New-York tribune., 1893-12-24
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS.

,r,c1,r-A COLLECTION OF UNREMAkhAbLE
nrs,cNs-oFF1cE BUILDINGS SCHOOL
HOUSES, CHURCHES AND D"EhH
1SGs-FoRE1GN SKETCHES.
NJ rsw exhibition demands attenuon '"'s $500. 49,
but there is plenty to see IN tne va.u ." Az Cal.
D' 49, Academy, at the American ar 'a
a. -. ."e u,here the Cain pictures are " re-
-, >or ten days or longer anu a. 'e
| d,.n,av OF the Architectural League 49, .on
ho,ou, The aforementioned exniptoN a -, -
S,, nal, ottended-over 700 admissions oe'ie i
oaraad ,or the first week-but 1t ought 70 De MUCH
eoiueu ~. .hon II Is according to these figures
a. ..a Academy the sales of pictures nave oeen
small Following Is a list Of the pictures uispo'T1
-, nm 70 date: "October Afternoon. by Cnar"s a. =.
Grunne 500: Friends" by H. J "a.hi'S, go
"oo,nhsr Afternoon" by Kruseman van Eiteh'
80. 't,s -, uolsten" by Carleton Virgins,
" A 500: "Ony Rose" by Frank russell
Green $50. THE Fishermans Daughter, py Ar'hur
IIoeber s75; total, 5000
A close analvsis Of the Architectural Leagues ex-
hibitlon. made with especial reference 10 what Is
purely architectural therein. leaves one WIN i's
more mixed than first, general impresSo' w."
seem to have promised. Very little genuine
vance upon the work OF year ago IS mar Ne'
This 1t is true is partly explained by the absence
NJ anv opportunity comparable. on the whoie' 70
that provided by the Worlds Fair buildings at 'ne
earlier exhibition Subjects calling forh EFFORTS VI
the same large significance have been rare this yedi
and only In one case In that OF the new Museum VI
Arts and Sciences for Brooklyn. designed by NC
Kim Mead & White has fine monumental mo-
tive been adequately developed There are lacking
Indications that serious problems have been solveo
to any widespread extent. The ggantc onlce
building OF the period remains as unsettled riuuIe
as II always has been. save upon those occasions
when Il has been erected on a site or sufncient
d.mensio Reared the narrowest city iot
possible and carried to an absurd height Tor the
sake Of rentals 1t is still one OF the worst masses
OF raw material with which art has to deal. IL
turns out either commonplace. as in the building OF
the Home Life Insurance Company. by n. lie Brun
G. Sons and that for the Manhattan Company by
Kmball e. Thompson. who show their design IN both
drawing and plaster model. or IT Is immitgaoy
ugly In structures like those for No Pine-st, by
De Lcmos e. Cordes. and the Shoe and Leather
Bank. by Cady Berg See The lnventlveness OF
our architects appears to be either stulthed or rem
dered futile in the presence OF the tasks which these
soaring monstroslties represent. They are capable
OF producing good detail here and there. Kimball
Il Thompson not only effective but tastefu In
the termination Of their lofty building. and the
reticent treatment OF the decoration In the second
story OF the lie Brun design is in Itself artistic. But
this very decoration Is suggestive Of the defect In
nearly all the tall buildings erected nowadays on
narrow lots for. while It is intrnscaly excellent
II is OF weight In the structural relations Of
the scheme aimed by the architects The latter
a rule, end by putting up a facade which Is little
more than a There conditions which
mike this pardonable In the case OF very narrow
building but there Is less ground for the fault
when the site is OF sufficient width for a symmetr-
cal design TO be possible We are. therefore. the
more disappointed with the Arcade Building" Of
Lamb e. Rich. the Hotel Apartments OF George
Kelster and the Carnegie Music Hail. Of Tuthill
& Harienbergh as 1t Is to be metamorphosed
through the addition OF a tower. Here were op-
portuntes for novel and artistic composition. but
they were not improved The only large business
buildings distinctly meritorious which We have
been able to discover No 49, city Building"
and No. 2ls Buffalo Real Estate Exchange"
both by Green & Wicks. and No. 2l2 "Tarrant
Building" by Henry K. Marshall. Refinement and
simplicity are the distinguishing qualities OF these
buildings. Not one OF them is very origfnal-we
might even suggest specific OF inspiration
In connection with each-and the proportions OF the
first OF the three imperfect in the uppermost
stories But they all exhibit an instinct for COM
position. and are particularly worthy OF attention
OF the larger structures that are not stereotyped
office buildings. there are several OF interest and
OF substantial value. The Brooklyn Museum. by
McKim Mead & White already mentioned. is the
most important. 1t is asmassiye design. In classic
style severe. imposing in proportions admirably
accented with sculptural effects. and, as a whole
monumental and expressive OF It's uses. Mr.
IIaght's American Theatre" shows facade COM
posed with appreciation of what good effects broad
openings and decorations sparsely applied. Two
OF the best OF the large buildings by Mr.. A.
Page Brown. His Union Depot and Ferry House,
San Francisco" a long. low, arcaded structure, with
a slender tower rising from It's centre IS bold
and attractive design. and his Administration
Building for the approaching fair at San Fran
cisco Is positive triumph OF pcturesqueness and
clever adaptation. This architect has used Moorish
motives in his exposition building. which Is crowned
BY a dome and met at the four corners by oc-
tagonal payiilons. something In the manner OF Mr.
Hunts Administration Building for Chicago. II Is
spirited spectacular and delightfully."- appropriate.
Mr. Brown and Mr.. A. c. Schwenfurth have both
utilized very skfuly the suggestions imbedded In
the relies OF Spanish architecture in the southern
parts OF California. The winter Residence at Santa
Barbara" designed by the second OF these men,
and the Study for Residences. credited to the
IDEAS first used in this country by the old builders
I'm adobe. Returning momentarily to the more elab-
crate schemes we have only to say Of M Mr. Prics.s
"Donalda institute" OF Mr. FlaSgs % 81: 81 ot,e Lukes
our Old City Hall in the park at Forty-second-
partial, y, occupied by an Inussa o
subjects. but are mediocre as to execution Inc
si Snans S i Mr. s0fa saey Ai of
Yale College.
Among the buildings planned for other ,.h. than
In scale. there some schoolhouses which Illus
trate one OF the most gratifying phases OF recent
educational edhces and not one is without eyi-
dences OF ability The schoolhouse for Franklin. by
l.. Il. Tton; that for Hartford. by +. r. Comstock:
that for Brookline. by w. Atkinson; that for
Wellesley. by Rotch & Tilden. and that for some
unnamed locality by c. &. Haight. are simple.
graceful in conception and undeniably artistic In de-
tails Their influence for good among the young
students they intended to shelter cannot be
easily estimated. In this instance the problem pre-
sented has received admirable solution. buildings
were required In direction which has not often
enlisted the best OF available talent In Its service.
the necessities were all OF Il special nature ana the
different architects We have named met them with
success. Colonial and old English Ideas have been
chiefly used and In every case the schoolhouse mas
preserved what IL needs most. sobrety and at
traciveness. Some very good churches ngure In the
present exhibition. The Romanesque style once so
much In favor In ecclesiastical architecture here
has not returned from the obscurity In which II was
left for the first time by the exhibition held last
wear and there is more work In the charming style
nf he earlY English country church Gram. Ment-