The sun., 1903-02-17
THE ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE.
]. TIE Cs,sr Exhibetisu.

q footing OF alliance In the artistic con-
strlction Of building. They include the
! architects, sculptors, and color designer,
whether the last named be working In glass,
In mosaic. in mural painting or In any other
| medium OF color decoration. II IL this
last group whose designs are exhibited
I In the entrance gallery Of the exhibition.
II a foreigner, ignorant Of our condi-
tons, were to enter this gallery. fear
he would not be much impressed. II Ia
! doubtful II he would experience q single
thrill Of vital interest, while much Of the
showing might well appear to him ANA
teurish in the extreme. We should have
to explain to him that great deal moro
work is being executed than this exhibi-
ton would suggest. that 1t In not always
possible for an artist to exhibit his work,
and that still more often the disinclinatio ion
Of the architect or Of the client to have
the work seen stands in the way Of the
artist exhibiting So. We should have to
ask the foreigner to take this fact INTO
consideration, and TO regard this some
what heterogeneous collection merely as
a general indication Of the character and
trend Of the work accomplished. But. is
il not possible that, II he tried to study
the exhibits with this qualihcati ton In mind
he would still be unimpressed' l can i'm
agine his criticism taking some such form
az this: Il have travelled several thousand
miles and find myself surrounded by novel
sensati IONS I walk the streets Of your cities
and see new order Of architecture evolved
find everywhere the evidences Of i1itia-
tive, energy and aspiration; find surprises
OF invention and Of the new application
OF old ideas: everywhere an intense and
eager vitality. But In this gallery ! get
no new impression: not even the indication
OF power. Can 1t be that your artists are
the only ones to whom the magnitude Of
your country and the infinitude Of its pos
sibilitiss make no appealY'
Really il would be q very awkward ques-
ton; ono scarcely to be answered TO the
satisfaction Of the questioner's curiosity
and Of our own pride. Year after year
we search this color exhibition for the
indication Of some fresh and forceful note;
for some vital show Of brain or heart, think
ing and beating In response to the big in
huenoes around US, and this year as usually
in vain. To illustrate the fairness OF
this assertion let me enumerate some Of the
designs.
Here is a large mural painting repre-
senting Christ blessing little children. 1t
il respectfully done, eminently innocuous
but does it count for anything7 Can one
trace in il single touch Of original feeling
that might make it worth the doing' I
confess can discover no individual thought;
unless il be that the glow from the halo
should accent the gold embroidery upon
the robes OF the angels. 1t does do 10, but
with more suggestion Of the effects in
theatre than in a serious representation
Of the sacred story. There is also large
cartoon in chalk for a church window;
quite handsome in composition and likely
to afford splendor Of color when translated
into glass. But this later stage can Of
course be only guessed at here; though it
il a point l should have urged upon the
foreigner. inviting him also to accompany
me to some Of our city churches that he
might see for himself that in the direction
Of glass our designers are doing something
very vital. Yet in many Of the windows
he would find moru evidences Of . splendid
material and Of skill in using it than Of
ideas in the conception Of the subject.
And il is the matter Of ideas that we are
specially considering now.
Let us search for them In some other
directions. Here In a large study for a
window for a Gothic hail. I suppose
the gentleman in New jersey. for whom
it is intended. is at liberty 10 have 4 new
made, American. Gothic hall II he can pay
for IT.: but ] cannot help wondering what
it In like. Still. granted the Gothic hall,
there come~ in the deadly dull uninspired
logic OF the architect, who demands for the
decoration Of his window q Gothic design.
He reaches II through the iejune device
of a Madonna and child upon pedestal,
with Il knight and priest kneeling before
II, and a row Of armorsd supers in the
back ground. Ones contempt for guch
puerility Is tempered by pity that possible
good stun in our artists should be smothered
by the architects in this fashion.
Again detect the influence Of the archi-
tect in another stage scene with the i'm
posing title Katrina Cornaro Surrendering
the Island Of Cyprus to the Doge Of Venice
Presumably this is to assist it's future owner
in the comfortable assurance, good Ameri-
can though he doubtless is. that he is living
in Renaissance palace. Further. 10 select
few examples from the catalogue, we fnd
Decoration for a Librsry-'AntiGuity,'
di,," Tns Middle dx Asss Efsly pGy, Age o,
Queen Elizabeth" a Roman Lady
Pomona and Ceres" A Detachment Of
the Second Crusade In Southern Europe"
and The Toast the last q classioally ar
ranged scene with some vinous models
the decoration OF a dining room!
take no account OF the merit OF the
actual painting qualities which, respec-
lively. appears or is absent in these de-
signs. but confne myself to the ideas or
10 the lack OF ideas which they present
And judged from this standpoint how
amazing and unnecessary is all this waste
Of energy Here are men living in an age
Of their own. which happens TO be very
full Of vitality and incentive; yet they scour
the extremties OF time to get an idea.
Whether they do ii of their own volition
or by dictation Of the architect, I repeat
il represents waste Of energy. distortion
from the possibility of really vital, manly
work. which Is lamentable.
Happily there are some traces of original
thought. Edwin II. Blashfeld's Wash
ington Decoration for the Baltimore Court
House has been already reviewed in this
column, and we are reminded Of Il here by
a photograph. 1t represents a signal and
successful attempt to unite intellieible
symbolism with realistic record of a notable
event In American history. A feeling for
reality appears also in c. Y. Turner's study
Of Indians and settlers. though here il has
scarcely been attuned to the necessities
Of decoration. II is too haldly a picture
In two -Alegories OF Industry" Fred Dana
Marsh proves that his mind IL moving
entirely in touch with surrounding in,
huencee: yet l doubt II these panels, de-
pending NO much upon tone and 90 little
,v,n 10 nd /