Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-11-12
THE NONTPENSIER COLLECTION
OFPAINT7NGS.
BosroN Nov. 10, 1874.

THE MONTPENSIER COLLECTION
OFPAIN77NGS.
Bosrox Nov. 10, 1874.
To the Editor ofthe Kennebec Journal
Having never visited Europe, a1d having
never had any opportunity to cultivate an ad.
miration or appreciation of art, I have been
under the impression, which l think 10 the
one generally received, that the paintings of
the old Spanish and Italian masters could
have no special charm to an uneducsted eye.
Possessed by this feeling, it was with no great
expectations or anticipations of pleasure that
entered the Boston Athenseum to-day, to see
the admirable collection of paintings exc
cuted by such masters of the art as Murillo,
Zurbaran, Velasquez. Herrera, and others,
which belonged to the Duke de Montpensier.
The first painting before which seated my
self was "The virgin Of the swathing band"
by Murillo. The virgin is represented
as holding the infant Christ in her
lap, wrapping him in swathing
band, while other figures are looking on
admringly. For the first five minutes fel,
simply that it was a beautiful picture. But
quickly the exquisite colorlng. the truthful
ness of every line, the expression OF holy ma
ternity in the virgins face, together with what
cannot help calling the general strength Of
the whole, deepened the feeling to one Of
genuine and hearty admiration. Then
seated myself before four pictures by Fran
cesco de Zurbaran, executed 250 years ago.
They were of uniform size and represented
1.-THE Annunciation," "The Alteration of the
Shepherds, 1.-THE Alteration of the Msgi,"
and "The Circumcision" Here again was
surprised to fnd my self delighted with the ex-
ecu,ion of these paintings. I cannot describe
them in any satisfactory way. Words are
TOO poor to do such duty. 1t seems almost
like gliding refined gold, or painting the
lily. There was one small painting by Luis
de Morales, executed three hundred years
ago, called "Tbe Madonna with the dead
Christ in her arms" The limp figure, the
stained brow marked with the thorns, the
dead and glOrified face, was so vivid and real
that found all of a sudden rising in my
throat, and q suspicion Of mistiness in my
took me back with great stride, q long way
toward the time when that dreadful scene
was enacted. 1t made it seem more real to
me. After enjoying these paintings looked
through the Way collection of Egyptian an
Equities. consisting in part Of very old vases,
and ornaments Of various kinds, and of num-
mics of all varieties, OF beasts and birds and
human beings. These would ordinarily have
been of great interest to me, but now cared
only to look cursorily at. them, even though
they did seem almost to fill the air with
musty odor of thousands of dead years. Back
again to the paintings went, and again and
again did return from the outer door to sit
fascinated before them. II was really a source
of almost unbounded surprise and delight to
find that could receive such pleasure from
the contemplation of true works of art. So
now amend my conviction that education in
art 10 necessary for its appreciation. OF course
there are some who have no eye for the beau
tiful, who can look upon the rolling green
fields, or the blue sea flashing in the cum
light, without throb of fancy and with utter
stolidity. Such persons would not enjoy these
paintings. But every one who loves Gods
beautiful things, the blue mountains, the
spreading forests, the running brook, and
r.. r.. ~. A.
great inward delight, and can learn lessons
of truth and purity from this noble collection
of paintings, and may find in them sublim-
ity as they look out through their centuries
of age, which perhaps will be as unexpected
to them as it was to me. MARTIN.