The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-27
ART MATTERS.


It is not often that such q chance is offered 20
the pubic that now presented OF inspecting the
pictures constituting the gallery OF Mr.. John H.
Sherwood. They are to be seen at that gentle
mans residence, No. 500 Fifth avenue and are l22
in number. The reason for their approaching sale
IL to be discovered in Mr. Sherwood's
projected visit to Europe, where he intends
to remain several years. They were, for the
most part, painted to order and In many instances
are the best examples thus far sent rom the stu
dos OF the artists whose autographs they bear.
The entire collection has been on exhibition (by
card at Mr. Sherwood's residence since last Tues
day, and will be sold at auction next Tuesday and
Wednesday evenings, by the Messrs. Leavitt, at
their salesroom at Clinton Hall. There will be no
reserve whatever.
Scarcely member of this collection but deserves
denomination; but we shall conflne ourselves to
only few this morning. In this country, where
the nude Is almost entirely abjured, and prudery
shuts her eyes to even pure and beautiful naked
ness, Cabanel's "Eve After the Expulsion from
Paradise" Will not be so openly admired as it
would be abroad And vet it Is a powerful and
most exquisite piece of painting, lovely in its
ideal most eXquisitely elaborated and exc
cuted with purity OF touch and motive
that cannot easily he too highly praised Eve lies
at full Tenth, partly on the left side, ana partly
on the back, nearly full 'front.' view being pre-
sented. Her heavy hair, rich with its own fair
brightness. is meshed and tangled in long glitter
ing tresses behind her shoulders. Her head Is
thrown back and the eyes are closed ana partially
shaded with the left hand. The right arm uprased
and upper part OF the head and is
pressed against the trunk of tree. The
limbs are stretched upon the ground. The whole
attitude is exceedingly difficult to reproduce with
naturalness but the success with which the task of
doing so IL achieved Is wonderfully perfect The flesh
has that pink hrmness and elasticity which belong
TO youth. There Is iulness without grossness, and
a delicately delicious animasm without voluptu-
BUSINESS. stu, the entire attitude is less sugges-
tive of tragic abandonment, such as might be sup
posed to have overwhelmed our first mother the
ness OF soul, and the loss of interest in the
memories Of lost paradise.
One of the finest specimens OF Guy that we have
ever seen il ''The Little Stranger in which the
sun shines, tempered through azure curtains upon
a crimson carpeted bedroom, containing miracu-
mother who has Just passed through the agonies
of a second confinement and is beginning to taste
the delight OF a Beside tine bed
out OF every fold in her double china
nurse evidently with a long retrospect OF
happy deliveries to look back on, and whose diary.
did she keep one, might brim with details of tri-
umphant lyings-in. The child who has hitherto
been the only one sits at the foot OF the bed
caressing the gorgeously swadded new conner,
whose slightly purple visage and utterly hairless
head denote the shortness OF it's arrival. The key
Inundated doll which lies utterly unregarded on
the carpet with Its face to the ground.
"Sunuay morning. by "A. Segert, Is a simple
cottage lyric, treated with great feeling. girl
ish mother sits, on sunday morning. by the open
window, watching her infant sleep. Her hands
hold the Bible open, but her thoughts are on her
child and she sees perhaps It's father through her
tender musings. People vending churchward are
seen through the unshut window, and give sort
OF marginal reading to the sweet artistic
text. The expression upon the sleeping
baby's face Is indicated with singular
felicity-lt Is so full OF the quiet. halfconscous
rapture of dreaming babyhOod. We confess, too,
TO Partially for that away-from senti.
ment of which Clarified Lawn, Isle of Wight"
by II. aud g. Slayer is full The trees burdened
with deep greenness tower up into each other and
meek precptancy onward in the distance, and
there are the matched roof, and the
buXom housewife and the alert milk
maid, and the lingering horseman and
that delicious pensiveness that Is produced by peace
and sunlight, purity and innocence and remoteness
from the world. We must return again TO speak
OF other and. perhaps, even better pictures Herb
sthofers 'Vsit to the Grandparents" shows
rich Polish interior, with wines and vlands In the
background. gorgeousy attred attendants and a
obeisance 10 their grandparents. irvings ''Rec
Onclatonn belongs TO q class OF pictures over
which ladies and the admirers OF ]. c. Brown rave
little girl and boy OF about eight having
up. The little girl, toying with necklace, wears
expression tina implies an amiable readiness to
forgive, and stands leaning against an arm OF "a
char with her back to the boy, who, with one knee
tatngly near her curls and looks winsomey con-
trite. Swapping the Whip Is one OF Winslow
Homer's most successful pictures ''The Coming
Storm" by Boupuercau, may possibly have II
under tree, but the storm that broods over the
landscape is prefgnred In her sad eyes, and we
fear tbat she cOnceals a secret like Hetty SOr
rel's in "Adam Bede." We mention no more at