Miscellany [pp. 134-139]

Miscellany.
"old masters" who ventured to appeal
to the sympathies and pockets of our
collectors being at last treated with
proper contempt. But the prices realized by the Wolfe gallery, even when
reduced to a specie basis, were too high
to become a recognized standard of
value, and gradually the interest in such
sales, as well as the bids, declined, until
the sellers became aware (the purchasers had become aware some time previous) that the market was overstocked
and the demand for pictures had ceased.
The contributions of the foreign artists
to the New York Sanitary Fair brought
probably less than a third of the money
that would have been obtained for them
had they been sold in January instead
of June, and such collections as have
been scraped together for sale during
the present season have met with but
moderate pecuniary success. It is gratifying to know, however, that our resident artists, both native and foreignborn, have for the most part been busily
and profitably employed, and that in
landscape, and in some departments of
genre, their works have not suffered in
competition with similar ones by reputable European painters. Without wishing in any respect to recommend or suggest a protective system for fostering
native art, we cannot but rejoice that the
overthrow of the late exaggerated prices
for foreign works will tend to encourage
and develop American artists.
The principal art event in anticipation
is the opening of next exhibition of the
National Academy of Design in the
building now hastening to completion at
the corner of Fourth avenue and Twenty-third streets. It is to be hoped that
the contributions will be worthy of the
place and the occasion. Recent exhibitions have not been altogether creditable to the Academy.
Durand, the late president of the
Academy, and one of our oldest and
most careful landscape painters, has a
characteristic work on exhibition at
Avery's Art Agency, corner of Fourth
street and Broadway. It is called "A
Summer Afternoon," and is pervaded by a
soft, pensive sentiment of rural repose.
In the elaboration of the trees and in
the soft, mellow distances the artist
shows his early skill, albeit in some of
his later Pieces the timid handling inseparable fromnage is discernible.
A collection of several hundred
sketches and studies of no special
merit, by Hicks, has recently been disposed of at auction. The essays of this
gentleman in landscape are not happy,
and the specimens in this collection had
better, perhaps, have been excluded'.
Rossiter's pictures representing Adam
and Eve in Paradise, now on exhibition
in New York, have excited more remark
than commendation. It may be said
briefly, that they fail to do justice to
the subject.
Cummings's "' Historic Annals of the
Academy of Design" have been published, and constitute an interesting addition to the somewhat meagre collection
of works illustrating American art history.
Mr. Thomas Ball, the well-known
sculptor of Boston, is about to depart
for Italy, with the intention of remaining several years in Florence, and executing there in marble a number of
plaster models. Among these are a lifesize statue of Edwin Forrest in the part
of "Coriolanus," and busts of the late
Rev. Thomas Starr King and Edward
Everett. The latter is said to be an admirable likeness.
M. J. Heade, an American artist, formerly of Boston and Providence, is publishing in London a work upon the humming-birds of Brazil, illustrated from
designs by himself.
The United States Senate was recently
the scene of a somewhat animated debate on art matters, arising out of a
proposition to authorize the artist Powell to "paint a picture for the Capitol at
a cost not to exceed $25,000." The
scheme was defeated, chiefly through
the opposition of Senator Sumner, who
thought the present an improper time
to devote so large a sum to such a purpose.
Avery remarkable picture by G6r6me,
the most original and realistic of living
French painters,is now on exhibition at
Goupil's, in this city. It is entitled
"The Prayer of the Arab in the Desert,"
and in a small space presents acomplete
epitome of Oriental life.
In London the General Exhibition of
water-color drawings, and collections of
works of Holman Hunt, Madox Brown,
and the late David Roberts, have recently
been opened. The last named contains
900 pictures, drawings, and sketches,
showing the amazing industry of the
artist, and his skill as a draughtsman.
A monument to Shakespeare, from pen
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