International studio (60.1916/1917)

Winter Exhibition, New York Academy

Winter Academy, New York 1916-1917
VISION OF THE PAST BY E. IRVING COUSE


in the Academy Room, and the intervening spaces,
but they took their place amongst much that was
mediocre, much that was commonplace, and much
that was downright bad. The cry of the studios
is for more space, more opportunity to be seen.
We would suggest the very opposite of this, less
space and less opportunity to be seen. Ideal con-
ditions obtain nowhere less than in New York.
If they did, we should demand to see only the
best and be content with a well-hung show of, at
the most, fifty canvases. As it is, however, the
object of the Academy is to satisfy the needs of
as many artists as possible and at the same time
exhibit a large number of privileged pictures

which, as far as many of them are concerned, do
not possess a sufficient percentage of merit to take
their place worthily in a first-class entertainment.
What might please the critics of Tucson, Arizona,
hardly meets the standards demanded by such an
important art centre as this city to-day.
The immortal curate who found his breakfast
egg good in parts would in all likelihood view an
academy exhibition with the same indulgent op-
timism; but we need an egg that is good in all
directions. The only remedy would seem to lie
in keeping academicians and non-academicians
apart by holding separate exhibitions. This would
intensify public interest and by degrees such rival-

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