New-York tribune., 1902-02-15
ART EXHIBITIONS.
CAN PICTURES AT THE UNION
LEAGUE CLUR-CLAUDE MONET.

The galleries in the Fine Arts Building have been
well filed with the material brought together for
the seventeenth annual exhibition of the Archi-
tectural League. There is much of this
material. and so thu hanging committee has been
able to secure an excellent ensemble. The first
large gallery is given over. as usual to a miscel-
lany of works in black and white and in color.
cartoons for stained glass windows and sketches
for decorative schemes. The three small central
galleries are also occupied by works in medium
another decorations, mosaics pottery. burnt
wood panels, book covers. and sculpture. In the
middle OF this part Of the exhibition there is a
huge model of the handsome fountain designed
along conventional lines by Mr.. R w Gibson for
the Botanical Garden in Bronx Park. In the Van
derbilt Gallery, previous occasions. the
league has concentrated the llk of its purely
architectural exhibits including sketches and scale
drawings. with photographs of completed
work and few plaster models. A few things
to be in the entrance hall and in the overflow
room beside il.
For the close student of architecture the leagues
annual show is interesting, not simply because of
the intrinsic merit which this object that in it
may possess. but for the implications to be found
in il of certain broad lines of development In
architecture in painting. have been strongly
influenced from time to time by very definite
movements. Old observers of these periodical dis
plays will recall the time when the style of the
late H. II. Richardson. for example. being
emulated by scores of architects East and West
The italian Renaissance has had its season; "Old
Colonial not very long ago. enjoyed
traordinary vogue and more recently the
ideas characteristic of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
have received superabundant Illustration. In
years the designs for office buildings and city
dwellings have been cast in the shade by a great
number of very interesting country houses. This
year the exhibition Is remarkable for the designs
for urban work which it contains and the pre-
vailing style is notably eclectic a style in
which the influence of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
is often clearly visible, but in which more clas
sicay academic elements count to good purpose
Roughly speaking, the impression received Is that
American architecture has more scholarship in it
than ever before. There is. perhaps. a diminution
OF originality That precious quality rarely peeps
forth But We may well wait with patience for
the evolution of American style while our de
signers are doing much that. If conventional is
at any rate sound. Ugly feeble buildings are
In small proportion to the good work shown. The
commercial building (No. 49, by Mr.. Charles l.
Berg. with the upper stories of a considerable
FACADE resting their great weight of stone and
metal upon long shop front of glass is the only
conspicuous example we have noticed of a violation
OF that constructive law which is essential
really artistic architecture; and there are few
drawings for important buildings here which show
the poor taste characterizing the apartment house
(No. 429). by Messrs James & Leo. The average Is
much more encouraging than these designs would
Indicate
The higher level reached in the construction of
large buildings of public private character is
admirably represented by Messrs. Howard. Cauld-
well & Morgan, in their Essex Hotel; by Messrs
LORD Hewlett in their stately design for the
Department of Agriculture Building at Washing
ton ana by Messrs- HOwes & Stokes. in their
American Geogra phicaI Building. We wish we
might include in this category the new Custom
House for this city by Mr.. Cass Gilbert: but it
must be confessed that, while the design commands
respect for its massive and official character il is
sadly wanting in distinction. Yet this is an emf
nently respectable composition and it is cheering
as several other designs here are cheering in the
proclamation of far intelligent standard
than that which for many years seemed to
pass in government work. There is a drawing
here for the postoffice at jamestown. y. V.
produced by Mr. ]. K. Taylor. supervising archi-
tect at Washington, which shows that federal n
terprise in the field of architecture no longer
spells. necessarily. incompetence and vugarity.
This postoftce is charming in its dignifed simpc-
ity, and we have believe that 1t is typi-
! cal of great deal Of work that is being done
nowadays all over the country for the United States
Government. Another similarly edifying exhibit
is the group of designs put forth by Edward P
Casey. architect. and William y. Burr. engineer.
for the great Memorial Bridge across the
Potomac at Washington II may be doubted If the
lines OF the towers forming the central feature of
this work a graceful or as impressive as they
might have been made. They have monumental
strength; they lack monumental beauty. On the
other hand the piers and arches carrying the long
structure individually we'll placed, the series
whole is to be praised for the fine sense OF
proportion which It reflects. and in their treat
ment of the details the designers have been COM
mendaby judicious and refined. Despite its vast
dimensions, the bridge has aerial Ightness and
elegance Altogether, it is one of the best pieces
OF public work produced in the epoch OF knowl-
edge and good taste Mr.. Ernest Flaggs plaster
model for the Naval Arch is equally gratifying.
Among the private dwellings We observe the
same vitality that is incIosed by the designs IA
vorably mentioned above We may cite the house
for Mr.. Burden designed in the French style by
Mr.. Lewis Henry Morgan and Mr. H r. Mar
shalls house. in A vein of greater freedom and
simplicity. for Mr. Paul Leicester Ford None OF
this work reveals any very fresh ideas. but do
not forget that the architects are generally con-
fronted by the difficulty which the high price of
real estate in this city has often imposed upon
them in the past. the want OF adequate space Occa
sions on which the spaciousness of the site per-
mits architect TO let himself go almost
never encountered; so seldom. indeed that if the
testimony of the present exhibition is to be taken
somewhat loss when they come The design
for "A Residence on Fifth Avenue" by Babb. Cook
& Willard, and the kindred design by Messrs.
Howard. Cauldwell & Morgan. though both meri-
torious in a scholarly way of very mild in
terest. all that the space available would
have invited ambitious efforts Yet, the
very reticence of these designs may inspire
thing like gratitude and hope. These facades. and
many others in the show. may be deficient in
beauty of style they may be without the touch of
creative art. but all sides find the valuable
qualities of balance and simplicity which are the
sworn enemies of that restless superhciaity by
which American architecture threatened
time be irredeemably debased Here and there
have remarked a contribution of rather a spe-
cious character a cottage like the one by Mr.. Will
Eyre (No. 716), in which poor invention is
cealed by picturesque draughtsmanship But, taking
the exhibition in its broad significance, with which
the general public is chiefly concerned the essen
tiaI point which we are brought at the concu-