THE BOSTON ARCHITECTURAL EXHIBITION.
AN extraordinary phenomenon is presented in Boston — an exhibition of architectural drawings that some one goes to see !
Our acquaintance with such exhibitions dates back for many years, and covers nearly all the important ones ever held in this country, and some in other countries, but our recollection is that we have generally been the only person there at the time of our visit, and even the attractions of the League exhibitions in New York, which always include a beautiful collection of furniture, draperies, and decorative pictures, have rarely, in our experience, succeeded in drawing ten persons together at any given time. In Boston, this year, on the contrary, although the exhibition is one of architectural drawings simply, without a single piece of bric-a-brac or furniture, the room is actually animated by the number of interested observers. Just before leaving the large exhibition-room at the time of our last visit, we counted eighty people in it, and it was really difficult to get a good view of some of the drawings, without waiting for the group around them to disperse. This, moreover, was in the middle of the afternoon of the fifth day of the exhibition, when there was no special attraction offered, and when the number of spectators would natu
rally be much smaller than in the evening, which is the time that we have generally chosen for our own visits to such places.
There are several circumstances that will help to account for this unwonted popularity of architectural drawing among the Bostonians.
One is, undoubtedly, that the exhibition is free; and we hope that the lesson will not be lost upon the managers of such exhibitions hereafter ; for the amount of money received for entrance-tickets is always so small that it is well worth considering whether, if it were given up altogether, it would not be more than made up directly by the increased sale of catalogues, to say nothing of the indirect ad
vantage of attracting and interesting a larger public. This year a certain attraction is also probably to be found in the fact that the exhibition is held in the great hall of the new Public Library, a building about which great curiosity is felt in Boston ; but, with all due allowance for the effect of these extraneous circumstances, there is still a large remainder of evident public interest, which cannot be
attributed to anything but a most gratifying development of the public taste and knowledge in matters of architectural art.
On the whole, the exhibition which has so excited the popular interest is quite worthy of it, and five hundred better architectural designs and drawings were never collected under one roof in this country. It is impossible for an architect to take a general survey of them without a feeling of pride at the power and independence with which American architecture is advancing towards a development which may be far off, but which will be a very brilliant one. Even now there are buildings in this country which will be revered centu
ries hence by architects as the first transitional examples of the new style ; and when the contemptible colonial chicken-pox has spent its force, and architects and their clients begin again to use their artistic sense freely, we shall see more and more the results of the energy with which American architects have been training their eyes and
hands, and collecting resources of observation and recollection, for the past twenty years.
However, to return from the future to the present, we find, in looking about the room, that a great many of the drawings are familiar to us, from having been previously shown at the League exhibitions
in New York, or, in some cases, at the exhibition of the Architectural Club in Boston two or three years ago. The principal works so exhibited have already been mentioned in these columns, and many of them have been illustrated here, so that we are disposed, for once,
to pass over what will be the most interesting part of the show to the general public -— the extensive collections of large designs from such skilful hands as those of Messrs. Peabody & Stearns, Hartwell & Richardson, Walker & Kimball, Rotch & Tilden, Winslow & Wetherell, Hardenbergh, Kirby and Little, and devote ourselves prin
cipally to the work of the debutants, including the debutantes, for three ladies appear as contributors.
Among the architects who have exhibited before, but who occupy this year much more conspicuous positions than formerly, Mr. J. L. Faxon and Mr. H. L. Warren are particularly to be noted. Mr. Faxon, as we have good reason to know, has made a thorough study
of Sicilian and Italian mosaic decoration, and we are glad to see that not only his clients, but other architects, are to have the benefit of the results of his labor. Besides some extremely interesting and conscientious color-studies of mosaics at Monreale and Ravenna, he shows a design for the interior of a church at Detroit, presenting a low dome, decorated with mosaic effects, which suggest, perhaps, Monreale as much as Ravenna, but are simplified and adapted with great cleverness and artistic feeling to the circumstances of an American congregation. Naturally, it will be a difficult task to in
oculate Yankee fresco-painters with the color-sense of the Byzantine or Saracen workmen; but, if Mr. Faxon is only moderately success
ful in carrying out his scheme, his church will be one of the notable architectural objects of the country.
Mr. Warren’s principal exhibit, his set of drawings for the Troy Orphan Asylum, has been reproduced in these pages, so we need only call attention again to his beautiful plan and the refined pictu
resqueness of the group, as shown in his perspective drawing, beside
which is another, showing the hospital and the rear entrance arch, which is new. In addition to these, however, Mr. Warren shows
some measured drawings and sketches from English subjects, several competitive drawings and other works of importance.
