The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-05

NEW YORK. Feb. 5.-After three years
Of experiment. the State regents have pre-
pared a list Of one hundred works OF art.
embracing paintings. sculpture. and ar
chitacturai subjects. suitable for display
in public schools of this State
While the list comprises many notable
classics. many others are rejected OF the
reasons which contribute to the rejection
/ the one most frequently mentioned is that
works the subjects Of which are taken
/ from the New Testament would prove OBJ
! jectionaole 10 hebrews. another cause IS
nudity. while a bird IS that the work is
not entirely representative of the artists
ability.
/ The Venus of Milo" and the statue OF
/ ''Hermes'' by Praxiteles were discarded
/ because of nudity; Correggio's Alteration
/ of the Shepherds" MuriIIo's Immaculate
| Conception, Raphaels -SistIne Madon-
ma" the Madonna Of the Chair" nd
TiJian's Assumption were eliminated
because they might be Objectionable 20
Hebrews. 1857" NeissOnlers great war
piece, was rejected on ethical grounds,
as suggesting war while Rosa BunneuT
! Horse FAIR vas discarded as second
rate Burne-JoneS' "Gelden Stairs was
/ rejected as affected and suited and J.
| NJ H Hohman's Christ in the Temple"
was thrown out because pupils would like
/ IL, and shOUId not" Leonardo da EiuCi's
! Last Supper: was not regarded as WOr-
/ thy. because as the original IS destroyed
photographs must be taken from old
prints. and so have little artistic value"
Among the critics who passed upon Jhe
! list OF pictures were Henry T Bailey, Ed
| win H Blashheld. Alfred y Churchill q.
F Comfort, J. " Connolly. Kenyon Cox.
Fred II. Daniels, L. =. Di C,saOla. 4. ".
EisOn- " NJ r French, Mrs Edward Cay,
Walter 5 Goodnough. William II Good
year Rev. Gustav GottheiI Il " Griffith.
/ James Hall. Louisa Hail. J. Frederick
Hopkins, H W Kent. John LaFarge,
Charles G. Loring, the Rev H Pereira
Nendes Walter 5. Perry. Russell Sturgis,
Horace h Turner. and Ross Turner
/ In commenting upon the e&purgdted list
/ the regents say. After a careful study
not only of individual criticism and spe-
cifc suggestions but of the principles un-
DERIVING the various opinions given. a list
OF 100 pictures suitable for high schools
was selected. In presenting this list it is
well understood that ii viii not be salts
factory TO any critic II does not aim 10
be the 100 best pictures for schools. and it
seems safe to assert that the compilation
of such a list is an imp0ssibility, il the
constituency whose approval is sought is
as varied in taste moral, and religious
prejudices and art perceptions as that TO
which the list was submitted. and which
! State ownership of the pictures and the
system made II necessary TO consider
The exclusion Of many of the master
pieces OF painting and sculpture demand
ed on moral and religious grounds result
ed in a preponderance OF architecture not
only in numbers, but IN artistic value.
While this is unfortunate from The stand
point OF art, IL Is probably true that re-
productions OF architecture and scenery
are on the whole. rather more saLisfartC-
~ and realistic than those of painting or
sculpture. and therefore produce stronger
ana truer- impressions on the student
Inind than The less effective and sometimes (
misleading representations in black and
white of oil paintings"
Speaking Of the regents action Miles NJ
Brien. President Of the New York City
Board OF Education, said:
L am totally At q loss 10 understand
their action in this matter, and must say
that it strikes ne as absurd They have
rejected from their list pictures many Of
which are acknowledged as the greatest
works Of art in the world, and which are.
therefore. n my opinion. just the ones
most suited for our public schools Their
grounds for this rejection are Inadequate.
OF course. If a picture is second rate il
SECutI D% thrown out, DEl : cannot uLtltT-
stand how they could possibly couple that
adjective with Rosa Bonheur's Horse
Fair As for Meissoniers 1867 which
was rejected as suggesting war. heir ac- /
ton Is ridiculous To reject 4 picture
based on an incident from the New Tes-
lament because il might offend Hebrews .
is equally absurd Moreover. it IS abso- .
Iutely contrary 10 the principles Of public .
education. which should always remain .
nCu-sectarian.
Frederick Dielman, who is the president
OF she Academy Of Design, said.
Il agree with the idea Of excluding pic .
lures intended to gIOrify war and invest ,
ing it with false and peruicious associa-
tiuns or IDEAS Nerestchagiu imbued ais
war pictures with the proper sentiment; r
they are true and realistic. ard not IDEAL
pictures OF war AS such Jhey much con
Tey IN adherence Of var to the youthful
mind