New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-18
EXHIBITION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL
LEAGUE

opened by the Architectural League In the rlhe - -
Building IS calculated to make It a source OF p''9
ure ana profit. The collection presented Is DIVERSE"
enough but it is also homogeneous IN the best ses
or the word leaving an impression that WIN" 80
limits one may study most OF the constituents u
our recent architecture and lose sight oil thei
relation TO another. With time thesa yeariS 'N
hb'tions grow consistent and more Iucu az
to their arrangement. This season there are ie"''
exhibits than OF kind more htted 10
painters show than to architects Thefe ar
some pictorial designs shown. but they are haru's
noticeable. The galleries fcl In the MAIN WIN
drawings and specimens of completed WORK VIM
refer directly TO the art OF the architect ana the
constructive decorator Of buildings. Most OF the
sculpture comes within the scope of this observato
There are some detached pieces but the most con-
spicuous Of these come from the Sherman mohu-
ment competition lately traversed in The TRIBUNE
and possess architectural as well plastic rIe-
ments. Having kept their material we'll within GER
tain boundaries the committees presiding over inc
present exhibition went further In their scheme OF
unity and arranged their galleries with adnirape
discretion The first large room Is filed with car
oons and drawings for decorative work. for staihed
glass mural paintings and The three rooms
beyond are devoted TO sculpture, woodwork. wrought
iron, more decorative sketches and cartoons. ana
miscellaneous objects coming within the range OF
the Leagues purpose. In the large Vanderbilt gar
lery the successful models In the Sherman compe-
ttion are grouped. and there other examples OF
sculpture Placed here and there. but the wall space
is all given TO architectural drawings In order -
: increase this space series OF alcoves has been
erected around the room In alphabetical Sc
quence. and in SO far II has been possible the
various designs submitted by each have been
put in alcove. This gives the ae touch Of order
10 a collection that is throughout well arranged
A particularly good point IN connection with the
series OF alcoves is that the latter have permitted
little memorial shows TO be hung in honor OF de-
ggoi al afc In fhp
IS devoted to Mr.. Hunt. and the photographs shown,
while not giving a complete survey OF his work. are
yet sufficient TO remind the spectator anew OF MS
great services TO American architecture The per
sonal side OF his career IL brought gracefully 10
mind by the presence OF that picturesque statue OF
himself which modelled by the workmen upon
the W. K Vanderbilt house In New-York as a tri0-
ute to the architect There photographs u
Hunts studio at Newport there IS a medallion p'r-
trait OF him by kar, Bitter, and there Is a bronze
modelled by Hunt himself, which shows HIM as
clever animaer. But the essential character o, the
! contents OF this alcove Is academic They sho"
the fine scholarship Of Hunts architecture. the all
mirable OF proportion which governed all his
work. the finish. the knowledge which gave him h's
authority. The house for Mr.. John Jacob ~. ~.
the house FOR Mr.. Gerry. the southern chateau
known Bilimore. and the beautiful house OF mar
! bic built for Mr. W X. Vanderbilt al Newport
these and many other productions stamp their de-
signer as one who Loyalty suborlinated individual
caprice to a recognized standard Of taste Hi-
standard so high that Hunt made up in nobility
/ OF style what he may have lacked n individual
color and force. To remember the full extent ana
character OF his achievement I'm the presence ~ the
memorial alcove at the Fine Arts Building is not
| perhaps 10 recall strenuous personality. a genius
OF unique significance. but II is 10 remember that
the bulk OF his work Is beautiful and that all ~ u
made for certain ideal OF architectural rert.;ule
which is one OF the permanent treasures OF Amer-
! can art.
| The three young architects who share memorial
| honors with Hunt upon this occason-Arthur Pare
Brown. Charles u. Atwood and John SteWarisll.-
were all men Of high ability all valuable 90
the architecture OF their country In = 81. fhc
drawings and photographs here shown are pas,eI 90
review the thought uppermost ~ that death seemed
intent upon taking from their profession three
whom that profession could least AFFORD SPAR
Hunt was profound loss. but he died In his
| ,urity These three had little more than begun.
When Mr. Atwood designed the Art Building iof
the Worlds Fair ne demonstrated that he hal
peculiarly useful gf,s He worked IN a classic vcin.
but the building was not commonplace on the
contrary Il had abundant vitality. and though Il
appears that Mr.. Atwood had other tastes FOR other
buildings. some OF his later designs showing
Gothic tendency he placed himself record AT Chi
cago as a man aware Z the worth % symmetry
and simplicity. Mr.. Brown. who spent his first
years OF architectural work In New-York AM TN
b!bcl Renaissance ideas from the most auihori-
tative opponents u them here. carried especially
refined taste with him 20 California and put II AZ
the service OF a ambition lie sought 20 revive
the old Spanish architecture OF California and New
Mexico in modern dwellings. The charm OF some -
his houses now exhibited wi! show how me lively
he exploited this notion. Hc not markedly
original man. His work showed plainly It's deriva-
ton from the work Of his masters IN New-YOrk.
But he had much skill and SO much taste that
what he ala exciies the warnest admiration John
Stewardson does not appear brilliantly original
designer. either In the principal work by MIN which
tho committee brings forward. the building for the
University OF Pennsylvania; but. on the other hand.
IL may be said that few men In America could have
employed an exotic motive so well This Is Tudor
architecture but 1t has been handled with power.
and the drawing deepens the belief that Mr. stew
ardson would have made even II brighter mark than
he did had he lived years longer
II may be wondered why the posthumous works
| In this exhibition are permitted keep the works
OF living men waiting for their due. The truth -
that while the League IL delightful this year bring
ing forward d collection Of uniOubtei merits II has
rot produced many new designs VI importance and
there are no alcoves attractive those to which
reference has been made above The admission does
not hurt the general character OF the show. Tho
latter Is still potent for good In It's illustration OF
the inerdependence of the arts. But close analysis
of the architectural dra wings is not employment
which increases IN enthusiasm the alcovcs are
| examined Following Mr. Hunts little room there
Is a space given to Mr.. liardenbergh for his recent
| hotel designs. those for Mr. Asiors building
| AT FIfth-avc and Thirty-fourfh-st.. and the Man
| haitian Hotel. Forty -second-st. Neither design
provides that solution OF the "tall-bulldng' prob
lem which Is the knottes before the architects o.
to-day II Is true that feeling OF sympathy is al
ways aroused by the spectacle OF designer I'm Mr..
| Hardenbergh's position. With such a high build
| ing on his hands the Manhattan with such
cumbrous mass TO be artculated as he had 10
reckon with In the new Asior building, II is won
der that he could do anything at ali Naturally he
had to supply innumerabe windows, and this has
forced him In both cases TO a hopeless nonotony.
The difficulties OF the situation must be granted.
But Is there light 10 be expected this most
pre- ssing Of all contemporary hltectural problems?