EXPLOSION AT THE
ARMORY
"Seeing woldt series of cartoons in the Euening Sun in March, New York with a Cubist." Political cartoonists took up the Cubist theme as well, with John T. McCutcheon in the Euening Sun of April g showing \(oodrow Wilson proudly painting a falling faceted figure entitled Thriff DescendingDownward. A slew of humorous verseswere printed; Mary and Earl Lyell published The CubiesABC with each letter of the alphabet lampooning some paft of the show; and there were such mocking events 'Academy as an exhibition by the of Misapplied Arts" for the benefit of the Lighthouse for the Blind. Not all of the criticism in the press stemmed from ignorance, however, a.s some writers were fairly Familiarwirh modern art. For instancel Royal Cortissoz had been to Paris and seen the Futurists at Bernheim-Jeune, and his account of their work is clear and accurate. The opposition of such critics emphasized wo points, that the new work stemmed from a wholly individualistic point of view-'what he choosesto do in art is right becausehe chooses to do it"27--and thar these artists lacked traditional craft and skill. There also were criticisms of the exhibition from inside the modernist camp, as when the astute Christian Brinton complained that the show did not include the artists of Die Briicke, the Blaue Reirer, rhe Nnn , the Berlin Neue Sezession, and the Italian Futurists.2s\7ith only Kirchner and Kandinsky representing the new painting from Germany, and knowing how much German art Kuhn had seen in Cologne, the anti-German bias seems clear. Gregg explained rhat the organizers felt recent German work to be largely derivative from that of the true innovators, the French, and the AAPS even had answered requesrcfor participation from Die Briicke and the Neue Sezessionby falsely srating rhar ihe sho* alreadriwas complete. There was some dissensionwithin the avanr-gardearound the exhibition, in addition to the well-known unhappiness of the more realisrically inclined American painters. Max \(eber, who had loaned sevenwork bv his Paris friend Henri Rousseau, refused to be included when only rwo of his own paintings were ttj be exhibited. From the French side, Robert Delaunay demanded that his work be removed from the exhibition becausehis huge City of Paris was not hung in the final installation. Although marked in the catalogue supplement as never having arrived, the large work was sent rolled and was to be restretched by Delaunay's friend, the painter Samuel Halpert. After Davies did not exhibit the painting, Halpert carne ro remove Delaunayt other pieces, and in solidariry the American Patrick Henrv Bruce, working in Paris, demanded that his work be taken down as well. Davies and company refused to do so, but when the exhibition moved on to Chicaeo and Boston no Delaunays or Bruces were included. In Paris,the lournal MontjoieZnackedrhe Armory Show For its injustice to Delaunay and, ironically, for its poor installation of the French art. Aware of how much the newspapers had contributed to their success,the "our "beefsteak AA?S invited Friends and Enemies of the Press"to a dinner" on March 8 at Healys Restaurant at 66th and Columbus. All of the critics were there, along with 'W'aitresses Stieglitz and Quinn, and spirits were high. sang and danced, speecheswere made, comic telegramswere read. But Royal Cortissoz probably expressedthe feelings of many who were both excited and disturbed by the exhibition, as he ended his "It speech: was a good show, but dont do it again."z'r As it would turn out, it did not have to be done again, for the Armory Show triggered the sort of interest in the new art that ordinarily would have taken years to develop. Not confined to the aft world, this interest was general, refected in popular forms like the full-page ad for the John \Tanamaker Store in rhe Euening Sun of March r3-"Color-Combinations of the Futurists, Cubist Influence in Fashions in the new Paris Models for Spring . . . At last the modern spirit is developing in the realm of woment dress." The show also made enthusiasts of many who would infuence things
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Beefteakdinner held by Armory Showorganizers for'bur Friends and Enemiesof the Pres," Healy's Restaurant, 66th Street and ColumbusAuenue, New York City, March 8, ry4. Archiuesof AmericanArt, SmithsonianInsrintion, Vashington,D. C.