, 1863-02-07
THE GALLERY OF FINE ARTS.


THE GALLE1k4 OF FINE AATSs
An Afternoon with the Old Masters,
The Gallery Of Fine Arts now exhibiting at
107 Lake street, contains some very good pic
turcs, both By ancient and modern masters.
There are plenty Of copies, 1t Is true, on the
walls, and some OF them gre rather comlcal
qualntcl with, either In the heavens above,
the Garth below, orthe waters under the earth.
Of this class, and prominently so, On ac-
count Of its prctentious Size AMI ambitious |
design, is that called "Thc Seaport on the |
Mediterranean which profcssesto be a gcnu
inc Salvador Rosa, from the celebrated
Hungarian Gallery, which. twas brought to
New York, for sale, during the Hungarian |
con7ufsions.''
That this profesEed history Of It is the real
one, so far as 1t goes, We have no reason nor
desire to doubt, but that it was the produc-
ton Of the great Master whose name it bears,
is altogether beyond the limits Of credibiGty;
that It was originally tho performance
Of a master Of the secrets both Of
drawing aud co1oring, some parts Of the COM
position give very clear and decisive proofs.
Tie figures to the right, in the foreground, for
example, we're neither designed nor painted
BY a iourucyman, but bear upon them tho IN
mlstakablc marks Of genius. We aHude par
tisu1arly to that which Is represented as
bending over barrcl-hcad, Us Il IN 1Ae act
of barteting with Turkish so!olcF' "no
stands by with shou1dercd nuskef, IN red
costume. Which reminds one OF Jewish
oa1c1diue, Tic head and face Of this figure
arc admirably executed, and the effect Of the
1Irht upon the blue scarf and delicate yel-
low Of the tunic, Is surprisingly beautiful
So also is the rendering ofthe samc effect up.
on tue back Of the STOPPING figure to tue left
Of the soldier; but these arc all tho
cxcellencies which the picture possesses,
and eren In these there are no signs
Of salyator Rosa's pencil. As COM
position it Is false and out Of all
balance and proportion, and the co1oring is
abomiuable. Dutch ships stick in the filthy
green paint which is meant for water; the
mountains, on the left, are muddy, patchy,
angular danbs which rise one above the other
into sky as black and unseen1y, and unnat-
ural as they arc themselves; nay blackcr, and
If possible Of moro internal aspect. The
things meant for clouds arc as pitchy, thick and
solid, as schoolboy would be apt to paint
the dense emoke Of a blast furnace, if he had
nothing but lamp-black to paint 1t with.
| The colors Of the Temple close to the Turk
| ISL figures before alluded to, do certainly
throw the figures themselves into certain
relief but are otherwise no kind Of ornament
to the picture.
| But the most srehercze cfort-the master
triumph of the whole achievement the
mighty sunburst Of mustard yellow where.
with tic whole nid~skg Is cmblazoncd! Jean
Paul speaks Of sunset which, In the variety
Of its colors, looked as if painter, tired Of
work, had flung his pallet against the sky and
stained 1t with vcrnil1ion and violet and blue
and all the rest Of the chromatics-but here is
snneet not of many, but Of one color, which
has been dashed on to the canvass as with thu
wash brush Of the servant who does the houst
cleaning.
Ills possible, judging Of the whole by ths
few good parts to 1t, that once upon tims
this canvass was the goodly presentment Of:
fair seaport on the Mediterrancan-butt tina
it subsequently, in long after years, fel
amongst thieves who robbed it Of its beauty
and then daubed it with lo1rid paint in ordc
to conceal the felony.
Il As we said, however, there arc some yer
good pictures here, and two or three not 70
! sale, which arc very rare specimens Of earl
att, and yaluablca as links between the ancicn
and modern methods.
| The ttMadonna Enthroned'' Is ono ofthese
', and there is no doubt Of It's gcnuinencss. Th
artist is Bernard Van 0r1cy, whose works at
| ycry seldom to be met with. He was {: Fle,r
ish pupil OF Ra1Ihcl, and VIC layo seen letter
from Sir Charles Eastlakc, President of til
Royal Academy, England, and L. n. smitl
esq, The well.known author Of the Cutdlo3a
+ Raisonec, in which both these high authoritie
:. pronounce the painting to be the productio
): | Of Orlcy.
: Another curious picture, which might /
It called Il companion 10 the last, is one by Rog'
= Wander Weydon-a Dsptich-having on OR
panel Il representation Of the Virgin and chill
J. and on the other, pictures OF the donor to t.
+. church from which the Dyptich Was take
u and of lis patron 8aiut. It was originally
% mural tablet and long inscription in Germ;
IS Black Letter, with the Arms, etc, is on Il
h door Of the picture, which was probably cS
e cutcd in 1447. The figure Of the "patrt
t: SAINT os it is called Is ettircd in Bishor
g: canonicalR, and wears a mitre, and carries
n, crosier. The head is superbly executed, Al
Is the face is full Of character and cxprcssio
81 81 The robe, and indeed every part Of the P
d. turc, are conscicntiously drawn, aud the c
W W oring is wonderful, looking as bright and
&C n,inous rs if it had just left the painte
r. studio. The hand OF the t'Saint'' is gloy.
Tor and two rings are displayed upon the 70
al ar finger, over tile glorc. The Saint stands
lis hind the Donor, who Is on his knees befor'
ess crucifx, if re remember rightly, with q L.
hc scroll III his hand, which may be thus ira
~ ~ lated;
lag OF my sins release mc.
ION That lntub may be,
Rc- The pious and humble, but sincere look
81 .sa; doror, is painted with long hair,
" ifbrnshcd straight over and around his fe
:. head, nearly to the eyebrows. (as Jail hi
are generally made to wear theirs and o
his neck. The landscape, MS seen through
open window Of the apartment where th
ghostly people arc met. contains, in sJml
fore ism, sort Of short life Of the Savior.
mas The picture on The othcr paucl is on
Of "Mary and the Child,' aud 1t would scari
ing be credited that the same artist painted b
the but for the unlouotcd proofs which
'is~ coloring aaords. We do not like these n;
one and Children, and never could get up Il SC
les. mcnt about them; they arc ell so hack
On and have such a dead sanacness and unifo
III ity about them. The Mary in this pictu
eA- although admirably painted. as ne said
bad In drawing, and pale and naml'y-pan,
""e' pure and chastc in tho expression Of The
WIN turce. The child IL not only badly dr.
n.s' hut tho anatomy is false, and instead
the plump little one, to delight our eyes II
was We have Il miserably ugly little face, o
Luz cmaciatcd body, which looks as it it wei
eaJ the last Stage Of consumption FROM shse
aees anition. The coloring Of the accesso
porn however, Is superb aud atones fos these
l1se' faults,
IT. Tho Adoration Of the Shepherds is Ike
n,, claimed TO bc an original, although II
NV not strike us us possessing any great Ii
oa1' It is said TO hare been painted BY pul
Rubcn's,' Gcrrnrd Vnn Harp, md thel
Asn- doubtless q good deal Of power in IT'D
:, does not satisfy rs. The co1orius is brill
- VI but the tones lack harmony, and the f.
VI Mary Ia too womanly for the Holy Moth