The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 122

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II > Part 122

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poses. The schools were opened with some forty scholars-eleven young ladies being among the num- ber. J. B. Whittaker, Rufus Wright and F. A. Chap- man were appointed teachers, all capable to the high- est degree, and most industriously attended to the ad- vancement of the pupils. The average attendance for the first season was sixty-two, of which number twenty- two were ladies. All the expenses of the school were paid by the artists themselves, among whom none was more liberal than A. H. Ritchie.

The importance of the art-work done by the pupils and the members of the Academy of Design cannot be over-estimated, and the unselfish motives of the artists, in doing the work of teaching, stand unequaled in the history of art. Five nights in the week the schools were kept open, fom 8 to 10 o'clock, and prizes of considerable value, for emulation among the pupils, were offered. The results of the first season's teaching gave remarkable evidences of talent and industry on the part both of the pupils and teachers.

The academy remained in the Halsey Building until the Graham Art School, at the Brooklyn Insti- tute, in Washington street, refitted their rooms, when it was proposed by said institute that they would furnish the Academy of Design with a suite of rooms, free of rent, if they would take charge of the Graham Art School teaching, free of cost. This handsome offer was cordially accepted. The rooms were well adapted for the purpose. The Graham Art School had quite a collection of casts, to which were added those of the Academy of Design. The two combined made a respectable show for the round and antique class.

The season of 1868 opened with a crowded school. Here the academy established a " life-school "-the most neglected branch of study in this country. The life-school to the figure artists is of as much import- ance as is the dead body to the anatomist for the studies of his science; and this youthful academy, soon feeling the strength of a giant, projected public lectures in the large hall of the institute, the first of which was deliv- ered by James Fairman. His subject was : "The Æs- thetics of Art." The second lecture was delivered by Nelson Macdonald, on "The Fine Arts of the Ancient Egyptians." The third lecture was by Caleb Lyons, on "Paul Delarache." Others were given, all of which cost money, but produced none. This with other mat- ters brought the academy into debt, and next fall, when about to organize for the winter campaign, mat- ters wore a gloomy aspect. The majority of the mem- bers had already put their hands into their pockets as deep as they dared to go in justice to their families. William Hart, the president, felt the gloom of despondency, called a meeting of the Academy, and offered a resolution to adjourn sine die. This resolu- tion would have passed, had it not been for the elo- quent and earnest pleading of Gabriel Harrison, who proposed one more assessment of the members to an amount sufficient to satisfy a few creditors, and sug-

Temple Franklin, grandson of Dr. Franklin, 1791; Judge Oakley, 1827; Henry Dwight, M. C., 1827; John C. Calhoun, Vice-President of U. 8., 1827; Dr. Allen, 1827; Dr. B. T. Ogden, 1827; portrait of Colonel Trumbull, belonging to Mrs. D. T. Lanman ; Colonel Trumbull's two daughters, do., and a miniature of General George Washington, once belonging to Governor Barbour of Virginla, sold December 22d, 1863, at the Wolf sale, and now the property of Mr. J. T. Sanford.

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gested means for loosing the meshes of debt which over- hung the academy. Mr. Harrison and Mr. Balling, who had warmly seconded his views, were appointed a committee to arrange for a concert, and a subscription was raised by the members to meet the immediate lia- bilities of the school. Previous, however, to the con- cert, the Academy, at its annual election, January 18th, 1869, elected the following officers :- President, George Innis, Esq .; first vice-president, Alonzo Chappel; second vice-president, Lemuel Wilmarth; recording secretary, J. B. Whittaker; corresponding secretary, Gabriel Harrison; treasurer, E. D. Plympton; coun- cil-F. A. Chapman, P. P. Ryder, W. Hepburn, H. Balling, A. Bergen; hanging committee-William Hart, Rufus Wright, and W. H. Snyder.

THE GRAHAM ACADEMY AND ART SCHOOL classes were under the instructions of William Hart, J. B. Whittaker and Rufus Wright. The Elementary class had 103 students on the roll; average attendance, 78. Architecture, under I. T. Rhue, number of students on the roll, 20; average attendance, 16. The Academy classes, Antique, under L. Wilmarth, number of stu- dents on the roll, 56; average attendance, 38; one half the students being young ladies. The Nude Art School had 18 students, average attendance, 15. A total of 197 pupils who were receiving free art-education- a showing that stands unequaled in the history of any other art-institution in the United States, and is not likely to be equaled again.

