The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-12-13
PAINTINGS LIKE ONE
DONKEY MADE WITH
HIS TAIL SUIT PARIS
So Declares Artist Beckwith,
Taking Hot Shot at French
Capitals Art Ideals.
GOOD DRAWING TABOO.
Augustus Thomas Gives New
Idea of Principal Figure in
the Passion Play.
GOOD DRAWING TABOO.

The Nafional Institute of Arts and
Letters mst to-day ntise homo OF the
New York Historical Society at Central
Park West and seventy-seventh street.
to announce the annual award of its gold
medal for distinction In architecture
and to hear ns meanbers report impress
sions Of American art and letters.
The morning session was opened by
DR.. Henry Van Dyke. acting chancellor
ftho academy. DIR. Van Dyke called
on Augustus Thomas the playwright.
who discrsscd tho propricty and utility
Of producing the Passion Play IN an
American Church or tabernacle.
As Mr.. Thomas described his ideal i'm
personation. the hero Of the passion
play must he q man OF moro than ord
mary statute and strength. The adj
maration and devotion that Christ
aroused among the Jewish women. a.
recorded In the Testament--the power
that enabled him TO drive out the money
changrs from the tcmplc--confirmsd the
playwright IN this belief. he said:
A hardly race Of mountainers dwelt In
the country where Jesus Christ was
brought up. They were skilled In all
the exercises and excelled particularly
In stone throwing. This carpenter un-
dcrstood how TO handle boats and nets
by his association with James and John,
Mr.. Thomas pointed out. His hands
were rough and cailoused and not In
tho wax work manicure class. The nails
were rough ana broken. The playwright
thus worked out n short sketch Of the
principal figure OF the Passion Play. ~
II ne had spsnt much time planning fos
such q drama. He appeared to have In
mind . version Of the cructnxioo climax,
altogether at variance with the con-
vsntionai one stassd in ths Continent
Mr.. Thomas's tsarsrA more than hall
of them women. the rest q the mem
bers of the lnstttssts, oreetsd hSs wgor'
GUS picture Of . sage Christ With ex-
clams<aons of approval.
Thomas r. LAun0oerry. professor
emeritus Of Tale. followed Mr.. ThomaA
reading . dvtl VA paper on the Do
lenses OF Washington.
Carroll BecE~1th. artist. olsousalns
taste and technique. dropped into rem.
intscent mood. ~ Prof. Lounsbsiry ha<
done. Tue present day trend In Parii
doesn't please Beckw1th at all. He savi
n II considered obnoxious to draw toe
we'll. Nature draws ciumsily. the Pa.
ris,an teachers say. Rodin u one of the
Frenchmcn who think they arr follow.
ING nature.
The artists who strapped q brush to Z
donkeys tail. tiokled the animal and
made him wave his tail over a canvas
producing . picture that was hung o.
the line" at tho Paris salon. played Z
trtck that exposed the pretentions o.
the Partisan authorities. Beck witA
thought
There n no stability In the repute Of
painters. Becli with said. Beck with
vim . plaintiff note In his voice. wouat
W by hoping the good things Of ar
may In the end prevail-1but he WASH
very optimistic.
william Lyon Phelps gained the In
terost OF the audience by an energetl,
paper ON -Realism and Reality IN Flo
ton"
Tho annual sold medal of the institut,
wNs won by William Rutherford Mea,
for architectural success. The frs
award for sculpture went TO Augusta
st. Oaudens. Prof. Ford Rhodes. tn
historian. received the second medal
and James whitcomb Riley, for nj
poetry, the third.