Page:The Academy Of the Fine Arts and Its Future, Edward Hornor Coates, 24 January 1890.djvu/9

 It stands as a monument to the liberality of Philadelphia's citizens, and to the energy and persistent work of Mr. James L. Claghorn, president, over $400,000 having been subscribed toward its erection and completion.

At times complaint has been made as to the situation of the building, walled off as it now seems to be from the Chestnut Street promenade by the marble quadrangle of the City Hall. But the obvious reply to this lies in the fact that the present site has those advantages of sky and northern light which are absolutely necessary for the galleries and schools, and which in the present era of lofty buildings it is most difficult to secure; and surely if our neighbors in New York are amply content to journey to Central Park and 68th Street to visit the Metropolitan Museum, and we ourselves are not unwilling to "run over" the distance of a mere hundred miles to see the Wolf pictures, or to catch glimpses of the last Rembrandts deposited in the museum for exhibition, we need not dread the few blocks intervening between Walnut Street and the Academy. Of course there was a time when our great-grandmothers lost their way in the brambles and blackberry bushes which covered the fields at Third and Arch Streets; but Philadelphia may no longer be confined to a score of streets, and the time is passed when it was necessary to have one's office upon the ground floor to accomplish any business transaction.

The work of the Academy is three-fold, 1st.—The formation of a permanent collection of paintings and sculpture, representing what is best in art. 2d.—The exhibition of contemporary work. 3d.—The schools.

To speak of these in inverse order, it is remarkable that while the institution was organized and incorporated 9