The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-04
THE BRYAN GALLERY OF PAINTINGS.

Some people, who, II We may be forgiven the rude
ness Of tho expression, ought to know better, are
fond Of talking about the American school Of art,
md deplsring what they are pleased to torn tho
corrupting influence of foreign models They would
have American painters eschsw all that has gone
before Thorn, and found new school, as distinct
from the Italian rs from the French, as far removed
from the Flemish as from tho Spanish masters.
They would pen them up in tho narrow field of
American history, and bid them invent some new
device in colorpg, unheard Of truths OF light,
to distinguish their works from al others In the
eyes Of these critics, Rome, Madrid, Dresden, Ant
werp, Paris, ought to be studiously avoided by
pirants TO fame; they ought to look to their own
fancy alone, for establishment, and trust to their
intuve knowledge of art for excellence of tone aud
style. With all due Difference to the exuberant pa
triotism of theee ssmasters' we must bs permitted
to observe, that when art to be universal it
ceases to be art If you confne the souNe deuin to
country or city, it may be clever, ingenious,
promising, but it never rise to tho dignity Of
art.
If our American painters to attain an equal
degree Of eminence with the masters whose works
have been the admiration of men Of taste ever since
the revival of art they must carefully study those
who have gone before them. They must penetrate
the secret Of Raphaeps expression ofReubens fresh
ness, of Titian's depth and warmth Of color; and,
combining much of the excellence Of all three az
they can borrow, must constantly reooeot that
until they have achieved approach to these
great men, originality is dangerous and unsafe.
They must learn to copy successfully, before they
can trust themselves to invent. What they
have wanted hitherto is opportunity of studying
the works Of the old masters, without . voyage
which is beyond the means of most young artists.
Mr.. Bryan is one Of the first who has attempse
to supply the deficiency. His collection is living
history Of modern painting, and contains works by
amost all tho great masters Ten years Of an active
Life, many voyages, and we need hardly add, very
considerable sums Of money, hare been expended in
acquiring the two hundred and twenty or thirty
paintings which fill the three occupied by the
gallery. Mr.. Bryans chief object appears to have
been to procure ut least one work Of each eminent
painter, commencing with the oldest Italians whose
remains testify alike to the natural talent Of their
authors and to the infancy of in their time and
terminating with the Vernets and one or two other
living artists
This must account for the presence of several of
those old fashioned paintings wood, that one sees
In cl0isters and medieval chapels in Italy-s "Holy
Family" with a couple Of angels and brace of
bishops, by the By zantine Cimabue, the Cadmus of
painting, in all his native stiffness, and with but
little of his power a ''rournansnt," with knights
in fancy costume, by his pupil Giotto several
the friend of Petraoch, and the founder Of art
ut AvgnoD; two by Taddeo Gaddi, whose re9u-
tation now chiefly rests on vasari's praise Of
bis ireseoes.three by Stephano. or Giottino, whose
devatons from the conventional rules Of the period
earned for him the epithet of the s.Ape of
Natqren.one distych, and half of another, ny the
Wit Bufalmaeo-a sketch by that Andrea del Cas-
tagno, who assassilated his friend Domenico, in
order to be the sole Of the secret Of pant
Ing in OIL and several other works of the thirteenth
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, which neither
challenge notice on their own account, nor on that
OF their authors In truth, accustomed as are
to venerate whatever bears the stamp Of antiquity,
we must, for once, give license to tongue, and
boldly pronounce the whole work Of the Italian
humblest place in the temple Of art With the
single exception of Giotto in a few Of his latest
productions, all the Italian paintings Of prior date
to looo are w;etched in drawing, i'll conceived, and
worse painted. The mechanical department Of
painting was rude and utterly inadequate Artists
were untrammelled by conventional rules equally
foreign to nature and good taste When attempt
was made BY rising genius like Ssephano, to copy
from the former, his Independence made him tho
butt for sneers. and destroyed his business pros
poets At time, in fact, when painters bill
contained separate items for wood, coors, oil, and
gliding, and when these vastly exceeded the sum
allowed him for his handicraft we cannot wonder
that picture making was o mere trade below the
level Of sign painting today. The peculiar object
which Mr.. Bryan had in view is, perhaps, q suf
cient excuse for the presence Of the unsightly re-
mains OF these ancient painters but If his collection
IS to remain permanently in the country, We should
be better pleased il these and the works of the con-
temporaneous Flemish artists were consigned to q
separate chamber, instead Of being thrust upon the
view Of the admirers Of the genuine masters.
10 pass on to something more worthy Of atten-
tion-Mr. Bryan has large work, BY the first of
the long series of Italian painters, Perugino. 1t is
one of thoe curious assemblages Of the infant Jesus
his mother saints and angels, which, by special
gardless Of anaohronism, were deemed an appro-
pirate theme for the pencil and the brush Though
tar from ranking with Perugino's greater works,
such as those possessed by the galleries at Florence
bologna and Rome, there is enough in the express
sion OF the countenance Of the Babe to reveal the
genius Of its author His pupil is less fortunate
The fantastic picture entitled The Birth and Re,
Raphael's early and least valued pieceA We incline
to the latter belief, and regret that our common
sense habits Of appreciation will not permit to
Applaud great name when the work itself does not
and Bambino," No. 26), was probably made by
one of his pupils and is work Of far greater merit.
American painters would learn much by studying
the outline Of tho features, and the expression
thrown into the eyes of the Virgin. Nor can al
low Sassoferrato's copy Of the Dance of Cupids,"
aprety little picture, with very little that is Ra-
The Bryan gallery contains nothing Of Giulio Roma
no.. or Peiino; but We ought, perhaps, to class
with the school Of Raphael, painting representing
a"Procession with Banners" by the Mlauesc Gau-
denzio Ferrar. who, az is known, owedh eminence
to the example of his early master, Raphael We
must admit that the attitudes and drapcry Of the
figures leave much to be desired there is q s.iAness
about all Gaudenzio's works, which betrays the
fatal influence of the Perugino school, but the
conferences Of the knights are well executed, and
do justice to the artitt's fame.
The yenetians are represented, first, by . couple
OF excellent pieces by Giorgione; one, . =" Holy
Family" reminding us not little Of Raphaefs
conventional model Of angelic beauty; the other,
very remarkable portrait Of Peasant" which
explains how nearly Giorgione approached to Titan
A singular painting, called /" Concert" in the
catalogue, and representing female reclining. en-
dishabNe, beside some men better protected agaias