New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-14
MATTERS Of ART
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Recent Books for the Student and the Collector
American Mural Observation-Disclosures r.
McKim-"Old Colonial '-Conder
and Alastar-Exhibitions
BY Royal Cortissoz.

prove of really unusual value TO ms
countrymen. Rarely do we find an ar
fist treating of tie affairs Of his pro-
fessiou with such simplicity ana
breadth. In these chapters. based on
the Scammon Lectures which ne DEW
cred last year in Chicago. the author
contrives to say just the things that
need to be said in order to set his very
important subject in precisely the
right perspective. He does not pretend
TO frame a formal history of that sub
iect. to record and estimate the lndl-
vidual productions of the perlou III
which with us. it has been practically
invented. He deals rather with ideas
American mural decoration is as has
lust been indicated a fairly recent de-
velopment, but Mr.. Blashfield recos-
nizes it's fundamental dependence upon
the practice Of the historic past. and n
his first chapter ne goes as far back as
to Greece and Egypt for the principles
which he would commend To the artist
and to the public Of our own time.
Salient among these principles is the
social purpose of mural decoration He
speaks somewhere Of the picture
books" unroled upon great walls by
the early painters. 1t is an apt phrase.
Mr.. Blashfeld would have mural deco
ration strongly influenced by contem-
porary life and thought. and he would
use il as means for the promotion oil
historical knowledge. for the fostering
Of thoughtful patriotism. Passing
from this point he traverses one of the
most pressing, practical questions with
which we have To deal. the matter Gt
harmony between building commits
sioner and architect. between architect
and mural painter, between one mural
painter and another He speaks civ
lily, but. we are glad to see, with just
skepticism. of the competition that ter
rible source of waste and irremediable
blunders. and ne says some wise things
about the value of experience. In
mural decoration, if anywhere, the "old
hand" has advantages which not even
the highest talent if unframed, can
claim. There is a personal anecdote
lone of many which do much TO enliven
Mr.. Blashfeld's pages delightfully."-
Illustrative of this point.
one of the most brilliant Of American
painters, Alfred Collins, who was taken
away from us only too early. and To-
our great loss came into the Vanderbilt
gallery one day when | was painting
there on a large decoration. lie criticised
certain part of my work. ] said:
That has been puzZlng me. too, ana
! have made repeated changes I'M that
particular place. Take my palette, and
20 up on the sCaffOld and make the
change yourself: suggest what you would
like TO see He went up the ladder
and painted a little while. then came
down and viewed his work from the
floor. WHY, il doesn't look at all the
same from here as from the scaffOld.
no" / replied: that's what I've been
finding out over and over again for
several years" lie remounted the scat
fold. returned twice 20 the floor, then
put the palette back into my hands and
said. laughing: Il give II up
1t is we'll to note here, however. that
Mr.. Blashfeld is far from asking us TO
regard mural decoration as an alb
struse. mysterious affair, to be left
undisturbcd in the hands Of a chosen
few. ON the contrary, the whole pur
pose Of his book is to show how neces-
/ sary it is TO the people at large, how
I simply and naturally il enters into