For an architect in active business, Mr. Warren, as shown in his pen-and-ink perspectives, keeps his hand well in at sketching. Mr. Richardson and Mr. Walker, also in pen-and-ink, and Mr. Peabody and some others in color, show no intention of letting their skill dis
appear for want of use; but many architects, including even Mr. Blackall, one of the most brilliant pen-and-ink sketchers in the country, seem to find it necessary to get expert assistance for their larger drawings. Although this is, perhaps, financially wise, the art of architectural drawing loses by the defection of so many of its once valiant champions, and exhibitions also lose very mueh by the appearance of sameness of style among the most important works. If Street, Nesfield, Norman Shaw, Ernest George, Jackson and Waterhouse can afford time to make their own perspective draw
ings, our architects, apart from the unfortunate heads of what the Frenchmen call the American “ usines d architecture,” ought to be able to do so, and their artistic reputation would gain in consequence, however it might be with their pocket-books. The Boston public is probably not peculiar in taking nearly as much interest in the render
ing as in the design of the various drawings. Two young girls, students from the Museum of Fine Arts, to judge from the business
like way with which they inspected the collection, were looking closely at a pen-and-ink perspective as we passed. “ I want to see how they get their effects,” we heard one of them say ; and there is no doubt that variations in treatment, such as are at command, almost
without limit, in pen-and-ink work, will be appreciated by many others besides architects.
But to return to our subject. As usual in such exhibitions, there are a great many sketches on the walls, generally of foreign buildings, and executed in pencil, pen-and-ink or color, as the case may be; and we find represented, besides several old friends, many new aspirants for fame. Among these, Mr. J. H. McGuire has three or four clever works, whose only fault is the common one of being too brilliant and effective. Water-colorists, not primarily architects, almost always fail in representing architectural subjects by drown
ing the architecture in chiaroscuro, “ masterly ” brushwork and startling cloud-effects. Mr. McGuire’s architecture, in itself, is much better and more understandingly rendered than is generally the case in such sketches, but an instructive contrast with them is to be found in Mr. Walker’s colored church designs, across the rooms, which gain infinitely in feeling by their delicacy of color; and in a beautiful sketch close by, from Mr. Brunner’s skilful hand, which is
as thoroughly architectural as anything could well be, but is pretty in color besides.
If any one imagines that real color effect cannot be had without brilliancy, he should look at Ross Turner’s wonderful little sketches from Wilton. These curious studies are extremely rough, being in three or four washes of body color, on tinted paper, with hardly an attempt at drawing, and still less in the way of chiaroscuro ; but the
color is so unerringly true that neither shadow nor outline are needed to show the hand of a consummate artist.
Messrs. Stone, Carpenter & Willson, of Providence, who have not hitherto exhibited much in Boston or New York, appear in a brilliant fashion, with some beautiful working detail-drawings, at a large scale, of the Lyman Gymnasium, and a considerable number of picturesque designs for houses and other buildings, very cleverly
drawn. Messrs. Cram & Wentworth, of Boston, show some pretty
AN extraordinary phenomenon is presented in Boston — an exhibition of architectural drawings that some one goes to see !
Our acquaintance with such exhibitions dates back for many years, and covers nearly all the important ones ever held in this country, and some in other countries, but our recollection is that we have generally been the only person there at the time of our visit, and even the attractions of the League exhibitions in New York, which always include a beautiful collection of furniture, draperies, and decorative pictures, have rarely, in our experience, succeeded in drawing ten persons together at any given time. In Boston, this year, on the contrary, although the exhibition is one of architectural drawings simply, without a single piece of bric-a-brac or furniture, the room is actually animated by the number of interested observers. Just before leaving the large exhibition-room at the time of our last visit, we counted eighty people in it, and it was really difficult to get a good view of some of the drawings, without waiting for the group around them to disperse. This, moreover, was in the middle of the afternoon of the fifth day of the exhibition, when there was no special attraction offered, and when the number of spectators would natu
rally be much smaller than in the evening, which is the time that we have generally chosen for our own visits to such places.
There are several circumstances that will help to account for this unwonted popularity of architectural drawing among the Bostonians.
One is, undoubtedly, that the exhibition is free; and we hope that the lesson will not be lost upon the managers of such exhibitions hereafter ; for the amount of money received for entrance-tickets is always so small that it is well worth considering whether, if it were given up altogether, it would not be more than made up directly by the increased sale of catalogues, to say nothing of the indirect ad
vantage of attracting and interesting a larger public. This year a certain attraction is also probably to be found in the fact that the exhibition is held in the great hall of the new Public Library, a building about which great curiosity is felt in Boston ; but, with all due allowance for the effect of these extraneous circumstances, there is still a large remainder of evident public interest, which cannot be
attributed to anything but a most gratifying development of the public taste and knowledge in matters of architectural art.
On the whole, the exhibition which has so excited the popular interest is quite worthy of it, and five hundred better architectural designs and drawings were never collected under one roof in this country. It is impossible for an architect to take a general survey of them without a feeling of pride at the power and independence with which American architecture is advancing towards a development which may be far off, but which will be a very brilliant one. Even now there are buildings in this country which will be revered centu
ries hence by architects as the first transitional examples of the new style ; and when the contemptible colonial chicken-pox has spent its force, and architects and their clients begin again to use their artistic sense freely, we shall see more and more the results of the energy with which American architects have been training their eyes and
hands, and collecting resources of observation and recollection, for the past twenty years.
