The New York herald., 1920-01-31
A Tragedy OF the Fine Arts.

Tragedy OF the Fine Arts.
No such tragedy ever occurred before
in the history of organized art in this city
ms the destruction by fire of the Fine Arts
Building. in West Fifty-seventh street, on
the very day set for the reception that
was to mark the official opening of what
was to have been the thirty fifth annual
exhibition of the Architectural League Of
New ork.
1t was confidently expected and pre-
dicted by the representative architects.
painters. sculptors and decorators who had
worked together for a year on the show
that it would indicate distinct step for
ward in the crafts which have to do with
the houses in which people live.
But though there had been cooperation
the greatest freedom had been given to the
individual. AIcoves had been built and
each of these had been turned over to an
individual to make out of it what he could
in the way of combining beauty and fit
ness of design. Fine furniture. tapestries,
fabrics of various sorts, screens, orna-
mental plasters, carved wood and stone.
with fixtures of all sorts. made these
rooms ready for occupancy.
One reason. and very good one. why
the artists were particularly enthusiastic
about the show lay in the fact that it was
TO Indicate TO what AN extent they were
ready TO seize on the opportunities offered
by the resumption of building here after
the war. They were confident that con-
ditions in Europe. which were likely to
continue for n long time. had supplied
them with q chance to develop something
distnctivcly local which would not be
patterned on other periods.
All those dreams are represented nov
by the blackened ruins which stretch from
the Vanderbilt gallery to the entrance.
Ever since the National academy of
Design moved from its old Italian palace
in East Twenty street il had made
It's home here Here it held the winter
and spring exhibitions, which continued
venerable tradition, comforting honors
on the elect and exciting occasional con
troyersies started by the young and the
rebcIIiouS. as is the way with such bodies.
In addition to the Academy and the
Architectural League. the National Sculp-
trlre Society, the Water Color Society
and. in fact. all the chartered art societies
in the city. made their influence felt from
the Fine Arts Building. Outside the great
shows of special nature, like the Hud-
son-Fulton display at the Metropolitan
Museum. the Comparative Exhibition Of
years ago and others of similar sort
helped to make the building historic in
the aesthetic annals of America.
One president Of the academy after an
other has agitatcd the question of pro
viding fit. toeraby central and safe
huliding for the display Of art in New
York. Many suggestions came to nothing
The present disaster which particularly
affects the architects ..id the sculptors
Is bound TO reopen >thc whole question
under circumstances which are likely K
cause the authorities and the public al
large TO take notice.
it is likely that the Academy. in order
~ hold It's coming spring exhibition. viii
ns,c TO appeal 10 the Metropolitan Nu
SCUM for hoSpitablc assistance. Thi'
a~ain will raise the other question
whether or not il j. desirable TO add :
rcw wing 10 the great building on uppcl
Fifth avenue which would serve as ;
nasse Tor the display Of all sorts ant