New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-30

Of manual deXterity alone, at bottom
he is an essentially mediocre type, and
a single work from his brush is about
all that is wanted in any exhibition. In
this one he has three or four, if not
seven or nine. OF course he ia pleased,
and | suppose he could give some
cogent reasons for the liberal policy
by which he Las profted. This is his
country. In sense this Is, primarily,
his exhibition. Who, if not the Ameri-
can artist. should have a show" at
the San Francisco Fair? Well, there
is always the public ! think the pub
lie interest would have been better
served il the works of art submitted
had been 8ifted with more discrimina-
ton.
If the exhibition suffers, then. from
the assignment of too much space 70
this or that artist. from an undue pro-
portion of dull pictures, the situation
! is still further aggravated by two other
I factors, the plan of the Fine Arts Pal
ace, and the hanging. Outside, Mr..
Maybeck's building, as | have shown
earlier in this series Of comments, makes
q stately and beautiful effect. Inside,
its semi-circular area is cut up into
about l20 rooms, large and small (some
of the latter very small, indeed, and
while the arrangement is convenience
itself, on paper, the actual result is
! confusing. The rooms in both orders
| should have been doubled in size. In
| certain special instances where "a
painter has room to himself, the
present scheme is satisfactory enough.
| For the larger, miscellaneous display
/ it is inadequate. As regards the
] hanging, | Judge that some rough prin-
/ ciple Of classification has been toi-
/ lowed, or at all events that an attempt
in this direction has been made. There
| is a room in which a good many Of the
| portraits painted in low tones have
! been brought together Another IS
largely, if not exclusively dedicated 10
| the works of women. In still another
there are figure pieces by different
painters who look at their subjects in
much the same way. l might cite
| other indications of a search after
| decorative harmony. But in some in
! comprehensive fashion the system If
I there was a appears 10 have
/ broken down The ensemble, like the
plan Of the building, is confusing. II
/ does not lucidly and helpfully set forth
J the case for American art.
This is where the second point of
| view comes up. II is the point Of view
take it, Of hundreds of thousands of
people whose opportunities for the
! study Of large numbers Of modern
paintings are comparatively infrequent.
| For their ease and OBLIGATION better
arrangement. better hanging, should
ABOVE all things have been secured.
! Everything should have been done TO
assist them in apprehending the sig
nifcance Of American art in an lllumi-
mating snd constructive way. For them
the subject should have been placed in
simpler, more workable. perspective.
Nevertheless, the subject, as sub
ject. is there, even though II is 10 be
groped after instead Of being spread
upon the surface. J. L. d. Trask, the
director OF fine arts. and his various
juries have at least succeeded in max,
ing a kind Of broad demonstration OF
the meaning of American art, an ex.
position of it's salient movements ana
personalities. The latter are not al
ways Adequately illustrated. and s0ns