OF either a
normal or healthy development. \ purely Ameri-
can subject, might almost say, is the exception.
| have sought in vain for an artistic ana worthy
treatment, for instance OF that most pictmres q,
n single landscape which intcrprets the beauties OF
our semi-tropcnl vegetation. Our mountain
scenery our rivers the aweinspirin9 stiffness OF
the Western plains seem to have appealed in vain
to the IMAGINATION Of American artists. Instead
| you see trivial and unnteresting scenes from
French or German village life, tragedies in Euro
| pcan salons, historical canyases without meaning
and catering only to the mOrbdly curious, sand
wichcd among the work of the irrepreseible i'm.
| desired to dwell still further this subject
might repeat what one of the foreign commission
ers himself an artist of distinction, said to me the
S9 Sn 1 hSve @ y said p'SS sw wG G"ve 0
artistic temperament, you have the perseverance
Your exhibition shows all this, and perhaps more
But y>.i make serious mistake when you s,ld
| of doing this you ought to keep them at home
and send for the hest teachers Of Europc under
| whose direction they would study American sub
| jccts, American scenery, American types. In that
way alone can you hope to build up 2 NATIONAL
school At present yon lack nriyidnallt tood You Gu
are simply c th. Wha think Is 100"
The great contest for supremacy at the Fair
il between Germany and France. The display OF
| tho former imprcsses you by its splcndor, it,
| buIl haf n
evidences OF taste and refinement Germany l.
artistic sometimes: It never Is chic; france
rcpose The French bronzes, for instance-and
! | have in mind now only those which You might
| call purely commcrcial--have almost always an
artistic value; that is 70 say. they seem TO b"
! the product Of the studio. German bronze- re-
| mind YOU Of the workshop, tho factory. Tie
renaissance of France is full Of beauty. graz" am
heavy and unimaginntive In interior inTn usi
n-- Germany il excellent as long as II CON
fines, itself within certain proper 'imitn a;nsi
| II "a successful in reproductions OF mcllaev2i
designs and modern application of them. II fails
| absolutely when il attempts the styles OF other
countries. In one field Of decorative art. s'r.hgt
10 saw it equals if it doesn't surpass France, That
Of the manufacture Of fine china ito NOT
think that the Sevres exhibit EQUALS elth'I
in variety or beauty the display Of the roYai
MANUFACTURES Of Dresden or Berlin. The art OF
| the svcrsmith seems to have made no advance
| in either country within the last twenty XIelia,
and both are Just now the Vlcs 81 ' aav thnt
|
in tho manufacture Of tapestries France SIM
remains without rival. But passing from these
and like objects Of your scrutiny to Others Of a
more important and useful character, ono can
not help being struck by the poor showing OF
| France Tho exhibit Of France in Machinery
IIall is trivial as compared with that, of Ger;
many; il il worse than trivial in Mines ana ana
| WininG and il il absolutely cheap and nasty
in Transportation" and in Electricity ,,-o,,,
In Machinery Hall the American exhibit d|ar ~
thosc Of other nations, not only by reason OF 1t.
dmSron but more Gspccadlly by ta n of thy
inventive faculty. and, | might almost say. IN"
elegance cf its execution An American pT hdnnt
press or loom. for instance, is thing OF Dcau,S
| md il j. "A pleasure 10 se> il work. herman
prcs- is cminonty rcrpectabe and bn,in'sSiiEa
| looking bat il j. not attractive. tr"nrh PRINT
! inc pr1-Ss. on the other hand, is decidedly ugly
it snorts AMI puns and heaves grcat sign ,, wIit
with the impression that is ponderous part, may
| rcfUse at any moment to perform thrlF propr
! functions and "strike.7 And yet Franc" has the
| most interesting as well as valuable "Nhlplt OF
| hooks in tho Fair In the art Of fine printing, a.
far as results are concerned France still leads tile
| world,