The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-03
THE LOAN EXHIBITION CLOSES

The Art Loan Exhibition in aid OF tie
Zimmerman Hospital will close on Wednes-
day, having been opened about a month.
1t has been poorly attended, the receipts
footing up less than $1,000. And yet it con-
tains pictures worth going to see: Three
VrresIchagins. including the famous
Blowing the SepOys From the Guns" and
the Jews Waiting at the Wall"; one or
two exquisite Bouguereaus; Colonel Crock
er's well-known Zamacois; characteristic
Nibert; portrait by Keith, which is a
masterpiece; a landscape by Rousseau; a
sunset by Dore; fine Daubigny; Lorele.
whose proportions are so sumptuous that
the beholder forgets to think how cold she
must be on the top of that rock; besides a
number OF examples of the impressionist
school which, if not genuine art, are very
curious. Considering how rarely such a
collection is got together under one roof
and how many people in San Francisco are
or profess to be interested in art. it is sin
guar that the exhibition did not attract
more visitors.
Arr is more generously patronlzed in the
East. An exhibition of the art work of six
schools in Philadelphia, including the
Academy of Fine Arts and the School OF
Design for Women. is now being held at
Philadelphia, and the attendance taxes the
capacity of the rooms. The pictures ex-
hibied are the work of students, and of
course do not claim to be masterpieces.
The show is chiefly of value as showing the
progress which art education is making in
the Quaker City. It will, however, yield
practical fruit. Many of the exhibits are
patterns of carpet-weaving and forms of
interior decoration, while others are eX-
amples Of paintings on china. Their eX-
hibiton will stimulate emulation. and viii
in this way lead TO further success in
branches which offer livelihood to women.
There is no sort of reason why our rich
people should adorn their dinner table
with foreign hand painted china which is
almost worth Its weight in gold.
Another art show, which is also open at
this time and Is thrOnged with visitors, is
the spring exhibition of the Academy of
Design in New York. This is our salon, and
sooner or later it viii rival the salon at
Paris. Twelve hundred works were offered
this year for acceptance and $50 were hung.
1t appears that the best pictures are land
scapes and portraits. Oar artists have not
risen to the height OF great figure painting.
Any well-traiDed painter can execute
| landscape that will pass muster. He may
not attain the level of Courbet OF Corot or
Church or Keith or Hill or Rousseau, but it
will require a connOisseur's eye to detect
wherein he falls short. 1t takes genius to
paint a figure piece like those of Gerome
or Couture or Detaille. That genius re-
mains TO be developed in this country. But
! just as the industry of MI De Koven in
writing operas like robin Hood" and the
"Ogalallas" is paving the way for the future
! American opera, so the patient toll ex-
hibited in the 400 caDYsses which are now
being studied by art lovers in New York is
| presently going to bring forth fruit In
! work Of art whose fame will resound
! through the world.
Our art students, for whose accomm oda-
! ton the liberality of Mr.. Searles has now
! provided a palatial home. have done th EN-
selves injustice if they have neglected to
Try to ssturate their minds with the pur-
! pose Of the works now on exhibition on
| Post street There ara three pictures there
/ each Of which VIII bear a weeks study
! There is whole idyl In the girls face by
! BuugueTeRu. which is hung near the en-
! trance. What a tale Of tenderness and
| pathos and girlish sorrow it tells, and yet
by What simple methods the result has been
attainedi Then there lis Verestchagiu's
Russian Soldiers in the Snow" That
snow, through which they tramp ankle
| deep, is hitter cold and crGnches under the
foot; the path trodden down by the troops,
bordered with snOw-laden huts. makes the
beholder shiver and draw his coat tightly
around him. Yet the effect is produced by
so few strokes of the brush that it looks as
! though any one might have painted it. The
masterpiece Of the exhibition. the "Wajling
! of the Jews at the Wall" is grand, a noble
page of history. Four-ffths of the canvas
are occupied by lofty wall built of great
rough blocks Of stone, but crouchng at its
base are those poor Jews in every possible
attitude of grief and humiliation. pouring
out their souls in agonizing appeals to the
| God of Israel. 1t is the contemplation Of
such pictures which teaches young genius
! how 10 nOrlray human emotion.