The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
AMERICAN ARTISTS SPLIT.
IlgN MEMBERS OF THE soOIETT
TENDER THEIR REsIGNATIOyS. 81

Wnl Hetns = hew society nnd Give Exhibttions
er fheir O~p-The seoraers Nearly All Fol.
levreks ef the nmpressieIist s-hosi-Tee
hasch nasiscus, Tee Little Art, They say.
The Society OF American Artists. which grew
out OF the Academy of Design, 10 itself threat
ened at present with disruption. Ton Of its
members have handed In their designations. and
contemplate forming . new society Of artists.
The ten members have been known among their
colleagues AZ being OF the impressionistic school,
and the nnal breaking OF seems to have come AZ
the last OF d chain OF disagreements In which
the different styles Of painting figured largely.
Those who have resigned are: Frank w Ben
son, Joseph r. Deoanp, Thomas w. Dewing,
Childe HAssarn, willard l. Motcalf. Robert
Reid, Edward Simmons, Edmund c. Tarbell,
John II. Twaohtman. and J. Alden wolr.
Three years ago, according to one Of the mom-
berb OF the society who did not resign the i'm
prossionistic group got control of the jury Of the
society and ran things pretty much TO their own
liking. Since then, however, the moro consorva-
tive element has reRalned and kept control Of
the society, aud In every exhibition since then
the jury has been In the hands Of the conserve
tive members. On Dec. IA, 1897, the society
held o regular meeting and chose the Jury for
1893. IL consists Of thirty members, and among
thcm wore three OF the men who have since re-
slGned-Messrs. Reid. Simmons. hnd Weir. At
this same meeting 1t was also unanimously
voted to allow the jury to borrow any pictures
or pieces Of sculpture which. in their Judgment,
would enhance the s~ociety''s annual, exhibition.
SINCE then the ten resignations have been sent In.
In di,cusslns the matter Yesterday he said;
Dec. 20, and. strange to say, almost oil were
yEritten on the notepaper, Of the Players Club:
effort TO antagonize the interests OF tho society,
ana l am led 70 think by the tone OF some of the
letters that the writer's are dissatisfied with
the way In which the society 10 run. They say
that there was too much business and too little
real art supposs that they refer to the
mission which has boon charged. but those
wolf on its feet. and tho results have shown
that We did the right thing. 1t ie my opinion
t thss IA fhfs not 4 ssso h sse .y ISat The sSeE Tis Sssdu oS
because. In other words. they could not do as
"T6sir letters OF resignation will I've consid.
cred at q meeting OF the society on Monday
night, and al. this meeting the vacant places in
moyemsntis at ali serious. and 1 expect to sec
all ten back IN the society sooner or later. Five
Of d tss% 81 t Il me h,sm wss; sc cs i Il s sosissy for %s an ss. re-
signed said yesterday that the reason for his
action was that the society did not represent
that the exhibitions contained too many
mediocre works. and that art had been sacriaced
The ssesdera ought. he said SSiEi' to be &c small M and the
exhibitions TO be small and good.
J. Alden Weir said last night that, in his
SOCIETY. ana he' Asserted ss STn that Ifhem was mo NO III N
feeling in thp secession. The Society of Ameri.
can Artists" said Mr.. Weir. has grown too
reason for our leaving"
A member Of the society said last night that
those who had resigned had tried hard to got
several others to join them. but had. failed.
The point OF the whole thing" said this mem.
the society.. / cant SOC why they didn't do their
kicking when the points of policy to which they
object wore considered at our meetings. Let me
add that one Of the mon who has been published
In the list Of those who left did not resign. That
10 Abbott r. Thayer. He has not gent In his
tice that every man In the list, with the excep-
tion OF Mr.. Dewing. and Mr.: Simmons, belongs
to the impressionistio school,"
The society has a membership Of about 1875,
of which about 100 are active members. Three
Of those who have fesigned-Mr. Benson. Mr..
Decamp and Mr.. Tarbell-do not live in New
vOrf