New-York tribune., 1898-12-25
THE ACADEMY'S NEEDS.
AN HISTORICAL GALLERY OF NATIVE
ART SPECIALLY DESIRED.

singularly noble and beautiful structure Is
contemplated for the future home Of the Ma
donal Academy of Design on Morningside
Heights, and an important and attractive feat
ure OF the institution will be the Historical Gal
iery. The architects of the Academy have stat
Cd that such a building, IL built Of the finest
and BEST material in the best manner. and made
nreproof, would cost not less than $500 900
Toward meeting this demand the Academy has
only about $4,000 The cost of the proposed
Historical Gallery is estimated at 100000. The
Ways and Means Committee Of the Academy
J. Carroll Beckwith, chairman; J. c. Nicol,
secretary; ]. g. Brown, Benjamin c. Porter,
Lockwood de Forest and James d. Smillie-will
carry out the settled policy of the Academy to
proceed in the building operations upon a cash
basis only. 1t is hoped, however, that the CO.
operation of wealthy New Workers will shortly
be enlisted in enabling the Academy fully to
carry out its plans.
In the following statement j. c. NicOll. sec
retary Of the Ways and Means Committee pre-
sents the claims of the Academy, and particu-
larry Of the Historical Gallery, upon public-spr-
tied lovers of art in the metropolis
81 feel that there should be place In
America, some museum, for collection repre-
senting American art from its very foundation
a
might be taught something of the work Of their
early native artists in the past. and there should
be a complete collection Of such work within the
walls Of the Academy's new home. freely open
to the public throughout the entire year. Ihe
art OF to-day would thereby receive Increased
consideration from the world If such an object
lesson we're presented showing that the artists
Of our time have come down from worthy an
eestOrs.
"In the present Academy building are about
two hundred and fifty works available for this
purpose and we can undoubtedly get examples
sf the leading artists In this country. OF course
we should have as representing our own body,
sDecimens of the works Of every Academlcian.
When an artist is made an Associate he must
present a portrait of himself. and when ne is
made AcademciaD he must present TO the
institution a credtable specimen OF his work
We have also examples of some of the earlier
American artists, which we have gathered from
time to time and, therefore, we have pretty
good collection to begin with. lSome OF the
paintings referred to by Mr.. Nicoll are repro
duced on the page facing thisI
''In this Historical Gallery we should conine
ourselves exclusively to American art Most
ether art institutions give the greatest PROM
thence to foreign art and no other country III the
whole world can show completely the progress
Of its own art from its very beginnings Inc
Metropolitan Museum Of Art can snow adniira-
Bile specimens Of the foreign art from WHICH
our own art Is descended but we shouid sho"
what has really been accomplished IN this couh-
try If we could obtain the necessary suih-say
S1OO0O0-tO erect this part OF our ne" puilohs
II would at once become permanent attracuon
and no museum here could be more instructive
and distinguished than this would become WIN
proper funds for its maintenance. Forty OF MY
pictures have already been offered TO me 1or
the new gallery. and there Is no doubt we cou'o
hl il at once or course. II the gallery were
built through the generosity OF one man i"
would be known by his name
eft appears that any who does anything
for art becomes more widely celebrated 'hah py
any other form Of benevolence man VINO
gives to a hospital or college, aithoueh ne may
he doing more for humanity does not become
40 weu known throughout the world as one VINO
establishes an important art gallery. For ex-
n,s who would now remember Burgomaster
CT q he had not encouraged Rembrandt and
h<,,,.h, his pictures? And in own country
..o nom. ~ the Corcoran Art Gallery in Wash
,a,or is seen in every guidebook, and every
u;s,tor 70 the capital thinks he must pay
,,s;. 70 that institution. other examples VIII
.oour Tablets appropriately inscribed Will
.,,o credit tn the respective givers TO galleries
sr school buildings Of the new Academy
INV idea is that in establishing this gallery
we should have an art collection open every ""'
IN the year. including Sundays, free 10 'he pun
Ito II woud be a representative collection OF
American art In it's entirety from the beginning
% the present AS often possible we should