Mr. Harrison carried out his promise with the con- cert, which took place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, on the 12th of February, 1869. The following ladies and gentlemen volunteered their services: Ole Bull, S. B. Mills, F. Steins, and Miss Agatha Statts, and the Brooklyn Amateur Philharmonic Society. The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher made an address, re- lating to the noble work done by the Brooklyn Acad- emy of Design, and the importance of art-culture to the moral condition of society.

The back of the stage was occupied by an allegorical picture-the figures colossal-representing Music sus- taining Art, designed and painted by Gabriel Harri- son and Alonzo Chappell. In one of the proscenium boxes sat Admiral Farragut, who was received with marked attention. The result of the concert placed over nine hundred dollars in the treasury of the Acad- emy of Design.

The increase of pupils had now gone far beyond the capacity of the rooms allotted by the Institute, and about this time a misunderstanding occurring between the directors of the institute and the officers of the academy, led to the removal of the latter institution to other quarters, which were found in the Hamilton Building, corner of Court and Joralemon streets, where, by Gabriel Harrison's successful intercession with Mr. A. A. Low, the proprietor, they were secured at half the usual rent. The main room was twenty-five by

sixty feet in size, with plenty of light for day-school: there were two other rooms, one of which answere for council chambers. Admirable arrangements of gas lights were put up for night-classes. Mr. E. I Plympton, the treasurer, who took great interest in th Academy of Design, presented the academy with a fui suite of furniture for the council chamber. All thing in readiness, the school opened on the 29th November with 128 applicants, of which number only 110 coule be received for want of room.

At the annual election, January 29th, Mr. A. H Ritchie was elected president, while the rest of the offi cers stood the same as the year previous. The schoo gained additional glory this season hy the wonderfu results of its pupils. The fame of the management o: the academy-schools extended to the New York Acad emy of Design, from which a committee waited on the Brooklyn Academy to see and inquire into its workings So well pleased was this committee that they not only adopted many of the principles of the teaching system. but asked the privilege of inviting Mr. Wilmarth, one of the teachers, to take a class in the New York Acad emy, at a handsome salary, which was granted in justice to the gentleman, as none of the teachers were receiv. ing the least pay for the extremely hard work they did in the Brooklyn Academy.

The season of 1872 found the members of the academy ready and willing to work, but the want of means to carry on the schools again looked them in the face. New assessments were proposed, but the members could no longer stand the burden; besides, the vast expenditure of brains and physical labor re- quired from the teachers for the average attendance of a hundred pupils, five nights a week, from November to May, began to weary the teachers, and especially so when considering that they received no pay. J. B. Whittaker and Rufus Wright were martyrs to art-edu- cation. It was suggested that the city be asked to give the school $1,000 per annum, a portion of which should be paid to the three teachers. The Art Asso- ciation, hearing of this application, put in a similar ap- plication, though at the time it had no schools, and from the fact of their having a building, and a strong influence to back the application, obtained it. This left the academy out in the cold. This caused some bitterness of feeling between the two art-associations which finally led to the following understanding: that the Academy of Design should hold its art schools in the basement of the Art Association, and that the schools known as the Free Schools of Brooklyn Acad- emy of Design, and of the Brooklyn Art Association, should be under the government and control of the academy; that the necessary accommodation, light, heat, and attendance of janitor, with facilities for the meetings of the academy, be also furnished by the Art Association; that of the $1,000 received from the city a portion should be divided among the three

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teachers, etc .; the statuary, fixtures and property of the Academy of Design to be used in the schools.

