New-York tribune., 1876-06-20
FINE ARTS.
NEW-YORK CENTENNIAL LOAN EXHIBITION.
THE BELMONT GALLERY.

The project for Loan Exhibition OF Pictures
10 be held in this city AS means Of commemoratins tbs
Centennial Year. OF those suggestions that have
the happiness commend themselves at once TO every.
body. 1t needed pushing, it met with few obstacles
and the only embarrassment the public-spirfted citizens
to whom have had TO complain OF has been tho
riches that pctureowners have given into their bosoms
full measure pressed down. shaken together and running
oyerl 1t is we believe to Mr.. Parke Goodwin and to
Mr. Pnchot that the chief credit of setting this enterprise
ON foot due and these gentlemen have right 10 soms
selfsatisacton for having devised such good thing
and for having made such good thing OF It, Their we'll
known names and their acknowledged taste havo made
il easy for them TO gain friends to their undertaking and
General goodwill has smOothcd tho way what we eli
| expect will be a complete and delightful success
Mr. Belmont leads off the festivities by opening to the
public his private gallery, not, the public Will crate.
fully remember, for the first time II was first opened
we believe during the for the benefit Of the Sanitary
Fair and IL has been opened whenever has been
suggested that some deserving charity worthy
cause might aided by permitting the public TO visit
It seems to the untbinhg very easy thing TO open
prvae gallery in this way the public, and II Is not
uncommon to hear Americans complain Of the difference
| in this respect between their own counirymen and
the English the English having wedeserved reputa-
zion for great generosity In the matter OF allowing
strangers to share in the treasures Of Art they
possess while our own countrymen are, as a rule, dis
posed TO keep their treasures for their enjoyment
So far as New-York is concerned everybody knows
there are noteworthy exceptions to this rule, an
generosity of Mr.. John Taylor Johnston, Mr.. Marsha
Roberts Mr. Aspinwa and the late Mr. Blodgett might
easily make the closed doors Of other rich collectors for
gotten In q neighborng city too, Mr. Walterss name
must not be passed by when we are mentioning the
OF valuable pictures who feel that pleasure In The
ownership enhanced by sharing these beautiful things
with their feOwczens and more than once the treas
ures of Baltimore charities have been replenished by
the gains that have flowed in from the exhibition OF his
most choice and precious collection OF pictures.
There Is often, however, good excuse Tor those VINO
own pictures and yet decline 20 admit the pubic 10 see
them In the fact that such permission DIinSs ABOUT
serious dsarrangements in the family economy without
wishing IN the least to bce the favor done by the
Earl of warwick or the Marquis OF Westminster, or her
Majesty the Queen, in permitting the public 10 visit
their pictures may suggest that u Is Tar easier
them to do this than for any citizen OF New-iorn no
matter how amply he may be lodged IL is true We nave
heard that the late Marquis OF Westminster, when ais
townhousc was opened occasion by ticket to the
public good naturcdly allowed himself to be driven from
one room to another by the invaders No sooner had he
settled down his newspaper in one gallery than the
servant would announce new troop OF Fi.tOrs ana
the noble owner would be obhgde to decamp' But,
thankful as people for the privilege OF seeing the
prceess pictures OF the Westminster Gallery 1t was not
possb 10 pity noble lord who the owner OF seven
palaces all completely furnished and equipped and who
# he chose TO open Of them TO the public couiu esy
manage to while away the time in one or al oi tne SIX
to which the public not admitted. But no New
Yorker is Marquis Of Westminster or aIari Oh war
wick and the largest of houses is too small ana TOO
restricted in its plan make 1t easy to upset or even TO
divert the private arrangements Of the family Tor the
sake Of obliyIng the public.
We must therefore, while we grateful to gentlemen
who like Mr. Belmont, Mr.. Johnston, NJ Walters, and
Mr. Roberts permit occasionally to see the pictures
they haze collected their pleasure and that OF
.,,,tf,n nd
less obging and an exhibition such has now been OF.
ganized has this great recommendation, that II gives
everybody who is really inclined be andony
prevented by circumstances an opportunity 10 oo easily
what everybody has been wishing they w0nld do.
Mr. Belmont as have said has not waited for this
onnortuny TO show his good WILL and many OF the art
loving public are wel-acquainted with bis picture
gallery II is pleasantly proportioned Weilllghted
room and contains somewhat less than hundred pic
lures The most important Of these are by masters OF
the French and Bel an schools-by Messonier Gerome
Delaroche, Decamps Bouguercau, Daubieny, Troyon;
by Baron Leys, LOUIS Gallait, Louis knaus Andreas
Achenbach and Clays As there are but few OF these
artists who have contributed than enc picture to
the gallery it will be that the additional names
that would have be quoted TO make UP the hnhdred
must add an element OF variety 10 the coieeuoh
few good American pictures give an excellent naVor
and lovay hold their in the midst oil all tbis csed
excellence from Mr.. Bierstadts Burning
SHIN ia one OF the best composed. most skAlIuy
painted pictures have seen from his hand' anu
would be counted anywhere, we think, q MASTER! UeaF
ment OF the subject Although 1t is theme that seems
naturally 10 lead TO exaggeraon and 70 what eaea
sensational treatment, the artist has kept hnsen
entirely free from temptation andhas produced picture
which ought 10 20 great way TO make us forget ana Or
give much o: the work that has given him faetitous
reputation. The light from the flames OF the burning
ship and the light from the moon divide the scene DC.
tween them and the painters art has come TO the aa OF
q nice observation in discriminating the eheo's oI tno
one light from those Of the other. Yet the whoie man
agement is picturesque. and curiousy enough, WHO
the result the spectator-the mind having once 10
commodated itself the size OF the pictures con-
vctiOn Of the reality OF the scene before him. yet 'uo
eject upon his mind is just what IL would be III tho
presence Of that realityOne Of positive pleasure Inc
mounting flames, the rolling clouds OF smoke, tho
pacidly shining moon the meeting OF moonlight ana
freight the Shore all these facts well and
so sympathecaly painted that We linger long before
this canvas, and reckon it among the best pictures
in the room.
Mr. Eastman Johnson's "The Pictures"-a little girl
seated in an od-fashoned rockingchar, and looking
over pcturebookts very pretty picture, ana almost
"a we'll painted as tho Edouard Frere No. 60 on tho
other de OF the room we would say every Bit As well
painted the OF the child were better DONE Bat
il a good specimen OF American work, and so Is MI
DeautaIn Iryings swine Tasters," though Mr.. living
wastes half his strength in attempting to rival certain
French artists, whero IL would be wiser to build up
reputation on an Independent foundation
To our thinking Going TO the Dance, by Louis Knaus
"A painter who has been well seen here in New-iors
and is deservedy great fayorteis the best picture IN
| Mr. Belmonts gallery. We have always remembered
the Marguerite Leaving Church." by Legs, with nier
est but il does not improve with time and Marguerite
seen once more makes Fausts inatuaon less and less
excusabc There is here, always in leyss pictures
great deal that Is interesting from association; our curl
| osty is piaued and examine the picture as