New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-23
ART, MUSIC, AND THE DRAMA
THE DERBY COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS.

IL is 4 long time since 80 large COLLECTION
NJ pctures "A that which fills tho four exhibition
rooms and tho corridor OF the National Academy OF De
sign building was offered for sale at auction In this city,
IT. indeed either Of Mr. Derbys former collections con
tanned 80 many pictures this For our part We
copfess that we see no advantage In bringing 80 many
nantngs together at time In One place, unless II be
n purely mercantile one, which we imagine never DC
currod TO tho managers OF this enterprise ouppoSg
all tbese $40 pictures 10 be rstrate productions, or AT
the least second rate-they would have mace iu'Iu
ally more impression by being eXhDJeu NUM-
red say at a time; but az they are heceS-
sarily. mixed lot-good, pretty good, indlter-
ent and bad the better plan has perhaps
been nstncyely pursued in Jumping them all together
and carrying tho day by spectacular enecV-a sot VI
eye-openor as the French would say. The mosV spen
did picture gallery in the word-Louyre' UuZnliub
Vatican-is "A wcarisOme toll to VISIT "a every UaF'o'
knows Il can only be well and really enjoyed 10
season or lifetime OF lazy lettering; and as Tor IN
different second-rato galleries, 'tis mere penance to
make the round Of them. Certainly, 1t will not be SOD
berly said that all, the larger part OF these Derby
pictures are frsrao the collection contains Ike every
sale collection reasonable number Of good specimens
OF popular artists and the rest, rs the phrase H. uc
for the trade" 1t would, therefore, have been pleas
anter collection to VISIT and tho pictures would nave
sold as WELL If it had been cut up into three ana spread
over the weeks before the holidays. Among
the smaller pictures the bost by oil Odds Is
the Messonier. No .9O7., "The Cavalier" palnteu
in 1870 The best not because 1t is tho work OF meis
sonier but the best by whOmeyer painted. Strength
and decaoy in the execution richness or near u rch
ness. In the color; vigorous, manly life OF o1presSioh'
these are the clements that make this miniature stand
in the memory for heroic work, and explain the famo
Of Meissonier Compared with him, Flchel, Of whose
work there here several excellent exampes-Nos' Co.
49, 49, 2CG-soems and cIaracterless, with man
nered execution. familiarity with which breeds con
tempt. The safest way is not 20 compare them at all
but to look at Fchel by himself and get ont of his
studies OF stndOus. luteplaylng print-loying mccall
examining eighteenth century all the pleasure they
are capable az giving He is OF the painters that
we take our magnnying glass to- but he Is not
wigLling workman for all that. Little pictures he
paints for the most part, but in rather large way
Chayet, too another old acquaintance, appears mere
again after somewhat long absence Nos 30 90 2iJ'
Dol 3l5 326it rains but 10 pours one would say
reading this string Of numbers for were 80 many
Chayets seen in one room before. believed But we
are glad to have them they prove him not so hammered
as thought, though he best IN small compass We
like best 29i "Rcadng the Letter" though all except
No. 25 "The Artist" good specimens OF MS uauai
way of painting. We own no great admiration for T.
santn though he has been OF late good deal OF Ia
yorite in Paris and, under the Empire when he was
protege OF the Princess Leo Hunter Mahl1c, almost
the fashion No. 1884, The widow" shows him at his
worst II IL true, but then. No 100, Expectation shows
him at best and whether his best or his worst be the
better who shall say He Is clover painter OF brc-a
brtc and OF womea's dresses but he paints the
surfaces Of things only, and whether his subject be
bronze or vase or a petcoat.)r face, he never can
interest Us more than five minutes in it, The catalogue
tells MS that The Widow" in this years Salon. and
much admired but would IL have been much admired II
it had been in the Salon three years ago, before the
war had made soldiers widows dear 70 the heart OF
France and mysteries easy the sight OF one. however
.Ffrrp aHf.ru mad To her lgga
and ready for new Oeri The truth IL, that Slintin
clever with his brushis painter Of Bankruptcies
merely like dozen Others ana it is useless TO expect
higher flight from him. Though Forent Wnlems does
not show his strongest hand in No al, The Pet Of the
Countess" yet he makes good foil to such shallow
workman Sanun his treatment OF materials Is
healthy and satisfying; think more OF the
beauty Of the thing painted than Of the mans skill
who painted 1t. Bakalowicz Nos. 81. IT, 81,
o. 222, 223 3d. 325, has changed considerably
in manner since Mr. Avery brought over his first pic
lures here. perhaps three years ago. He has now a
larger manner, and seems to have taken liking to VIII
lens, the two pictures IN the East Room remndng one
much of the Belgian masters STYLE though the Austrian
is far from being refined in feeling IL is certainly
advantage the student that in this collection he
enough of several judge very fairly OF their pow
ers but it is question whether, looking at the matter
from the ledger point OF view it is good thing TO let
much at a timeiof certain goods
Perhaps the most popular picture IN the collection
though others may dispute the honor whdt-s No 1877,
Jan verhas After the Battle" This after has got
over the oddncss of it. is certainly clever work. and
worth studying. though it is pity that good deal Of
the spectators time must be wasted, before he can
fairly get at the picture in finding out who her be
worth studying is only queer Some one, lately has
very well said, the singularty OF work of art is It's
misfortune and this little picture Is proof of 1.-THE
ARTIST like many another has mstoOk slngulrity for in
dviduaty and picture suffers for it, For there 49,
really, here large treatment an approach TO style
and good deal Of real human character This little
girl is much; pity her, but we feel that her mis-
fortunes good for her - and after all, she is
beaFing them well But the boy is a
true boy, with the undeyel0ped man in him, and
his corner of the world will not gather dust when he
gets fairly at work in It, There is much going in
side that handsome, square, reSoluie, rejecting head.
and there is sOuch quiet force under that small Jacket
that back to him again and again, after several
perunctory round the gallery, to how he is
getting on Up TO the present moment, ashamed
to saw the fortude of his little victim who keeps her
tears stOutly and will not sulk only grieyes inWardly
has made impression upon the heart OF this small
philosopher making his first experiment." how much
woman bear" The artist has another picture
No &c. aid and Protection where the children
appear under more engaging circumstances. There's
another yerhas-Franz Is his name-a brother OF Jan,
likely they both from Brussels; but his work
is inferior 10 that Of his namesake. OF
tho two pictures by Franz Verhas In
this colecton-bOth pretty bad-No 231 is
the better No. 49," Enjoying the Cigarette"
shows how little advantage may get from
having brother with talent. Eastman johnson
looks pleasantly from Of the frames, No lac.
first SKETCH guess, for larger picture made or
the subject. Johnsons individuality is strong,
and his independence. too, that much his way OF
painting OF Dusseldorf training, that training
TO have left this thought his way of looking at
human beings almost untouched. Dusseldorf got hold
of Of Americans OF that day and served them
as cooks do turkeysboned them and farced them and