The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-05

til Miss Ballou'S Morning" arrived one
fine day year or two ago and was rejected.
Mr.. Bush was quite diplomatic and dis
Greet III his conversation yesterday. After
his twelve years experience as bumper for
art exhibits he could walk from here to Sac
ramentO on eggs and every one would hatch
thereafter. He admitted that few paint
ings of the nude had been excluded, but IL
was not because the nude in art had been
excluded on principle. The pictures were
more vulgar than artistic. His idea was
that when painting of the nude by its
spirit and surroundings directed the mind
away from the element of pure artistic
beauty 1t became vulgar. If Bongeaureau' S
Spring" had been offered it would nn-
doubtedly have been accepted. However.
the decision on the question of the nude had
been made by the art committee OF the in
stltute directors and nobody else had any
thing to do with 1t. He didn't care to say
who composed the committee and didn't
know who the rejected paintings were sent
by.
found that the committee OF directors in
whose hands the affairs of the art display
rests consisted of A. w. Stott chairman.
A. S. Hallidie and NJ. A. Dorm. Mr.. Halli-
die, it was intmated, could spare no time
from his wire-twisting works and cable
roads to become an art critic, and Mr.. Dorm
had too much law business ON hand TO study
the nude ON canvas. Mr.. StOtt. the jeweler,
however, is more self-sacrificing. and the
abandoned to him.
Mr.. Sio,t is nice gentleman and I'M
doubtedly knows good deal about art as
she ought to be- SO that the artistic features
OF the fair are In good hands. especially as
he avails himself of the services Of two or
three skilled consulting critics. In Mr..
Stott, the new chairman Of the art commit
tee. found the origin and explanation OF
the Mechanics Institutes attitude toward
the time hon0red nude in art.
1--WE are not opposed to the nude on
principle" said Mr.. Stott, but there have
been pictures offered which are beautiful,
but in which the sensualty displayed in the
subjects render them unfit TO hang on the
walls OF any institution which claims to be
an educator of the people. They are only
lit to be hung on certain walls where they
will be in keeping with the occupants. There
may possibly be nude pictures offered that
will be accepted. We are not prudes. you
must understand, land we do not cover our
faces with our fingers when we look at
them, but any painting you cannot take
your mother or sister to and stand before it
is not the painting to hang on the walls OF
the Mechanics Institute. The nude paint
ings offered have not been such as can be
approved by right standard of taste.
1t Will be o. no use for the owners to
raise any discussion either. They will not
60 in. The matter is in the hands of the
committee this year aud we will allow
nothing indecent on the walls. There are
paintings by great artists that fill the be-
holder with all that is good and beautiful
in art. and he entirely loses the sensuallty
of the picture in It's beauty. But painting
of an ordinary woman such as you see on
the street every day, standing without
clothing and with her hair down before
bath. for instance, is not one OF that kind"
So the greatest collection of paintings by
California artists which the State has seen
will have no Lady Godivas, and California
artists will have to study art while longer
before they can paint Venuses that Will
come up TO the Mechanics Institute standard
OF merit.
But of art that is clothed In something be-
sides beauty the gallery out a: Hayes and
Larkin streets already displays a megDifi-
ceEt collection, though not quarter of the
pictures have arrived.
The first section at the head Of the stairs
Is reserved for photography. Here too,
the high standard that the directors have
adopted this year will DO exhibited, proba-
bly, to the tune of several hOwls. The
space has been appOrtiorej among few
OF the leading professional photographers
who are supposed to be able 10 do first class
work, and the second-class galleries and
portrait companies that have been given