The New York herald., 1921-03-05
Academy of Design
Exhibition to Open
to Public To-day
Smoking Reception in Morn.
ing and Vanishing Are
Largely Attended.

Tae National Academy OF Design re-
surned business at the old stand yester-
day after the interruption caused last
year by tho fire that destroyed the Van
dsgabiit Gallery. There was smoking
reception for the artists In the morning
and in the afternoon the official varntsh-
ing day reception took place Both were
largely attended. The exhibition opens
Cor the general public to-day and will
last until April 8.
AZ these receptions, sna1e up largely
at people In close touch with the art
world. the chief topic generally is the
justice OF the distribution OF the prizes.
and this year all the talk that w..U
overheard followed these lines. There was
almost no comment upon the restora-
tion of tho building itself. which in
way 10 q compliment to those who had
the task In charge.
Keen as the discussion Of the prize
winners was. there was very little fault
finding with the committees. The juries
had moro prizes TO distribute than ever
before, for the simple reason that the
usual autumn and spring exhibitions
were combined this year into one. At
the same time there was less work to
choose from. owing to the coalition. The
givtng of tho Altman figure prizes or
81, 900 and $500 In tho autumn and the
Altman landscape prizes In the spring
has had the tendency to separate tho
two shows sharply. AZ far as the public
IS concerned there can be no doubt that
g. permanent Joining OF the landscape
and figure divisions Of the academy
would be popular.
Mr.. Walter Ufer's $1,000 prize winning
picture. called Hunger" had practically
no opposition. Mrs. Ufcr has been paint
ing IN the Southwest for some years, and
this work belongs to his Naturalization
series. It is clever and snowy In COM
position, the kneeling Mexican peasants
5ust edginx their shoulders into the bot
tom Of the canvas, the most Of which 10
taken up with the rough plastercd wall
and tho uncouth. primitive cruciflxes TO
which tho hungry pray. It Is brittle IN
painting and practically bit OF still iiie
painting. AZ the spectators have no
chance to enter into the woes Of the af-
fiicted who have turned their baclka-
Mr. Ernest Lawson and Mr.. Robert
Spencer, who win the flrst and second
Altman landscape prizes. have both
painted better pictures than the works
that now fetch them honors. Mr.. Law
sons vanishing Mist" Is less rich than
usual IN color and has the appearance OF
having been niggled with small brushes
1t suffers In contrast to the nearby
w ater Eall OF Mr. Eifner oCHoilciup
which is exceedingly dashing In style,
though lacking in any real landscape
feeling. Mr. lawson, at any rate. can
always be relied upon for going after
what poetry there is in the motif"
Miss Helen NJ. Turner. whose Flower
Girl" takes the second Altman figure
prize, Is a pupil of the late Alden Weir.
whose teachings are still evident In her
work. Her Flower Girl is posed out
doors by Q table OF flowers. which gives
her an excuse for bright pigments.
Mr.. Leon Kroll makes a great effort
in his figure composition. In the Hills"
and ought TO be commended for much
painstak king study Of outdoor detail.
His people. however, have somewhat
oorcelaineous flesh tones. Tho portrait
Of DIR. Rchart II. Harte by Leopold
Scyffert taxes the Proctor prize for
portraits. and takes 1t justly.
Tho Lesser prize winners are for the
most part prizes OF encouragement and
call for no especial comment.
In the place of honor in the vande--
bilt Gallery a landscape by the late j.
Francis Murphy has been hung as a
memorial to him. 1t 10 a characteristic
specimen of his best style. called "Au-
tumuai Solitude" painted in the now
familiar golden tones.
An innovation this year Is the elimi-
nation of the famous ''morgue." room
Just off the entrance lobby. In which
were hung. This room has been devoted
70 the showing of etchings. engrayings,
prints and drawings.