New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-29
ART AND EXHIBITIONS.


guished by exhibitions of pictures and other
works Of art more numerous. perhaps than
those Of preceding seasons. The members Of
the National Academy Of Design will, as usual
place two collections before the public be-
tween this autumn and next summer There
will be- exhibitions arranged by the Society OF
American Artists. the American Water Color
Society. the Architectural League and divers
other societies, besides any number Of "one
man shows" and exhibitions Of private collec-
lions held prior to the dispersal Of the latter
at auction. 1t Is a prospect that ought to BE-
and in some respects is, highly pleasing IL tes-
tifes at least 70 the public interest in the me
arts and 10 the artistic and commercial enter
prise which has made New-York a factor IN
the distribution Of works Of art throughout the
world European collectors to-day more than
ever have to reckon with their American rivals.
The Stewart collection, 50 famous for It's mas
terpieces Of the modern Spanish school, was
brought over here to be sold after having been
one Of the sight, Of Paris for nearly genera
ton How is It. we may be asked with Euro
pean and American artists: Are the interests
Of the latter in this international rivalry served
well by our many exhibitions? They are. IN
doubtedly. but the usefulness of our exhibitions
stands in some peril
It is generally conceded that an important
element in the decadonce Of the annual Salons
Of Paris has been the eXtravagant scale upon
which they have been formed. These monster
shows have ended by being monsrrous in more
than one sense Of the term NJ Alfred stevens
once observed that in a cattle show the crowd
is most likely to collect around the fve-lesscd
COW Contributors to the Salon have for years
been confirming the truth Of this aphorlsm.
They have learned the difficulty of making any
impression with merely good piece of paint
ing. and so have turned to the production OF
those huge canvases which arrest the most care
less eye by their spectacular audacitleS. but
do nothing more. Provincial museums and prl-
vate galleries Of a certain class are filled with
these mournful monuments Of wasted labor.
Art profits nothing by their blatant passage
across the horizon. For us this has the useful
significance of the awful example. With
the best will in the world are slowly work
ing up 10 the arid plane on which the PariSans
exploit the dazzling technique of their school
We have TOO many exhibitions. and we make
them too big.
moderate estimate would place the number
OF pictures which we will be asked to examine
this winter at three thousand. Half of these
we may eliminate as pictures in auction sales
and therefore outside the artists limit OF re-
sponsibility But there will be at least fifteen
hundred new paintings. water coors and draw
ings by American artists. and among these the
most sangulne patriot can scarcely expect 10
find n majority Of works Of thc first class If
he is more patriotic than critical he may protest
that This is a legitimate situation. that every
body should have his chance Unfortunately.
human nature being what il is the tyro Is
bound 10 regard the acceptance Of his picture
by the jury as n kind Of public ratification or
his qualities The general public certainly
looks al II in that way and. leaning on the
good faith Of the jury. pays the young exhibitor
the compliment Of looking NJ work which on It's
merits deserves only the inspection of his
teacher The uragcment intended by the
iurv reacts disastrouSly upon both public and
artist bringing WEAKNESS to the former and
causing the latter 10 fancy himself as the
English say long before he has right so 10 do.
Furthermore. the evil cannot be laid eX-
clusively 10 the generosity Of the jurymen IT
is due also 10 the deeply rooted idea that an
exhibition must necessarily contain certain
number Of pictures whether there are enough
good ones 10 make mp the tally or not We
have All seen what this has done for the Salon
and the Royal Academy. II is odd that in spite
Of these landmarks Of warning we should con-
tinue 10 crowd the walls Of the public galleries,
especially as the good work IS itself thereby
mt nj a serious disadvantage. To cite VI.
Stevens again. nothing does more harm 10
good picture than bad neighbors. When Mr..
Whistler and his colleagues opened their ex-
hibiton at Knightsbrdgc they amazed n public
accustomed TO the chaotic gatherings at Bur
llneton House Here was show limited. so
far as was humanity possible. TO the works OF
competent artists. each picture being hung so
that its merits could be apprehended at once
and in their full force. The experiment was
enormously successful. II IL were TO be emu
lated in this country by the large societies as
well as by those few groups which have al
ready tested It's desirabilty, American art
would be the better for their action. The be-
cinner need not despair He can always show
his studies to his friends And the mediocre
painter should only be grateful If the continual
rejection Of his canvases shows him that his
natural bent is for other things than the making
OF pictures.