▁contribute ▁art ▁criticism ▁to ▁The ▁Nation ▁and ▁took ▁the ▁hel m ▁as ▁art ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁From ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁to ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁Sh inn ▁contributed ▁semi - regular ly ▁to ▁the ▁magazine ▁The ▁Art ▁Am ateur . ▁He ▁usually ▁wrote ▁an onym ously ▁or ▁included ▁his ▁initial s ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁articles . ▁Sh inn ▁saw ▁as ▁the ▁principal ▁aim ▁of ▁art ▁the ▁instruction ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁and ▁the ▁elev ation ▁of ▁public ▁taste ▁and ▁often ▁champion ed ▁in ▁his ▁writing ▁the ▁public ▁art ▁institutions ▁that ▁were ▁being ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁following ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Museum ▁of ▁Art ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁the ▁Cor cor an ▁Gallery ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁Sh inn ▁wrote ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁books ▁on ▁art ▁( under ▁the ▁pseud onym ▁" Ed ward ▁Stra han "), ▁including ▁a ▁catalog ue ▁of ▁the ▁art ▁gallery ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁Cent enn ial ▁Ex hib ition ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁a ▁ret ros pective ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁his ▁former ▁instruct or ▁Jean - L éon ▁G ér ôme . ▁His ▁most ▁famous ▁works ▁are ▁the ▁two ▁multi - volume ▁publications ▁he ▁wrote ▁on ▁the ▁private ▁art ▁collections ▁of ▁wealth y ▁Americans : ▁The ▁Art ▁Tre asures ▁of