However, to return from the future to the present, we find, in looking about the room, that a great many of the drawings are familiar to us, from having been previously shown at the League exhibitions
in New York, or, in some cases, at the exhibition of the Architectural Club in Boston two or three years ago. The principal works so exhibited have already been mentioned in these columns, and many of them have been illustrated here, so that we are disposed, for once,
to pass over what will be the most interesting part of the show to the general public -— the extensive collections of large designs from such skilful hands as those of Messrs. Peabody & Stearns, Hartwell & Richardson, Walker & Kimball, Rotch & Tilden, Winslow & Wetherell, Hardenbergh, Kirby and Little, and devote ourselves prin
cipally to the work of the debutants, including the debutantes, for three ladies appear as contributors.
Among the architects who have exhibited before, but who occupy this year much more conspicuous positions than formerly, Mr. J. L. Faxon and Mr. H. L. Warren are particularly to be noted. Mr. Faxon, as we have good reason to know, has made a thorough study
of Sicilian and Italian mosaic decoration, and we are glad to see that not only his clients, but other architects, are to have the benefit of the results of his labor. Besides some extremely interesting and conscientious color-studies of mosaics at Monreale and Ravenna, he shows a design for the interior of a church at Detroit, presenting a low dome, decorated with mosaic effects, which suggest, perhaps, Monreale as much as Ravenna, but are simplified and adapted with great cleverness and artistic feeling to the circumstances of an American congregation. Naturally, it will be a difficult task to in
oculate Yankee fresco-painters with the color-sense of the Byzantine or Saracen workmen; but, if Mr. Faxon is only moderately success
ful in carrying out his scheme, his church will be one of the notable architectural objects of the country.
Mr. Warren’s principal exhibit, his set of drawings for the Troy Orphan Asylum, has been reproduced in these pages, so we need only call attention again to his beautiful plan and the refined pictu
resqueness of the group, as shown in his perspective drawing, beside
which is another, showing the hospital and the rear entrance arch, which is new. In addition to these, however, Mr. Warren shows
some measured drawings and sketches from English subjects, several competitive drawings and other works of importance.
For an architect in active business, Mr. Warren, as shown in his pen-and-ink perspectives, keeps his hand well in at sketching. Mr. Richardson and Mr. Walker, also in pen-and-ink, and Mr. Peabody and some others in color, show no intention of letting their skill dis
appear for want of use; but many architects, including even Mr. Blackall, one of the most brilliant pen-and-ink sketchers in the country, seem to find it necessary to get expert assistance for their larger drawings. Although this is, perhaps, financially wise, the art of architectural drawing loses by the defection of so many of its once valiant champions, and exhibitions also lose very mueh by the appearance of sameness of style among the most important works. If Street, Nesfield, Norman Shaw, Ernest George, Jackson and Waterhouse can afford time to make their own perspective draw
ings, our architects, apart from the unfortunate heads of what the Frenchmen call the American “ usines d architecture,” ought to be able to do so, and their artistic reputation would gain in consequence, however it might be with their pocket-books. The Boston public is probably not peculiar in taking nearly as much interest in the render
ing as in the design of the various drawings. Two young girls, students from the Museum of Fine Arts, to judge from the business
like way with which they inspected the collection, were looking closely at a pen-and-ink perspective as we passed. “ I want to see how they get their effects,” we heard one of them say ; and there is no doubt that variations in treatment, such as are at command, almost
without limit, in pen-and-ink work, will be appreciated by many others besides architects.
But to return to our subject. As usual in such exhibitions, there are a great many sketches on the walls, generally of foreign buildings, and executed in pencil, pen-and-ink or color, as the case may be; and we find represented, besides several old friends, many new aspirants for fame. Among these, Mr. J. H. McGuire has three or four clever works, whose only fault is the common one of being too brilliant and effective. Water-colorists, not primarily architects, almost always fail in representing architectural subjects by drown
ing the architecture in chiaroscuro, “ masterly ” brushwork and startling cloud-effects. Mr. McGuire’s architecture, in itself, is much better and more understandingly rendered than is generally the case in such sketches, but an instructive contrast with them is to be found in Mr. Walker’s colored church designs, across the rooms, which gain infinitely in feeling by their delicacy of color; and in a beautiful sketch close by, from Mr. Brunner’s skilful hand, which is
as thoroughly architectural as anything could well be, but is pretty in color besides.
If any one imagines that real color effect cannot be had without brilliancy, he should look at Ross Turner’s wonderful little sketches from Wilton. These curious studies are extremely rough, being in three or four washes of body color, on tinted paper, with hardly an attempt at drawing, and still less in the way of chiaroscuro ; but the
color is so unerringly true that neither shadow nor outline are needed to show the hand of a consummate artist.
Messrs. Stone, Carpenter & Willson, of Providence, who have not hitherto exhibited much in Boston or New York, appear in a brilliant fashion, with some beautiful working detail-drawings, at a large scale, of the Lyman Gymnasium, and a considerable number of picturesque designs for houses and other buildings, very cleverly
drawn. Messrs. Cram & Wentworth, of Boston, show some pretty