New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-28
NEW YORK'S ACCUSED ART
A Heartsick Critic Finds Much to Lanai
in Our Public Monument
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In The Tribune Of February Is I read
a letter from the president Of the Art Aui.
ance of America, bewailing the fact that IN.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine has MIN.
dows which are replicas Of old Euroue.,
glass The writer goes on to say that wa
have the artists and the artisans to produce
the best results in art, il only the academic
Pharisees who control the destinies Of ere.
alive architectural beauty in this ,ountry
will wake up and give their fellow artists .
chance.
Not having seen the windows in question.
am unable to discuss the point of their in.
feriority or superiority to the modern ex.
amples of American stained glass, but in a
very large Gothic church it would seem Ia
be safer to stick to an imitation Of the great
originals.
In the matter Of sculpture as applied 10
architectural adornment feel that, possess.
ing so many admirable sculptures as we do
and having seen their enchanting achieve.
ments in collaboration with architects at the
various expositions and worlds fairs. We Of
New York City have been encouraged to hope
for better results than we have received At
their hands.
We have all hoped for great things from
the influence Of the Municipal Art Society
and have felt sure that the mistakes OF the
mast as represented by some Of the statues
in Central Park, could never be repeated. But
what A trihing blot on an otherwise agree
ab,e prospect is Robert Burns, with broken
hack. IN comparison with the more faunt.
inc misdemeanors of recent years. One can
Uai. through the park and admire the trees
and NOT look at Robert Burns at ali, but who
can 60 bv Columbus Circle and escape the
snectacle of the Maine Monumental Gate
Or who can walk up Fifth Avenue withe1t
seeing the comic statues by distinguished
American sculptor in the pediments OF the
Public Library or those august beasts which
have been called by some one "the Presby-
terrain lions"? And We cannot think We are
unreasonable in feeling deep disappoint-
ment every time we look at the works great
SCULPTOR has given us for the adornment Of
this building.
And. finally, who can approach the Plaza
without heartsick regrets that so great an
opportunity for beauty and JOY has been
thrown away forever? There is the great site
the vista. the sky, the trees. There is the
;mnosinp mass of the Plaza Hotel, with its
admirable skyline and proportions, and The
identified nile of the Vanderbilt house and It's
handsome grille, and. above all, there is the
sherman statue, Ringing challenge to ar
chitects and artists to supplement it, to face
it with something worthy and in the grand
manner.
And this precious space, infinitely precious
to New Workers as being the only big open
space available for handsome treatment has
been irremediably cluttered up with unmesn-
ing trivialities in Portland cement.
Is New York accursed? The few beauti-
full things we possess are generally placed
where they cannot be seen, as, for instance
the Pennsylvania Station-one OF the beauti.'
full buildings of the world and glory Of
which America may be proud. II can never
be looked at in proper perspective, ana is
surrounding must always be sordld
But New York is beautiful in its atmos'
pheric effects, with the great cliffs OF lts'ssy'
scrapers glowing pink or golden in the rays
of the setting sun, while the twilight streets
below glitter with lights. a. " r.
New York, Feb. %, 1917.