New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-31
FINE ARTS.
CATALOGUE OF THE ART COLLECTION OF
THE CINCINNATI EXPOSITION.

Exposition deserve groat deal OF credit for the sincere
attempt they have mado to add TO the ordinary features
Of their own yearly exhibitions and OF such exhibitions
In general country, the rare one OF department
devoted 10 works OF ne aud OF art applied indus
try IT a. to DO sure, tho first mo this has been at
teontod by tho managers of these yearly expeditions,
Int hitherto tho result has been unsuccessful for
ynrous roasons but principally from lack or material,
that the antpatons OF better result on this oeca
son were not very sanguDe 1t has been the old story
n, "oryng wolf too often reversed. Repeated dsap
polntments In tho failure TO MP to their lavish
PROMISES the part Of the managers had rightly bred
distrust We SAID OF Cincinnati, as Hafnlets mother
said OF the Player Queen, This lady doth protest too
much methinks," and made mp our minds we would
need no moro Of her protesting. But now she has
really demo something. has mado oredifable be-
ginning, and deserves to have her effort generously
ACKNOWLEDGED Here before IA the printed catalogue
of the art collection. 1t contains 12 plgos hot connu-
ously numbered as would have been more convenient,
but divided into Paintings" 2T numbers ~ pages;
"EnCrayings and Water Coors" 46i NUMBER 4s pages
"Ob,ccts Of Household Art and OF Curiosity" 1875 num-
bers % pages There also some architectural draw
inrs BIZ j. Cleveland Cady, E. T. Potter A. b. Mullett.
Peabody & S,earns, and J. r. HeR To show the caro-
with which tho catalogue has been prepared we Will
mention that after the list OF paintings according TO
NUMBER there Alphabetical list OF the artists with
their places OF residence, the names OF their masters
and tho honors they have received The list Of engray.
arranged according and then alphabetically
with the date Of the artist and the titles OF oil his works
in tho Exposition grouped under his name. IL Ia true
that OF late years there has been such Improvement
in tins arrangement of art exhibition catalogues and In
the printing Of them that the present catalogue Is not
as remarkable 1t wolld have been five or six years
ago. but II IA still In to notice aud praise any eff
fort TO do a good thing Ono may, however be permit
ted TO smile little at the Introduction Of long Crock
quotations from Dlodorus s!culus and Museus. with
Latin one from Ovid. into popular catalogue. and this
pcdanry seems less excusibie considering that tho
French names IN the catalogue arc throughout, With
scarce an exception either unacceuted wrongly ac
cented, and that there several names msspclled
But on the whole the catalogue is to be praised for its
fulncss accuracy and good prntins-the cardinal viz
tues OF % catalogue.
TIC lis,ofi paintings doe4 excite IN mnch curl
osty to 500 them, especially recognize too many
OF those ororn poor relations OF the Muse Of Painting
whose lives are spent IN begging their bread or shell
ter from tdoor. collection OF this character
ought TO bc mp not tho principle Of accepting
the pictures which New and Boston have rejected or
which have been hawhed about from sale TO another
but on the pfncpo OF giving place on the walls only to
the best pictures that can be procured, remembering
that q few good are worth whole thealer OF poor
ones No douh there among these 800 pictures SOW
eral good ones ana number OF passabe ones but, as
whole tho collection roads to IN experienced eye like
an nAruary or an amshoase. However 10 s good sign
that as n ruc. the notices OF tho exhibition In the
Cincinnati newspapers. though often oddly expressed
show that the public knows u hawk from ahandsaw,
and "a no more 20 DO taken In by Bonlanger Hercules
and Omphalo" than by R)thermel's " HypAtia" While
il il true that many choice pictures by foreign artists