So the Academy of Design merged into, and died an easy death in the arms of, the Art Association. But with this died the finest art-school that had ever been organized in America. Many of the best members of the Academy looked upon the transaction with much disfavor, and quietly withdrew from all public art-interest in Brooklyn. The schools were taken to the Art Association with less than half of the number of pupils that attended the Academy. Mr. William Hart, the ex-president of the Academy, was placed on the council of the Art Association, but this appeared useless, as the majority of the members of the acad- emy saw that eventually all control would fall into the hands of the lay members of the Art Association, and it did. Mr. Whittaker, Rufus Wright, and George O. Annable were appointed teachers. But when the ap- portionment of the thousand dollars, which was to have heen paid to the teachers, after the deduction for heat, light, &c., &c., was made, the amount was so small that Mr. Whittaker and Mr. Wright resigned their positions. The collection of casts belonging to the Academy of Design was finally sold to the Brooklyn Adelphi Academy, where Professor F. T. Boyle organized an art-department, and for several years in- structed with great success. So perished the Brooklyn Academy of Design. If the artists themselves had been true to those professional principles which alone can make a professional organization successful, the Academy of Design would have accomplished all that could have been wished for. The layman never can understand the necessities of the professional man. The layman can give noble assistance with his means, and help to build up an institution to a success, but the professional man must be the brains and the genius of the institution, if great professional results are desired.

Other Art Clubs .- In writing this brief history of art in Brooklyn, it has been the object to mention particularly only those artists and institutions which were prominently connected with art progress in a local sense. Many painters, engravers, and sculptors have resided in Brooklyn for many years who have not con- nected themselves with art-matters in this city.

The Art Guild, The Rembrandt Club, The Art Stu- dents' League, The Palette Club, The Brooklyn Art Club, and The Scratchers' Club (of which fuller men- tion will be found in a subsequent chapter of this work), are among the minor associations that have been of use to art-culture in Brooklyn.

The rooms of the Brooklyn Art Association have been the means of giving to Brooklyn many a fine ex- hibition of pictures. The last and most notable of all was "The Loan Exhibition" of 1884, given for the purpose of obtaining funds for the base of the Statue of Liberty for the harbor of New York. This exhibition for real merit was far in advance of the one given in the city of New York for the same purpose.

The city of Brooklyn can boast of possessing some of the finest foreign pictures in the United States. Among the owners may be mentioned the names of Messrs. Seney, Martin Healy, Charles Storrs, Judge McCue, A. A. Low, H. A. Pierrepont, Kenyon, Pro- fessor C. E. West, B. H. Smith, Litchfield, H. T. Cox, Dr. Keys, Fred Ward, J. Stearns, Alexander For- man, T. Havemeyer, Burt, the engraver, Aaron Healy, Gordon L. Ford, and many others. These gentlemen possess not only many foreign pictures of great merit, but a large number of the best American artists' works in painting, engraving, and statuary. We doubt whether any other city in the Union, with the exception of New York, can vie with Brooklyn in these respects.

WILLIAM HART.

W ILLIAM HART was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scot- land, March 31st, 1823, His parents emigrated to the United States in 1831, and after divers wanderings, settled at Albany, New York. William, one of nine children, at ten years old, was placed in a woollen manufactory, where he remained till he was fourteen years old. Then he was apprenticed to Eaton & Gilbert, of Troy, N. Y., coach and ornamental painters. He was apt at the business, and formed a desire to become a landscape-painter, or an artist in the full sense of the word. After serving four years of his time, ill-health compelled him to seek a release from the balance of his indenture. Free from slavish hours, he had an opportunity to build up his health. But the desire to be an artist still burning within him, he fitted up a wood-shed atndio on "Ida Hill," and there commenced portrait painting. Five dollars was his price for head and shoulders. His likenesses were good, and he did quite a thriving business ; securing hia principal support, however, from the mill and fac- (6)

tory hands. After having saved quite a little sum of money, he started, in 1841, for Michigan, where he traveled about for over three years as a portrait painter. This was before daguer- reotyping had found its way much beyond the large cities, and portrait-painting at low prices was somewhat in demand among the poorer classes. He was quite successful, and received as high as $25 for a head, in the way of barter, taking anything that was offered, from fruit-trees to clothing. Having accu- mulated three or four hundred dollars, he returned to Albany in 1844. Here he became acquainted with Dr. J. H. Armsby, a warm-hearted gentleman, and a great lover of art, of whom Mr. Hart remarks that, " Whatever may be known of Dr. Armsby's deeds of charity, not one-tenth of them has the public ear. That Palmer, the sculptor, Launt Thompson, George Boughton, James Hart, and many other artists can alike testify with him- self to the great encouragement they received in their art- struggle." The first commission Launt Thompson executed in

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

marble was s bust of Dr. Armsby. While Mr. Hart was painting in Albany, many of his landscapes, which were exhibited in New York City, received warm commendations from the pens of Thurlow Weed, George Jones, of the New York Times, and Hugh Hastings, of the Commercial Advertiser. This was the means of making Mr. Hart's pictures much sought after.

