New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-04

no other designed by Hunt. That was the best
that was in him to do. and he knew II. Yet
the rest was not far below IT. Take the new
Astor house In Fifth-ave facing the park; the
Gerry house near by. There is less charm IN
these than in the house referred 70 above. ou;
they are admirable illustrations ~ what can
be done for American architecture with French
ideas Mr. Hunt was fond of those ideas.
They were bred in him in his youth. He
brought them back here from Paris when he
began To practise on his own account, and he
never abandoned them. They made him. on
the whole more successful with city houses
than with country dwellings. and. in fact the
best things he did in country architecture.
things like the Vanderbilt house at Newport.
which We reproduce. were notifications OF MS
accustomed STYLE The Breakers We might
even say. presents more than mobilization ot
his usual style The house Is really based on
the buildings Of the Italian Renaissance III
many OF it's most important features But
even here the design Is brought together under
the influence Of "A spirit closely related 10 Hunt
earliest training. You can tell IN moment
that the designer Of this work was framed at
the t.cole dcs BeauX- Arts There are lndca-
tons Of IL In the grouping In the massing OF
the different parts. Working at the emo OF ms
career Hunt may have tried 10 employ Freely
the style of Renaissance Italy, put ne couid
not quite cast of the Academic style ne had
chiefly used for years.
Better than either his city houses or ms coun-
fry houses were Hunts public buildings There
The OLD worker on the pavilions Of the Louvre
came back 10 the problems that interested MIN
most and that were wOrthest OF ms hhesl lacui-
ti.s Once I'm the W X. Vanderbilt house In Fifth
ave. he had had a lyric inspiration ana had put
forth an Isolated triumph OF HghtIess ana |i'a-
cious beauty but In the Administration buoins
Of the Worlds Fair at chicago ne struck tne
note that was peculiarly his at any period OF MS
life II WAS the note that he approached IN
threc-fourths Of his city dwellings, that we miss
In his country houses ana regret TO miss the
grandiosc note OF a kind OF iornil tiagnlHcence,
Of academic and official dignity. There was no
building AT the Chicago Exposition more pre-
cisely ADAPTED To- its position ana purposes more
perfect in it's field than the splendid structure
which Hunt erected at the entrance TO the
grounds IL was brilliant. as bentted the pr.h-
0ipaI edlncc In the Fair but it was also designed
with the utmost formality 1t was as pictur-
esnua as could have been desired. yet II was OBJ
yously academic It's proportions were good. It's
details were good. IT fitted It's place and IL domi-
mated. as was intended, everything Una, sur ,
rounded f. Hunt did much for the artistic size
of the Fair His energy flowed into Its channels
INCREASINGLY and was OF incalculable service TO
the army of workers concentrated In jackson
park But his best service was rendered
In showing how public building could be
designed with originality and yet with re-
straint. independently ana ye, In eXre't ,.s
taste. with an American vvaciS IN rs as
ovon th,. most festal of buildings impressive. II
was this building coming toward the close OF
career which had been fruitful throughout or me
results that brought Hunt not long ago the gold
medal of the Royal Institute OF British Archi-
tects an honor conferred by the Queen through
The great professional society Of England. and
,ngar ded as one of the chief prizes OF architec-
tural merit in the world. Hunt was widely
known and widely recognized after the
fashion to which alluson has Just been
made In Paris last December he was elected
an Associate OF the Academic des Beaux-Arts.
and for wears he had been corresponding
member Of the French Institute. He was mem
her of the chief architectural societies or Paris
London and Vienna and had even been eiecteu
to membership in the famous Italian Society OF
St Luke At home he was n prominent MEMBER
of the American Institute Of Architects an or
ganization which he had helped to found ana ne
belonged also To the Architectural League: IL
was peculiarly fitting that he should nave oeen
closely identified with all these oifciai poaies.
He believed In authority. His work Is from nrst
10 last a demonstration OF the value OF authority.
of the virtue OF careful training OF the absolute
necessity of some academic principles on when
a work Of art can be based with consistency and
yet with the nexibility OF nature.