French and German do find their way to this country
and are purchased here 1t Is s trus that to many
that come here 1t plain the face OF the matter that
they are brought this country for the sole reason that
they have found purchaser on the other side the
water. good picture Is good picture anywhere Du'
vast number Of poor pictures painted in Europe
and II /, bnt natural that our public should be less skill
fu I'm detecting them than the better trained eyes OF
foreign amateurs psopie learn, and Mr Bonangors
attempt TO pull down tho great Olympan myth OF hef
cues and upbale the counterpart OF the Hebrew t'e
of Samson and Dolah, has come TOO late 10 ma IN
the West any admirers among tho instFdcIeh'
II will have to 90 still further west. Perhaps the
Modocs may ike And glad too for the sake OF
ri In America that the absurd preensiOns Of ME- k)R
cre,'s admirers-conAned should suppose 70 fbiia
delphia-havo FOR once been met with the proper Gnu
.ism Thi, picture OF nypatia" Ia indeed utterly IN
excusabe in It's badness for 1t 10 badness that LIS
rushed TO the front and displayed Itself IN tho eatneu'
of a thsme whose difficulties Of all sorts should nave
warned of my but u master. Hypata's fate ought III
eoeon IN move our pity but here depicted II almost
mako, IA smile Wo admire the agility with when she
has eaped to the top of nn altar hVe feet Dgh anu ~
faced about In iledancers attitude NJ tho Gnu Vi
,os Not man in the crowd IL holding the stone be Is
spnposed TO he about TO hurt her "a stone wouu OF
conld be held that purpose, and the Impotence OF
some of these maronottes is only equaled by the nd
ference OF others 10 what Is gong on. The drawing
tbrourbout Of figures and faces, hands cnd ieet'
draperie3 aud architecture Is painfully lhauelI'' anu
the color" OF which hear 30 muoh-in PhlIaoepnis
may be the charm OF other pictures by Mr hotuei"
Int IL Is not the charm of this one Mr. kothermel may
NOT accent the alacy but his friends do that good color
nf fhpTn rn1O
declare that good ORA wing aud good color are incoma'-
ho This IA absolutely untrue All tho great cOOrlSS
have Drovei themselves admirable draushtsneh' aNn
indeed IT stands to reason that great mister III "
must he ruaster OF the whole secret. III "0ud RAISE
smile II any one were to-day to defend the drawing VI
Titan or Tnore'to. Gorgione or Euoans OF heni'
brand in any circle OF artists, but one would thlnh' W
roo acme writer's here that the color OF these mons
mixtures Is cloak to hide or, say charm 10 eohoea ui
sorts Of oAenses and licenses in drawing
The most valuable part OF tho CINCINNATI ATT EhPo''
, ,,,s, undonbtedly bo the collection OF engraVings
This "a the FIRST time that such an exhibition mas oeeh
attenrted IN this country and Indeed, IL Is oolpai"
lively a new thing anywhere. we kho" Vi ony o"O
such exhibition ever held in Paris, and that was during
the Exposition des BeauxArts Appliquesa Plnduse'
b,d i fine Autumn OF 49, In the Chanp Eysees' Wheh
one room was filed with portion OF the famous coneo
ton OF engrayings belonging to an amateur Oh HouN'
Mr. E. Dutuit Or late there nave been sneh eNhipoon
in London bat only OF late and We think IL ieahel W
M small size in Clncinnas cap, that she should DC
able TO collect nearly 400 engrayings for public exo
ton, many OF them OF great value and beauty Il 10
be hoped the young people Of Cincinnati who wish 70
know something what has been achieved ny the a'
OF engraving wall take advantage OF this exceheht ol
porunity and give the more snowy but Tar less
collection Of pictures the go-by. We note tlo h"0'
Of many rare masters in the catalogue, and OF
many others whose works hold distinguished rank
Here arc rev OF the more Important
Bertel Behaim, q master, the uheio VI
Hans sebald Behaim, pupil Of Direr-his eieh-
ing Of 1.-THE Halberdier;" Bervic-one OF the three
examples by this famous hand IL the masterpiece Inc
Inncnnn one Of the most perfect engtayngs