Evening star., 1925-10-11
calm EVENING" ETCHING GEORGE E REsIER.

the title "A Vele Gontie,' which, be.
ing interpreted, means Under Fun
Sail''-a masterpiece indeed.
The committee has chosen as rep
resentative of the work of Winslow
Homer a picture entitled Eight
Bells" one of his most famous works
and one never before exhibited in this
city
Almost all OF the pictures in this
exhibition 10y deceased academicianS
have been lent either by art museums
ear private art collectors, and the in
surance which the collection carries
in transit is enormous.
UXXTIIAT is the National Academy
w nC Design" some may ask. 1t
is the oldest organization In the Iuited
states composed exclusively Of artists
1t occupies approximately the same
position here that the Royal academy
does in Great Britain. It's member
ship Is made up OF artists, Sculptors,
architects and engravers. including
etcherS Its first president was Sam
uel T. Il. Morse, n Very distinguished
portrait painter, better known, how
ever us the inventor of the telegraph.
\ painting which Mr.. Morse did Of
he old Hall of Representatives at the
Capitol is included in the permanent
collection Of the Corcoran Gallery OF
Art. In the Metropolitan Museum
New York, and other art institutions
are examples of his work in por-
traiture. Peter Maverick, the fore
most enSraver of bank notes, was one
Of the aCademy'S founders.
All. these hundred years the acad
ery has maintained a free art school
in New York and has held annual eX-
hbitionS. 1t has, in short, been the
guardian of art in America during this
long period of development, holding
aloft the torch which has lighted
many along the rather rugged path
and led not few to the sumrcit Of
real distinction.
Curiously enough, !. came into eN-
istepce as u protest Against the ultra
conservatism Of a still earlier art or
uaniZation. the so-cal!ed American
Academy. which had Established head
quarters in the old -AtmshCuSe Build
ing. New York. The -to,'% IS told in
a little pamphlet entitied The First
Hundred Years" issued 10y the Acdd-
emy of Design. I: is as follows:
"On IL crisp Autumn morning 100
wears ago two eager young artists
raced up the steps of an ugly wooden
building in Chambers street, New
York city. They found the door at
the head Of the steps locked. and
their enthusiasm turned to disap-
pointment The cranky old janitor of
the building had no sympathy with
the ambitions OF young artists. He
was. a veteran OF George Washing
tons army. His war record had got
him his job. The building over which
he exercised his SrunlblinS guardian
ship had been taken over by fhe
American Academy Of the Fine Arts
II housed a small art collectior-a
gallery of statues, a saloon OF the an
tiaue, open to students between the
hours of and in the morning. Per
mission to draw from the casts rep
resented the institutions sole conces-
sion to tl;a desire of the city's youth
for an art -ducation. But the Janitor
did not =, mpathize with this spirit
Of liberality. Despite the clamor OF
the youths, the door was unopened
Protest was made to the directors by
William Dunlap, then one of the city's
leading painters, TO whom the boys
made complaint. Dunlap took the
matter personally 10 Col. John Trum-
bull, then president of The academy
that a;lmp Trumbull who painted the
pictures in tn" rotunda Of tho capitol.
But he, possibly because ot his mill
tary experience. uulleld iii" a''tiou of
the janitor. These young gentlemen
he is said to have remarked, should
remember that beggars cannot be
choosers.' Within a month the beg
Sars formed their own association,