New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-30
ART AND THE EMPEROR.
WILLIAM THE GERMAN ATTEMPTS TO
Birdie THE MUSES. HE GIVES
GOLD MEDAL TO ONE
yyIIO yc INCOMPETENT
WHO is INCOMPETENT.

people she displays a truly republican intoer-
ance of control on the part OF either hihg OF
Government Hence IT is only natural that Ter
MANY which has produced in the past ana IN
the present so many world-famed painters SOUP
tors and architectural designers. should strongly
resent Emperor Williams ill-advised assumption
y, the supreme authorship in all matters relating
IN art His subjects have submitted TO MS arro-
can't claim of Regis voluntas suprema lex" in
matters connected with the administration or the
Government in diplomacy. in the drama, IN
oa,rv history and literature: but they began 10
r,rrmur when ne attempted to impose upon them
.,s taste In music and have now broken out into
o,on revolt against his endeavors to tyranniZe
German art -,
Their rebellion latent for some time past has
burs, forth with an intensity altogether ne" III
the annals Of German loyalty TO the throne III
connection with the Emperors treatment OF herr
Usllot the architect Of the new Reichshaus, or
pals,a OF the Imperial Parliament. which was
o,ened the other day. Professor Wailot is uni
versally recognized as the foremost archltect OF
the age in Germany, and his original design lot
,h legislative palace as accepted by the authori-
ties was very grandiose and mash'hce"' 'oi
csntion. Financial considerations have necessi-
.ated the modification of some OF the features
~ tho building while others have been forced
peror William. and hence the result is that the
obstruction is not quite so superb as originally
-oi.oted nv Herr Wallot. 1t still remains how
.ver q magnificent and imposing pile, well
,ortbv OF the object for which 1t has been
erected. and an in nc way dispeasng monu-
mont OF German art and architecture OF inc
nineteenth century. All the recognized authorl-
ties both Teuton and foreign. In questions Oh
art and architecture have pronounced themselves
IN this sense the only dscordant note oeins that
n which the Emperor has given utterahce' MOI
only has he publicly declared the new Reichs-
haus N no the every acme Of bad taste but has
oven gone to the length Of striking the designer
name from the list Of gold medallists at the re-
cent exhibition Of art and architecture he'd al
Berlin. The gold medal had been voted TO Herr
Wallet by a jury composed of al! the most Cee-
brated artists in Germany. whose Verdic' repre-
sen,ing that Of the nation, might have oeeh con-
.,dered as definite and final Emperor William.
however 10 whom the list was submitted lot
final approval. deliberately cancelled the award
and substituted In lieu OF the name OF Professor
Wa,Iot that Of an utterly insignificant portrait
,ainter Nine. Palma Parlaghy. whose work Is
Of so Indifferent a character that the hanging
Committee OF the Berlin Academy refused to &C
cord place to any of her pictures on its walls ana
whose sole title TO the favor Of the Sovereign ls
tina, she painted several portraits OF the EN-
peror which. although questionable as works OF
ert. are very natterng likenesses Of His Teutonic
Majesty.
The manner In which this attempt on the part
Of the Kaiser TO impose his taste in matters
pertaining 70 art upon the German people in
general and the art world in particular is Sig
nifcant. and calculated to lead those who re-
member the Germany Of Bismarckian times TO
believe that the end OF all things Is at mana.
Not only has the press Of every shade OF poiiti-
cal opinion been filed with protests against the
attitude Of the Emperor n the affair. but The
National Society OF Architects and the Na,ionai
Association Of Artists the two principal organi-
cations Of the kind in Germany, composed OF all
that 10 most eminent IN the realms OF archi-
lecture and art jointly invited the professor 20
a great BANQUET. at which over COO guests were
present and at which the Emperor was guyed
in most merciess manner Thus the chief
ornament of the principal table was a model or
the Rechshaus in schwarzbrod, cheese ana
confectionery. The dome consisted OF cheese
cover The "Germania" on the top was repre-
scented by a smart chambermaid on horseback
the horse being led by footman In livery. Ine
whole was labeled Der Gipfel des Geschmackes
che acme OF taste). Another Item on the pro-
yramme was sort Of automatic machlhe
VI
sjo, would perform Der Gesang Ihr' c'The
Song 70 Her" meaning. Of course. Nine Par-
lagbv,. The Joke. need not say. lies in the
yarodying Of the name Of the Emperors musical
composition. the Sang an Aegr." The lustre
hanging from the ceiling. which is known in
Germany as 'crownlighter," was in the form
Of an old crinoline. Militarism was represented
by A soldier who was administering hoggng
4, the o.her masses Of the population. Al the
entrance % the banqueting hall there hung the
representation OF a gold medal, which lady
painter was trying In vain TO grasp Al the END
OF the banquet the chairman presented Herr
Wallot with a laurel wreath. saying, The new
Reichstag Building. which the golden In
scripton stands in invisible letters To the Ger
man People liz a triumph Of German art This
observation OF the chairman has reference to the
fact that on the original plan OF the building as
drawn up by Herr Wallot. there was the in
scription ITO the German People but by com
rnand OF the Emperor these words were struck
out.
German artists are to be congratulated on the
spirit Of Independence they have displayed, and
their manifestation Of opposing the enoeaVors
Of the Emperor 70 trammel their muse In the
same manner as ne has tried TO do In the case or
history, drama and music. The celebrated his
torian Won Seybel. II may be remembered. was
subjected by the Emperor couple Of years ago
to much the same treatment Professor wal
lot. being deprived OF the gold medal awarded to
Elm by the Imperial Historical Society and de-
barred from any further access TO the State ar
chives his offence consisting In his having in his
great history Of Germany published some unpai-
atabie remarks concerning the father OF the
young Empress. and In having sacrificed certain
political legends and romances about members
Of the reigning house the altar of truth as
contained In sober official documents. with re-
gard 10 the drama. the Emperor has prohibited
certain pieces from being acted at Berlin. mas