During his residence in Albany, Thomas Cole, the celebrated landscape-painter, called at his studio, and his kindly criti- cism gave the young artist great encouragement.

During the existence of the New York "Art Union," Mr. Hart found a ready market for many of his early efforts, which were pleasing in design, and rich in color. They commanded so much attention that the Art Union invariably paid him more for his pictures than he asked.

Mr. Hart married in 1847, and in 1849 he revisited his native land, Scotland, remaining till 1852, and making many studies of Scottish and English scenery. He also profited largely by the study of the best masters, as represented in the art-galleries. On his return home he took a studio at 806 Broadway, N. Y., re- mained there till the Tenth Street Studios were built, and was the first artist who set up his easel in that somewhat famous art- building. Twelve years after, he removed his studio to the Young Men's Christian Association Building, corner of Twenty- third street and Fourth avenue. In 1855, he was made an associate of the New York Academy of Design; in 1857, an academician.

A large number of his early paintings were views on the Hudson, near Albany and Troy. Occasionally he would try his hand at original composition, and endesvor to invest his copies from nature with the spirit of sentiment. In 1847, he painted pictures which he called "Coming from the Mill," and "A Pas- sing Shower." This latter picture placed him among the best landscape painters of the day. In 1854, followed his picture of the "Children at the Spring"; in 1855, " The Gloaming"; and in 1856, "Pesce and Plenty." Each of these compositions was based on actual scenes from nature, and infused with much grace and sentiment.

Mr. Hart is a property owner, and has been a resident of Brooklyn for over thirty years. He has given much of his time towards building up art-taste and art-schools in Brooklyn. He was the first president (and for three years) of the Brooklyn Academy of Design. While holding that position, he delivered s lecture to the students, entitled "The Field and the Easel." His mode of expressing his knowledge in art was through the medium of illustrations, which he made in the presence of the students with charcoal and chalk. These illustrations as sub- jects of art-instruction had occupied his mind and hand for many evenings at home, and by them he gave the students, within the space of two hours, a knowledge of landscape-effects in light and shade, and form, which would have taken them years to have observed, and many of them not then, as the sharp eyes of Mr. Hart never let desirable aspects and effects pass without particular attention and discrimination.

Mr. Hart was one of the originators of the " Water Color So- ciety," and occupied its presidential chsir for thres successive years. Among the most prominent pictures which he has pro- duced within the last ten years, msy be named "The Octo- ber Afternoon," "Sunday Morning," "The Last Glesm," "The Coming Storm," "Apple Blossoms," and "The Golden Hour."

" Apple Blossoms "is s landscape on a moderate-sized 'canvas, representing an apple-orchard in full bloom. Nothing but nature itself could have been the foundation of so charming & picture. It is a subject that Mr. Hart could grasp and mansgs. with perfect satisfaction. He is naturally so full of the harmony of color that his spirit is easily sroused to a grest effort when his eye sees the tender greens and blushing pinks in inviting con- trasts. " Apple Blossoms " was full of "color-music," and is, indeed, one of Mr. Hart's best efforts.

" The Golden Hour," Mr. Hart thinks his best picture. It is on a large canvas, and represents the summer time, when nsturs in her landscape-beauty seems to be radiant and complete in glory. The composition has a foreground of rich green with gray rocks, and the late flowers of the season combining in re- lief. The middle distance is composed of groups of stately elms that bend and droop their graceful limbs and foliage in forms that captivate the mind and fill it with the sentiment of contentment reposing upon the bosom of plenty; the distance with ite outlines of hills, as if locked within each other's arms, and in its noon altitude the sun throws down its bright lights, (where intercepted) forming dresmy shadows; the composition and effects making a picture that must always command a high place in the constellation of art achievements. This picture was purchased by Mr. A. T. Stewart, and still holds & place in his valuable collection.

