The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-10
ART IN PHILADELPHIA.
PRECIOUS wNDFALL--THE PHILLIPS coLIxc.
TIoN OF KNGRAvINGa

PRECIOUS wINDFALL-THE PHILLIPS coLlkos
rIoN OF xNGRAvINGa
The extraordinary and unique collection Of cnerav-
ings, to which the Academy OF Fine Arts IN PhiladcL
phia lately fell heir nearly ready for exhibition,
the cataioguing and shelving being almost complete
The acquisition OF such treasure is an event
worthy OF commemoration. Except the British
Museum and other like national repositories no public
institution probably has complete collection fol
showing the history and the OF the OF
craving as this TO which the Pennsylvania Academy
has fallen heir The authorized history and descrp
ton OF this treasure will be given 10 the public
In anticipation OF that give at this time some
OF the leading facts, drawn IRON Official sources.
And FIRST no little interest attaches the history OF
the man himself, with whom tho work originated. Il
shows how much may be accomplished by ono solitary
worker, without any special gifts or genius OF for
tune who sets himself about some noble work, and
persisently keeps at through along series OF years
Mr.. John s. Phillips native Of Philadelphia, and
the early part OF bis life was engaged In mcrcan
tile business in the we-known sugar retneres
or the Coverings He retired from business
some thirty years ago, not wealthy wealth Is
counted, but with an ample competency. More than
ten years before retiring from business, fully forty
years ago, no began collecting rarc prints and en-
cravings, though with definite aim in view II was
which he devoted the remainder Of his life lmore than
quarter Of century, and all his spare means. Of
forming far possible absolutely complete COLI
lection of works of every engraver OF any repute
whatever country from tho first beginnings Of tho
art in A. d. 1920 down to the present day. Having
hrst exhausted the Of the United States 10
the way Of purchases he went in 1858 to Europe and
explored there all the shops where such works were
for SALE He formed there also connections and cor
respondencs with established Dealers and especially
with the house of Rudolph Weigel, Of Leipsic, known
all the world authority In such matters
and through Weigel and his he continued
the day OF his death About months since 10 make
purchases the completion or his designs Monthly
sales OF such articles take place in Leipsic, aud the
catalogues being regularly scnt in advance to Mr. Phil
lips sent out bids for such he needed in filing
out the vacant spaces In his portfo-
los In this way, by continued study
and perseverng attention. no had before his death cole
lected 1000 Of these works Of art many u them
of tho choicest and rarest kind He had also invented
an ingenious plan Of binding them In volumes under
classified heads IN such way that any new picture
could be inserted in its appropriate place soon
ceivcd without disturbing those already placed there
and that engraving could be taken out OF vol
ume and better impression be put in Without dsturb-
ing in any way the binding.
MIR. Philips aimed not only 70 make q complete ex~
hibt Of the works OF every engraver known the his
tory the but also to give copies Of each plate in
its different stages progression from the first trial
proof to the full flushed impression, and likewise
copies Of the plate alter It began to show wear; like.
wise copies after had been reouched. The collsc-
thus presents to the eye In regular succession
OF prints only complete history of the works OF
each cugraver but history Of each engraving OF any
note The collection is, TACT, school for the in
strucon Of engravers we'll as OF amateurs, and also
guide to purchasers in making private collections
To 60 into details regard TO the contents Of ha
extraordinary collection would DO give history Of
tho art, requiring volumes, instead Of newspaper ar
tcle Suffice say that there here 70, 600
cngravings that than 1000 engravers repre-
sented, including absolutely all the names known Ia
the art except two Of the worry nrs VINO to
be found nowhere except in some Of the public mu-
seums Of Europe. There are, for instance, in this
Phillips collection or tho works Of Martin Schoen.
A. D. 1920 l4Ss who stands tho head OF the German
school. Next In the same school comes Israel Van
Mecknen, A. d. l42i-i4ss, of whom also six
given. Somewhat later is the world-renowned Albert
Durer Of whom less than seventy works given.
The works arranged in the portfolios (which are
peculiar kind Of bound voumes), under their several
nationalities, German, Dutch, Flemish French,
It.an English American &c, and then those OF zach
nationality arranged alphabetically. In this way
any particular school or artist work can be found
in moment
The work Is not absolutely complete. No such work,
in the nature OF things, be complete; but the
proclamation completeness, considering that is the
work Of one man, Is wonderful Mr. Phillips, moreover,
showing how his heart was IN H. left to tho Academy,
in addition TO his collection, the handsome sum Of
ST. Co., The interest OF perpotuty be expended
in kcen he n mai n n o
treasures.
TnE soMxERvILLR COLLECTION.
1t is perhaps no improper betrayal OF confidence ia
say that the Academy is soon Is hoped to receive
another generous GIFT quito peculiar and rich as
that OF Mr. Phillips, but in entirely different limo Of
art and in line in which our American repositories
OF the works Of art almost absolutely destitute
This is cabinet Of gems canoes and other engraved
stones ambcrs. antique pastes and rings. collected In
the twenty years in Europe, Asia and Africa Tho
collector is Mr. Maxwell sommerville, graduate OF the
Philadelphia High school Having ample means and
cultivated tastes Mr.. Sommcrve and his accom-
plished wife have spent large portion OF their married
life In foreign travel ana having fancy for gem col
ectng similar to that Of Mr. Phillips for engravings
studied the subject historically, and in The
Of their travels, by being constantly on The lookout
have made such collection as 10 rarely to be
except national repositories like the Green Vault OF
Dresden These treasures have been classified and
arranged according treatment and time OF execution
uni q complete catalogue printed in handsome quarto
Tho collection contains gem portraits heads cut In
precious stonc) OF the entire list OF Roman emperor
from Augustus to Posthumus, except the son
Philip, the Arabian. II has examples many OF then
exquisite in STYLE finish ana preservation Of gyptan
Assyrian, Etruscan, Greek, Roman. MEDIEVAL Rcnais
aud modern art, engraved In almost every
variety OF precious stones for such purposes,
GLIDING agate, amazon. amber, amethyst bcryl car
nelion, chacedony emerald, garnet, jacinth, jasper
lapis azui, malachite obsidan onyx ruby, sapphire
sardonyx topaz The true character OF the gems has
every instance been tested by the eminent scientist
DR.. Joseph Ledy, Of the University Of PennsyivaniA
No mere general description can give an idea OF tho
beauty and richness Of this collection OF its value rs
Of studying this department OF art Yet 70 90
Details the OF the Phillips collection, -
almost like writing history OF the art, and would Of
itself require small volume Two or three examples
only must suffice. Here, IN the nrst case we OPEN
find No 5s0 Philip, thirty-sxth Emperor o
Rome and his wfc OtaciIia. macuInted agate