The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-02
THE FIN AR is.
rhe Bryan Gallery OF Paintings.

The Flemish, Dutch and German schools. occupy
msre than their share Of the gallery. For part,
We frankly admit our weakness for the masters
whose genius was warmed into life by the glowing
sun Of Italy. Give ever so small Titan, Sal
vator, or Conegio, and we renounee the whole
army Of Rubsns, Teniers, vandykes &C., Sc Isnos
old Rembrandt himself at times puzzle Have we
not often stood open before his dark gloomy
pictures. wondering whether the bright spot which
lsomsd out Of the general blackness was the armor
Of warrior, or the nose of peasant What
though every hair and bristle his bnrsher chin
be perfect to the eye Of the most hyperctical bar
Der, we love not the truth Of ugliness Admitting
its faultless accuracy.
ouodcumque oste ndis mihi sic lodi,
or. at all events feel scarcely admiration than
the original would excite. At the sigh. OF such
portrait the one possessed by the Bryan Gallery,
which unquestionaby in his best and richest man
ner, we may experience that qualification which the
most conscientious fidelity to nature and excellence
and harmony Of detail, are wont to command But
how different the sentiment from that akened by
q Holy Family Of Raphael, Venus by Titan, an
Angel by Guido! Ia the one, there is human truth
in the o.ts r, divine in piration the recog
Mise Familiarity, before the other bowed in 81
ent fervor the one is o work Of the highest order
of talent, the other triumph OF genius The
Germans and Flemish studied Nature as they
found her--squat, holnely, and broad their
nympha are washerwomen, their heroes butchers,
their landscapes too frequently mud scenes. They
rcsolutey shut their eyes to the light of divine in
spirstion. Take away Rubens' "Descsnt from the
Cross and s'few other pictures by that great man,
and his disciple, Vandyck and the best of what will
remain Of Dutch and Flemish art will oe found to be-
portraits Of full bellied burgomasters and their
fleshy fraSea.
We know that this is heresy. By common DON.
sent, Antwerp. Leyden, and Amsterdam, are held to
have produced family of artists that fears not
parallel with the sons Of Venice, Bologne or Flor
enoe. There are cities ia Europe where we should
pun no small risk Of lapdaten if we to attach
any personal responsibility to such expression of
opinion rs the above, Even here, we car read the
&own on tho brow of the connoisseur, and, fearing
his wrath. "return to our mu.tons,'' or, in other
words, psss on to the examination of the gallery.
We have, fortunately, fewer antiques among the
Dutch and Germans than among the Italians. The
''Cruoifxion," by John an Eyck, is only valuable
account Of the name of its author, tho inventor
Of painting in oil. couple Of Cranaoks-one mis-
sbapen s'Venus," signed with the snake, OF dragon,
which was the crest granted to the painter by tho
Elector Frederick-she other fat stiff and color
less portrait of German lady-are barely redeemed
from absolute disgrace by the bees or wasps in the
former, which remind us of some Of Cranacks best
drawings. We forgive old Balthasar Denner his
national matter Of fact ism, for the patient and
1cety with which the two portraits ascrbsd to him
are finished. But we see no trace Of the talent Of
Albert Durer, either in the absurd allegory styled
surd painting which is supposed to represent
est. George and the Dragon The dragon,
whom We regiously believe to have been
highly respectable animal Of his kind, has the ap.
II Il.
b. Georges face. and the gallant steed on which
the Saint Is known to have won 30 many victories
sGghtly resembles q sheep. The want of grace and
the ignorance Of perspective which mark all Durers
paintings, are peculiarly conspicuous in these two
works, and We can hardly recommend tho visitor
TO linger before them.
We cannot admire the two works which represent
Baokhoisen. They excite none of that terror which
doubtless true to nature, can hardly awaken pleas
Ing emotions We never could understand how
some critics had considered Backhuisen equal to
Vandeevelde. Let the visiter compare the two
works of the former with the g Marine" (No SS) by
the latter, (by means Of his best,) and they
WILL in opinion form accurate estimate of the
relative merits of the two painters The Msrine,"
by Ruysdael, (No. 76) with figures by VAndervelde,
il tho best Of the kind in the gallery. The YES
sel 10 perhaps carrying more sail than an exper
eooed sailor like Vandervelde would have ventursd
On ; and there is wonderful stiffness along shore
which is not easily reconcLed with the storm at sea-
design, fully sustain the auth sr's fame.
The Van Ostades are each represented by small
picture. Adrian gives his " Wife AID Child"
quietly done, in dDgy esors and Isaac has has an
which is apparently peopled with ngiy dHarf', al
cast in the same mould. Both bear traces Of
that gro.esque hunor which characterzes the
Van Ostades, and il put up to auction
in Europe, would probably fetch large price.
With che 0stades we naturally class Cornelio
Bega, whose Doors, drinking and smoking"
bear Q close resemblance 70 his masters style
Though not devoid of certain coarse humor. We
cannot be loud in praise Of its execution The light
Is badly maIsged and il lacks the fneHess OF touch
which alone redeems such domestic sketches.
similar subject in the hands Of John Molenaern
hfeless and dead. We are inclined to suspect,
ayropos, that the "Winter Scene at Harlem" mo.
5l,) which is credited to Nicholas Moenaer, is in
reality the work Of John. or Jehan, whose fame
rests chiefly on similar pieces Passing 10 Teniers.
the chief Of this school, find in the catalogue no
Lees than six pieces bearing his name Notwith-
standing his Astonishing facility aud incredible in
dustry, to which We owe At least thousand well
authenticated paintings, scattered through the mu
aeums Of Europe, the high price which Teniers .
sure to command casts suspicion on the genuine
ness Of some, at least, of these This suspicion is
confirmed by close examination OF the : village
Fete," (No 82) for instance, which, though clever,
Is probably only careful copy from Teniers, or
perhaps q painting by his father and csnnot be
ascribed implicitly to himself and the g Doors
playing ninepins and drinking beer" in which tho
shadows are not managed VITO MS naptnai sKuI
The "viIlage Frolic," (No 49, is more clearly
stamped with HE humor The pencillng ia broader
than usual but the airy lightnsss Of the sky, and
the characteristic simplicity Of the peassnts faces,
are uestionably his The "Sabat. or In
oantation,' is a very curious picture, The figures
Of the Gambia Of the scene and the Elf with c.oven
feet and measureless nose, are srikinsly original
We cannot help admirirg the earnestness Of the
Withered heg with age grown double,
Ciutching dry ticks and mumblng to herself:
Whose eyes with scalding rheum we're CALLED and rcd
Cold palsy fhook her head her hands seemed witner
And on her crook d shoulders had shs wrspt
The tstter'd remnants Of an old white hanging,
Which seemed 10 keep her carcass from the cold
Teniers, as is we'll known, got sometimes tired of
his own style, and volunteers to mimic the emf
nent Italian and Flemish masters. He was occa-
sionay very successful in these limitations Not so,
however, in the Departure Of Charles v, which
we are told is " in the manner Of Paul veroness."
We are very sure that tho author of the Supper at
Cana, in Galilee," never dad anything 10 warrant
such an accusation. The +" Para ole in the Vine
n = ~ ~ II.