New-York tribune., 1905-06-01
ART IN BUFFALO.
The Dedication of the Albright Gal
-Ierg of Painting and Sculpture.

,.b Nr J. J. Albright has erected and pre-
..,,.d 10 the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy Is an
..,,+ of more than local significance. To look
- the building itself and the loan collection
:, naintings which has been formed for the
~-.,sut occasion, and to consider all that is
s,t by this institution in the intellectual life
:, ,ss city of Buffalo. is to realize that Mr.. Al
,,ht and the academy have collaborated in
:. creation OF one more of those centres of
.,,, influence which are recalled in the names
:, New-York Boston and Philadelphia In
..s.r words the building in the City Park Of
,.sIo is g new link in q chain OF national mon
-,-ts It is true that the permanent collection
;, ,,utairs is a modest one, but the important
sns is that with the construction Of the Al
,.eht Gallery. the Fine Arts Academy here
,tss on a new lease OF life, with resources
,-onaising a wonderful expansion in the future.
NJ course, at the moment every one is talking
n,,,t the building as building, and this is not
-r-n-ising I do not know anywhere in America
- asiace of the kind which is intrinsically more
.-,stic. Indeed. when 1 think Of the smaller
-,rseuuns in Europe with which alone it is to be
,o-nnared car recall only one, the Gailiera, in
Ip,ris which has anything like the same salts
,..torv quality That brilliant piece Of French
,csssr1lc design has peculiar charm. The Al
b-trht Gallery is not much charming as 1t is
,,snosing But the first impression received as
o,e spproaches this stately building owes much
N ths surroundings OF the latter, anG these are
RI nature TO soften the severity of an essen
.;sly scholarly composition The architects
Nsssrs Green & Wiclks, have produced a classic
buflding. following the Ionic order 1t is longer
than It is deep with projections at each OF the
sour corners On the lake front the entrance
is reached up a broad flight of steps, surmounteo
by double row OF pillars. The wings on the
y,,t
-.orches based In effect on the south porch or
,bs Erschthezlr,l with oaryatides, to be executed
bv Mr. Augustus ST. Gaudens. Save for the
works which he viii thus contribute to the ouiio-
ing. there will be sculpture introduced anu
since 1lr. ST. Gaudens's caryRtdes Will form dis
typctly architectural members of the porches' IL
Is obvious that the building will retain q tnor-
oushlv monumental character. There VIII be no
intr6icious ornamentation anywhere TO tease
the eye.
For relief from the heroic simplicity of the
fhiur the eve Will have to turn, as have inoi-
ested above. to the trees. shrubbery and turt
which wreethe the cold white mass in KIND
~ sylvan beauty The architects have counted
,,non the masses of green everywhere. upon tho
slinu,erins lake. and, I fancy, upon such
radiant sky as we have just had here, to SET
of their scholarship, it were; TO hurnanl5e
e. 10 make the building the central factor in a
superb picture. Whether seen from the lake,
,r,tb nothing 70 break the linear effect Of the
facade or from the other side, with pillars ar
ranged in a semioirole around the central bay
and bringing the lightness Of q graceful curve
into the design, the result is the saIne-one re-
aizes that the architects have conquered the
tendency 10 mere weight in their building and
have given it not only dignity but elegance BY
clever use of pillars all four Sides and
nacta x, h1-- ing eOTr1a oft
have secured a rich play Of light and shade
Merely for what it is as addition to the ex-
tenal appearance OF the city. Buffalo is to be
congratulated on the gift OF the Albright Art
Gallery.
Inside fl is equally imposing. The large
sculpture court in the centre Of the building is
fenked by small galleries. which in their turn
give, on each side, upon a gallery of ample dl-
rneasons. These two major galleries connect, in
each case the wings mentioned above. and there
is abundant wall space in all four OF these
corner rooms. The building is finely proper
toned outside. and the interior has the same
merit The sculpture court is neither too large
nor TOO small and the pillars along its sides not
enlr have the virtue of clearly declaring their
structural purpose with reference to the frieze
and roof but, like the pillars outside. modify
the effect Of mass and bring the indispensable
light and shade to vary and complete the inn
preston received as Of building meant TO be
used, to be something more than frigid monu-
rnent Everywhere there is the brilliance OF
white marble but as background for pictures
q light olive green stuff has been chosen and
this, with darker marbles for the low wainscot
and all of the floors save the one in the sculpt-
u-e court-whfch is white-has brought just
enough color into the building. Two OF the
smaller galleries off the sculpture court have
sfScro q
ana engray1ngg the other. and the cases are
black The lighting is superb For use at night
a system Of electric lamps. with refectors. has
been nIaoed between the glass ceilings Of the
saIler,es and the glass roof and this contrivance
has been developed with such care that a pict-
ure in the corner Of a room is as well lighted
as though IL hung in a place OF honor. down.
stairs there are rooms which are at present
occupied by the Art Students League but when
that organization has its new home constructed
this space will be available for exhibition pur-
poses
Just what the academy viii 90 with its wall
space in time to come is matter on which
there is something Of interest 10 say put nus'
first refer To the loan exhibition arranged Tor
the inauguration Of the building II is' In
word a remarkable show Of more than TWO
hundred old and modern pictures Many oI
the masterpieces on the walls have been seen
in Nex-yorlx hut I do not know how better to
describe this exhibition than by saying that IL
is nevertheless worth coming from e"-HoTk
TO see Collectors from all over the country
have sras1y Ient their treasures, and, although
there are works present which could be spared
there are extraordinarily few Of them. a more
effective system Of hanging might perhaps nave
been adopted. There are enough Ola masters -
have filed a galisry OF two by themselves. ana