In the last two years, Mr. Hart has devotsd the most of bis time to the study of cattle, deriving therefrom all the interest that their introduction lends to the landsesps. His drawing is always good, and he has the faculty of st once grasping the marked features in csttle-nature, and therefore his cows and his sheep at once command attention, and give a double charm to his landscape pictures.

Several writers have confounded Mr. William Hart and his pictures with his brother, Mr. James Hart. An article, especially, which appeared in Putnam's Magazine, nsmes many of Wil- liam Hart's pictures as having been paintsd by his brother James; and, in one instance, it was stated that James Hart was the painter of "The Golden Hours."

A most commendable feature in William Hart's character as s man, is honesty of opinion. It matters not who painted the picture, if it has merit, he sees it, and speaks of it with as much pleasure and pride as if it were his own.

Mr. William Hart still resides in Brooklyn; and, although his years now place him on the declining slope of life, yst his enthusiasm for painting is ss grest as ever.

ALONZO CHAPPELL.

THIS gentleman was born in the City of New York in 1829, his ancestors being old French settlers in that city; his grandparents owning a piece of property (part of the old Delan- cey farm) on the Bowery opposite to the old Bowery Theatre, ex- tending through to Chrystie street. Mr. Chappell's father was born on this spot in 1801, and died in Brooklyn 1880. Old Mrs. Chappell is still living. Alonzo Chappell, the subject of our sketch, lived in New York City until 1845, when he moved to Brooklyn. He was educated in public school No. 2, and at the

age of fourteen, went to learn the japanning business. This lis soon left for window-shade painting, which in those days were adorned with all kinds of subjects, and representing landscapes which covered the whole shade. This gave the young aspirant for art a gorgeous opportunity to express form and color. Ths nature of young Chappell was full of the dramatic, and, there- fore, startling effects pervaded his designs-cataracts rushing over rocks, dark csves, fallen trees, castles perched high upon the mountain's peak, half enveloped in clouds of romantic form,

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES.

and all in good color and light and shade. This was just the business for the boy artist. Shade-painting was a new thing then, and he grew up with it, and became one of the best artists engaged in it.

While so engaged, he turned every hour of his evenings to sccount by drawing and designing. He had a remarkably crit- ical eye for one so young. When less than seventeen years old he was admitted as a member of the Antique class in the New York National Academy of Design, at the time when the cele- brsted engraver and painter, A. B. Durand, was president.

In 1845, when he first moved to Brooklyn, he began to paint landscapes with figures in them for the American Art Union in New York City. These pictures were so attractive in color and composition that they purchased almost every one which he presented. One picture attracted much attention, which repre- vented a boy with the upper part of his body plunged into an ash-barrel, while a dog has nipped him by the seat of his trou- Bers. The situation was laughable in the extreme. Leutze, the celebrated artist, was so much pleased with the composition that he purchased the picture, and retained the same in his studio in Düsseldorf until the day of his death.

In 1848 Gabriel Harrison, George Hill, George De Forest, Charles Cormer and several other Brooklyn gentlemen organized the first dramatic society in the city of Brooklyn. Alonzo Chap- pell was one of the most active members. His genius, however, was more in the line of the scenic artist than the dagger and the cup. The old ball-room which stood in the rear of " Mrs. Prest's Hotel" on the grounds of the Military Garden, where now the County Court House stands, was leased, and Chappell became the architect, scenic artist, and decorator. Carpenters were brought in and set to work, up went the dress-circle and away :went the floor of the ball-room, with a tremendous gash in it to admit of an under part to the stage, and traps for sinking ghosts .and devils-all in accordance with the most approved plans of the regular theatres. When in the midst of this work, in rushed old Mrs. Prest, who soon had her voice ranging to high C, horror-stricken at what was going on, and, with her arms stretched upright, she shrieked, " What in the name of God are .you doing?" "Doing, madame, doing ! why, we are making a place to catch the devils and ghosts in !" shouted back Chappell, while he thrust his hands through his hair and struck a fearful attitude. This was enough; the old woman picked up her skirts and left in six-foot strides, amid the demoniac laugh of the would-be tragedians, who stood in melancholy attitudes around. We saw no more of Mrs. Prest until a committee waited on her to come and see the stage and improvements, and none was more delighted than herself with what had been done, but she added the request that the society would keep the "Chappell man" from coming in contact with her.

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 122

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co Number of Pages: 1345

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345