New-York tribune., 1905-02-11
ART EXHIBITIONS.
The TsCentieth 4nnuaI Shoe of the
architectural League.


this organization In what may be called its forrna
tive period They were necessarily small and thev
we're very architectural in character. Since then
TIE league has greatly enlarged its scope and
now gives. on its annual appearances before the
public fsr moro space than il was once wont IN
give 10 decorative and applied art The moro Ib
ersl policy has its drawbacks For those who love
architecture for its own sake the presence ir
the leagues exhibitions of all manner of COM
tributions. from metal doors TO designs for boolS
plates is little oistracting. They would prefer az
an architectural show to be left free to look IS
examples OF architecture pure and simple On the
other hand. there is undoubtedly something 10 be
said for a policy which, in making an exhibition
more miscellaneous makes il more attractive TO
the laynan Furthermore, a collection like that
which is now on view at the Fine Arts Building in
dubtabiy justifes itself. nasmuch as Its diversity
IS after al. typical Of conditions now prevailing
where the erection of q building is concerned
The interesting thing about the schemes for
mural painting and stained glass which hlg the
large entrance gallery is not simply that they
often excellent. but that they should have got
themselves ordered and designed, whether along
good or bad lines. 1t is more than twenty years
since We began TO realize that the construction
Of church or dwelling means more than the
construction OF so many walls. to be adorned as the
:ourneyman or the upholsterer sees fit 1t is much
less taan twenty years since we carried our new
ideas IN these matters 10 a logical conclusion and
took 10 calling in the painter and the artistic
craftsman 10 aid the architect as q matter of
course What is impressive in the mass of work
brought together in the entrance gallery is the
new movement for which it stands a movement
confined no longer 70 our own neighborhood but
active everywhere. Near the sketches made nv Mr.
Elicit Daingerheld for his elaborate decoration In
the Church Of st. Mary the Virgin in this citv
hangs one OF the cartoons made by Mr. Robert
Reid 1or the windows in the Rogers Memorial
Church Fair Haven Mass Mr. Blash6eId sends
photographs and sketches of decorations made for
public buildings so far apart as St Paul and Balti
more; and IN passing the other exhibits in review
note that they destined for St Louis for
Chicago for Philadelphia, for Boston and so on
The impression received, in short is of a readiness
such as IN former years was only too seldom TO
be observed, 10 give the private and the public
edtfce alike the kind Of establishment which i'm
plies color and taste.
T3e taste Is not always perfect The color Il ,,o+
si"sys beautiful Some Of our decorators fail to
keep pace with the opportunities offered 10 them
through rat incompetence; others fan short be-
cause, While gifted enough so far as manual dex-
teT1Ty Is concerned. they have ir,perfecr ideas o4
just what IS required OF them The most sfgni6-
cant Illustration OF the latter situation is pro-
F7ced ~ Nj Howard Pyle, in a long decorative
panel called The Genius OF Art This gentleman
Is widely known one OF our best designers :of
pictures for the magazines. Some Of his work In
this helc has been extraordinarily brilliant we
recall number OF illustrations made by Mr. Pvke
to- q story OF 'Q.'s," in '-Scribner's Magazinet'
which were, IN their way, masterpieces. But IN
have been Influenced by little or no decorative feel
ing. He has merely enlarged his scale and the
result though aboUnding in cleverness in the
manipulation Of pigment affects US with something
az the triviahty associated with a pretty Christ
mas card. Other decorations here exhibited are
similarly disappointing, and in too many cases
there is not the merit of sound technique to
console the critic Several of the paintings in the
entrance gallery ought to have been excluded by
the fury altogether too arnateurish for the oc-
caEf-r ERrTr f7o1E
three four Of ability like Mr. La Fargo
and Mr. Cox, Mr.. Blashield and Mr.. Reid, whose
productions have weight and justify, as we have
Esio tssiinportance given TO the decorative wing
Of thssexKIhition
The contents of the three smaller rooms are not
uniformly valuable. Along with interesting speci-
mens OF work IN polished steel and hand fooled
leather with good studies in landscape gardening
and with sketches for stained glass; there are
supeT1uous book plates book covers and similar
ODDS and ends The salient objects this point
in the show-salient especially because they are
So novel-are the productions Of the Rookwood Pot
te-y Company. New-Yorkers have recently been
able 70 observe in the subway the excellent use
70 which the resources of the American potter can
be put IN making Of decorative uedalIions and
hands treated in color. The Rookwood exhibit at
the league anpllfies the lesson. includes large
arch, bOrdered with fruits in fairly high relief.
This Is q long way from charming US as the works
q the Della Robbian school, from which the in
fpiration for IL doubtless drawn, have charmed
rs The colors employed not wholly success
ful; there is distressing opacity about them and
the whole effect is unduly heavy But if the mem
Der of the Rookwood staff who is responsible for
this arch, Mr.. J. 3. Wareham, and his colleague.
Mr. w P. Macdonald, have already made such
progress IS indicated by what they bring for
ward on this occasion. there is every reason for
Offering them the warTnest congratulations. The
achievement OF infinitely better things IN their
st9Gos is presumably, only a question OF time,
snd the value OF what they are driving at is obv-
Though marble stone. brick and terra Gotta
viii never cease to be indispensable as materials
% be used IN the making OF "'garden furniture"
such ware as that which the lockwood company
Is developing has only 20 be made perfect in order
30 he adopted with delight by the architect.
The drawings and models of q strictly architect
ursi character in this exhibition concentrated
n the Vanderbilt Gallery. where the most wall
space is 70 be had They too numerous to be
traTsrsed detail. and, indeed, the interest here.
as in the gallery full of decorations, lies less in
ne Individual contribution than in the broad lines
Of growth suggested by the whole One fact stands
suf In bold relief-the increase in the number of
great public buildings which our architects are be-
ing called upon TO design There have been exhibit
lions IN the leagues history which have directed
attention more particularly to the modern dwelling
house IN city or country. Others have placed the
skyscsper" IL the foreground, where 1t has
iooned with vastly more bulk than beauty. There
are some attractive little country houses shown this
year but they do not seriously assert themselves;
ana the urban dwellings, though in good taste are'
on the whole. no more conspicuous To judge from
ne tai o1ce buildings illustrated, the great prob
'sn OF commercial architecture" is not percepuoiy
nearer solution than il has been any time these
f4st I've or ten years. Perhaps the problem Is IN
soluble. save on the frank hypothesis OF the box
me structure conceived from the engineers rather
man from the architects point Of view. Many de-
Egners irresistibly attracted by this dlfncut
question. and every now and then some one arises
M oil