New-York tribune., 1906-08-17
WAR ON MART CIRCLES
TILDEN HOME THE CAUSE.
National Club Splits on Decorations
in Old Mansion.

merry war has broken out among the artist
members and the lay members OF the National
Arts Club. of which Spencer Trasz IS president.
just as that organization has been comfortably
settling down 20 enjoy its new home in the old
Samuel J. TiIden mansion. in Gramercy Park
1t was learned last night that great diversity
Of opinion exists in the club as to whether or
not it was wise to leave the interior decorations
as originally planned by the late owner. Cover
TiIden. and on which Mr.. Tilden is said 20
have spent over S5OOOO0
1t is strongly advocated by some Of the most
prominent artist members Of the club that the
interior should have been torn out and plain
walls left rather than the beautifully carved
woodwork put in by Governor Tilden- The ar
lists maintain that the style OF this woodwork
is bad and offensive to the eye, and that. as the
club stands for high art. certainly the artist
members Of the club should have been consulted
In regard TO these de ,Orations.
Lay members, on the contrary. claim that the
interior is beautiful. that it has substantial
air about 1t Of refinement and quiet, and that II
should be preserved as historically expressive OF
a period in American art
Regarding this controversy, one OF the best
known artist members of the club said last
night:
The artist members Of the National Arts
Club maintain despite the fact that Governor
Tiiden snent over $500 600 for these decorations,
that the work is bad. having no particular
styIe or plan or composition to recommend II
Although substantially built. that Is not sum
Cient reason why these decorations snOuId re-
main All art goes through good and oao
period. The bad is destroyed and the good pre-
served, as is eXemplified by the rebuilding un-
der PeriCIes OF the Parthenon at Athens.
The artist members Of the club maintain thar
they have precedents sufficiently established TO
give weight 10 their side Of the argument They
also consider it unfortunate that the club has
.rvGrr hfG
and that so little heed Is given TO the artistic
element Of the club. Some artist members go
far 10 say that the word arts should be
entirely dropped from the name Of the National
Arts Club
Other artists in the club think that the FACADE
Of the building, with the sculptured heads or
Michael Angelo. Shakespeare, Goethe and the
such IS found in the present environment
erected in its place
The carving the nantelS and throughout
the building is Of the best quality. but unfortu-
nately there Is no particular period style car
ried out. The back room and the middle ROOM
IN which are the bookcases, give the impression
Of mortuary chapel. and there is predOmi-
nance Of that terribly heavy furniture that
made the old Arts club home in West 34th
street, inartistic 1t would have taken SO
little to have made our present home mora ar
ustic and pleasant.
Whether anything can be accomplished in the
way Of changing the situation remains TO be
seen at a meeting which may be called shortly
In a membership OF about fifteen hundred
while the artist members viii have to tolerate
interior decorations which are conglomeratiOn
Of different motives Of different periods badly
put together.