New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-12
THE FINE ARTS.
TIE JARvEs COLLECTION or EARLY ITALIAN
PICTURES.

the pciOl rom A. ~. lcJJ 10 A. - lUl riitCo
of six centuries embracing the rise, progress, and
decline of ART in Italy. Tlrswas in lSC0 Seven years
before in loj9 sg. Bryan had opened 10 the public
his valuable collection, numbering in all go pictures
Of which, however, only IS belonged to the Italian
school and only about 80 to the period Of early Itaah
art These specimens Of the work of artists VINO
lived before the time Of Raphael. few III NUMBER as
they were and fOY the most part, not very important
either in subject treatment proved, he'eithelesS'
of great interest to scholars and artists particularly
TO those who had not the museums ana galleries
of Europe Beside these early Italian PICTURES the
collection included three four really valuable eaily
Flemish paiptings: Marriage Of ST. Catharine, by
Hemlpr and also an excellent copy of that master
lovely Mabusc fine Tryptich by Matsys, and Van
Eyck all of them in good condition. and, though not
perhapS fTst-rate specimens, yet quite above the
average excellence Of examples of these masters.
Mr. Bryans collection was, however, made MP prin-
cpaly of Dutch and Flemish pictures OF the seven
eenth century, and pictures OF this class are becon-
ing every year less and less interesting in themselves
not merely those who specially concerned with
art but to tho general public. There were beside,
number Of pictures by French artists of the seven
teenth and eighteenth centuries, valuable, merely.
unless we except the portrait by Champagne, aud
the W8ter-Nymph by Gfcuze, as specimens, such as
they were Of very uninteTcsting group of painters
Dligcnt study Of this useful collection prepared us
for the far valuable pictures which Mr. Jarves
brought over. Moro valuable. because they Illus
tlated. in almost uninterrupted sequence, period
when Art was marked by growth and by spiritual
lifo whereas the Bryan gallery was devoted, as
whole TO the time when AIT decaying when
artists were both poorer mechanics and smaller mon
than had been in the beginning. Now thatwe have
written these words, they have an ungrateul look;
for We rcinonher the many happy hours we have
passed in this gallery. To the European connos'
Seur, familiar with the splendid national and private
collections of England and the continent, such gal
icry as that Of Mr. Bryan must appear very inslg-
uifcant and he woul1 10 doubt smile at the notion
OF any one feeling interested in it, on placing any
great value upOn it. Nor would lie, perhaps,
think much better OF the Jarves gallery. Bat,
every man must be interested in that from which nc
has Ieauod-in that which has supplied him with
interesting facts. with Illustrations of his studies
with stnnuants to further study; and all these the
earnest student may meet with IN these collections.
inferior a. they no doubt to hundred he might
find in Europe. We hope some day to see in Europe
tho great works OF Raphael but we do not expect
that the sight Of Them or that intimate acquaintance
with them, viii make Us look with less affection
upon the little Alteration Of the Shepherds by him in
the BRYAN Gallery which, if it he really his-and
there seems TO reason 10 doubt t-nust have been
painted when he was II or - years old. Nor do We
expect to feel less interested in tho other picture
painted DY MN az the same aSe INC AlCtd, III INC
Jarves Collection. although it is not so individual
picture nor 50 original the one in the Bryan
Galery--being as M Jaryes thinks, only replica.
with alteration. of one of his master Perngino's
works Other pictures that we shall see by Raphael
may make us wonder at him. may make us admire
him. These Youthful works long since made Us love
him. for they reveal clearly enough the sweetness
and guilolessness of his character and doubtless IN
many important points be never advanced beyond
them. And other instances might easily be brought
forward to show that these galleries are not to DO
despiscd because they incomplete, since, from
a dilicent study .of their contents, man
..say wen prepare himself TO peruse the larger
writing OF these masters lOrdler walls.
And so, although as have said, the Bryan Cal
lery was and is. devoted chiefly TO the artists Of
period we must think less interesting than that with
which the Jarves gallery makes us acquainted, yet it
contains a good many works that we should be I'M
grateful not to remember with pleasure. In several
instances it is fortunate in the possession of better
examples Ofpartcular masters than the Jarves Col
lection has Thus. the Alantegna in the Bryan Gal
ery is very far superior to that in the Jarves Colec
ton and is, indeed, on a small scale, good pic
turo by which to get notion of the characteristics
of this painter as could be desired. person who
studies the life of Mantegna, and thoroughly dgests
all that DO got from books about his master and
the teaching he had, and the peculiar Influences
under which he grew up can fnd it is no exaggera-
ton TO saw all that he has thus learned illustrated
and made real to him by intimately studying this
picture. The Mantegna in the Jarves Gallery is
very good TO know in addition, but by itself ID is not
nearly valuable. So, also, the Bryan example of
PeruginO to US far more interesting and vaua
bic than that in the Jarves Collection, and, fine
is the small picture by Francia in the latter gallery
the portrait of the Princess Yitell-we do not
know whether TO prefer it, OH the whole, to the |
noble Florentne Princess BY BronzinO, in the Bryan
II the accomplished and travelled Englishman |
fresh from his own National GalleTy-Once |
collection inferior to either of these bat
rapidly growing to be a match for any of the
secondrate collections of Europeif this young gem
teman happen to read this article his coffee at
the Clarendon, and in the Of the day should
stop in as he would say, at the Historical Society
to what the writer is talking about he will gra
ciOusy moderate his expressions of contempt at the
greatness and inexperience that think the
Bryan Gallery worth giving second thought 10.
For, he will please remember that speaking of
it opportunity for untrayeled and stay-athome
Americans and only declaring that relatively il is
auseful apd valuable collection. Certainly we are
thankful for part. to Mr.. Bryan, first for
gathering these pictures together and then for de-
posting them permanently in convenient place in
our city, where while they safe from tho idle
curiosity and mschievons fingers that haunted the
Cooper Institute during their unfortunate stay there
they can always be seen and studied by whoever
really desires II.
But IL gratitude be due TO Mr.. Bryan for what he
has done how much more must it be due to Mr.
Jaryes. Fer. he has given us nearly five times as
many pictures as are contained in Mr. Bryans gal
lery of the period of Italian art, which is just now
exciting deep interest among scholars dnd lovers Of
A To- md thav