New-York tribune., 1872-02-29
vTNE ARTS AND TIE DRAMA.
rug METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
(rHIRD ARIICLR)


(THIRD ARIICLR)
,Ao northeast corner of the sunny gallery
little gathering OF excellent old Dutch paint
., that reverent naivet6 which art possessed
- Aays when men still thoroughly believed. and
o.np roformers and herctics were far moro ortho-
,n.r bishops are to-day. with faith in religion came
% An art as WELL and you sec on every inch OF these
lous pictures with what honest and conscientious
,rhnsss these painters OF four centuries ago mixed
-, oolors ana handled their pencils Mover since then
= artists stood in such awe Of their subjects.
- aimee then have they so gloriHed their
- II yOu 20 into any gallery OF modern
.,,ros you viii sec how In one lifetime many OF them
"a ruin through criminal haste and careiessness OF
-.,ss.e. Some OF Turner'S most glorious canvases
y already turning into dark brown bOtchcs Of color,
- All the efforts Of the English experts are poweress
hock the rapid degradation. We have seen picture
= UiItte tho Brides Toilette. painted few years ago
=, commission OF thousand pounds sold for trihe
=, suction on account OF the cracking and scaling OF
,,. ooors But IL we look at these quaint Dutch plo
~ We ace forms perfect and coors as vivid as the
,v ben they were painted. They have lasted longer
,.p the spirit in which they made They will en-
,gr. Ike the temples Of the faith they symoohze'
- that deeply religious little Head of Christ by
,y,srry Bouts, which passed 80 long tor tne "olA
-, the "puresouled Hans Memling" We "ouid ho'
,it him now in that way The ascetic, under-V1'AIeu
~ of san has ceased 20 interest us Our great arS''
pagp q
coth,c Raider. We think most Christians would nnd
ter ideal between Page and Van Eyck BUTT Is curious
nd tnsrue,lye to see the moral influence under Wmcn
~, srats af the fifteenth century wrought Ihere "aS
.ynsthiug in IT, at least. which made them NIX tnen
oors 10 the fear Cod and Great E thelr reWaru III ~
picture galleries. , -,. ,ho
In fbose Illustrations OF low e which have gwen tno
Duoh school lts most popular claim TINS eoLeetion
,otabty fortunate. II has picture by each OF the
DATA Whi
mon sthcr most Tsuooessful efforts. The Ola F1d-
,s- of IsaaN Van Ostade masterpiece OF compost
,oo o. color aud Of light aud shade. This artist mas
,,-ry hit upon a perfect study OF bright, fresn'
summer sht. than that in which tho wandering mus-
csn stands which is thrown into admirable relief by
the clear transparent shadow on either hand The
fcs Of the clowns grouped about listening to
,e music .ro full Of comic force and originality The
pioiuro BY Adrian Van OsadC The Smoker, is not only
remarkable specimen OF tho perfect execution OF the
master curlOusy successful piece OF character
szsuOn-
There IA sketch Of Franz Halls. the instructor OF the
Van Ostsdes which although hnsty and unfinished Is
one Of the bodest aud most vigorous pictures in the
4alery 1t called the Hile Bobbe ron Haarlem ana
s. probably the original drawing from which lie Ater
ward produced several finished prOtraits-thls Wlu
vttohko creature being OF his favOrite subjects
There is not a super1uOus stroke in IT; not single
Aesitattng nor uncertain line. 1t is swiftly and surely
which could scarcely he conveyed by any elaborate
cture DIRK Hsls the brother Of Franz, has pleasing
picture called The Banquet, and there is fine com
position representing the Meeting Of the TranBsnds to
celebrate the Peace Of Munster in which the hands Of
both brothers seen.
Among the other capital works Of the Dutch school Ia
that mastery head by Terburg which tradition repre-
sents "a his own pOrtrat and IL this be true 1t adds
another 10 that long list of masterpieces in which men OF
the rank OF Raphael Rubens Van Dyck, and, descending
from tom the level Of the latest academican,
have immOrtalzed their beauty or the lack OF It,
In most cases the portrait which painter makes OF
himself best work. because he paints with love and
eyerence RThc Italian landscape by the brother BOa,
IA worth notice 90 is that little Hoboems,
NOT 40 mnch for itself for its illus
tratlon ~ the earlier manner OF an artist
who did so much better things afterward OF the two
etures OF Jan steen The Kernesse the best in its
variety OF movement its careful grouping Of figures
and study Of expression The other which the eata-
ogue names the proverD Of the old rat which goes
at lAst to the trap though painted with great freedom
T. crude and coarse its humOr. The Portrait Of the
fuoheas OF Mazarn by Nicolas Mas, is the chief orDa
,a.nt Of the small roeeption-roOm, where the marble
majesty OF the dying Napoleon enforces sort OF re-
iSnous respeot The portrait Of Lady by Sir Peter
Ily in the saInc room something familiar and at
t-actye about H. after all the outandsh faces OF the
Dutch pa uters,