New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-29
THE JOHNSTON COLLECTION
SOME OF THE BEST PICTURES.

AGE OF LIFE"
Mr.. JohnstOn's pictures will nearly fill the
five exhibition rooms Of the National Academy of De-
sign and the corridor besides They not yet all hung,
but when the doors are opened this morning, the
public will find that collection of equal excellence
and containing very nearly many numbers, has taken
the place Of the interesting and valuable display we
have been enjoying the Summer through
The general character OF the collection Is narrative,
anecdoc and literary, rather than what among artists
is known as artistic" These for the most part
commonsense pictures easily understood, the work OF
men of much technical skill and honestly striving to
show their skin, well aware that imagination nor
fancy Is their strong point and well aware, Also that
the public for which they work Is much more interested
In the study of technical excellence imitation carried 10
the point Of deception pathos stopping deceny short
OF tragedy and in the events OF history or OF domestic
life than It Is in Imagination or handling This Is not salu
of course 10 dparage the collection. 1t Is said to define
It, And the fact explains why one picture IN u
Turner's "save shp"-has always seemed out OF place
in the collection and has always been rather disturb
ing element than pleasure to those who have been IN
the habit OF visiting the gallery In Its owners house.
Have you Me-. Johnston's gallery = " nave you
seen the Slave shipP" "What do you make out OF
il o. How many times these questions have been asked
and how many times has been necessary to deur that
in order to get a clear impression of the picture,
tbe spectator must Isolate il much possible must
look at u by itself and not allow himself To stuy IL Ill
relation 20 the other pictures in the ROOM But OF what
other picture here would be necessary to say thatf NO
other picture in all these 500 nter!ercs with s neigh
bor no other attempts to look upon nature with otner
ewes than those Of the average man or woman
The "slive Ship" excepted then, Mr.. Johnstons col
lection remains sngulaTly even one ana SHOWS as ie"
whms iancies OF the collector as any we remember 10
have seen I'm this country. Aud toe statement may DC
made without ndecorum that the purchase OF the save
shin itself is not an evidence Of even an occasional
Iape on the collectors part from the orderly, moderate
and common sense taste that marks his usual purchases
1t is on the other hand, proc OF the gen
erosity and great good sense that make inc
foundation Of his character Its purchase was
an act Of the same nature M inc securing
for the METROPOLITAN Museum the hi Cesnoa Collection
which we should never have had at all n IL lad not en-
for Mr Johnston, who knowing nothing about the coloe
ton or its value OF his knowledge purchased II Tor
the country on his personal responsibility because
nc trusted in the representations OF Others whose knOW
edge was 10 be doubted and because he saw the ne
cesstv OF pTo1nut action 50 with tho "sllve Ship"
Here was q wholly unexpected chance to secure ilrs'
rate specimen of Turner's worka large picture OF his
finest period Mr. Johnston had never seen the pic
turc Very few persons had seen IT, II was bought
from the artist by Mr John Ruskins father. and, We
believe had always hung in the same room IN the mousse
OF its purchaser from the day IL was brought bone III
tho d,y 70 was taken down 10 be sent 20 Am rca IL was
not therefore public possession Of whose merits or
ston wisely trusted to The verdict paid by Mr. Ruskn
who may be presumed 10 know more about Turner's
pictures than any other person living, ana then
10 the assurances Of ms own friends In Lon
don WHO advised him Of the exceptional lm-
porance Of this opportunity. We cannot think we eA-
agcorate when we say That ST. Johnston In TINS case
AS in the case Of the hi Ccsnoa Collection, put hs hand
generously IN his pocket and bought the TUNER that bis
couutryincn might enjoy "a first rate specimen Of an
artist OF whom they had read much and seen nothing
For the pictures be purchased to please himsc are here
to testify that ne would not have bought the "slayc
Ship" thc qualification OF hs own taste only had been
In question.
The brittany Peasants" No %, nv Gu,taye Bron. Is
the first picture Of importance In the catalogue II
represents a scene Of kind familiar enough to every
traveller in Frlnce-ihc OF the Villages generally
prcierng the outside o; the churches TO the inside for
the greater convenience of discussing the weather the
crops the last proclamation relative 10 taxes, or any
other gossip suited to- the masculine mind. This
phenomenon is not OF course confined to France but IN
our own country 70 s. one ohcrc5t observed IN clil's
where the outsiders generally the coachmen and
footmen OF the "carrinecproplc" inside. These Brit
tany peasants however. besides that they are not all OF
them men, are not dlcrs and gossps they are passion
ate wnIshipers who thronginr the doors oil The
church hccause the crowd within docs not permit tnem
TO enter here depicted reminds one Ia it,
earnestness ~ the pictures OF the Jews weeping and
Brion j. one OF % group OF artists who come rom
that Alsacc which has played Of late tragic part on
the stage OF history aud who have been lately described
aud criticised book devoted t0 the artists Of Asace
and Lorraine by the sympathetic pen OF ". Rene Ne
nard with few cxceptons-and this picture is one Of
thein-Bron paints scenes from the lives OF the peas
antry OF his own country In these pictures De has
dered an important service, and achieved reputation
for strength. sincerity and individuality In which no
other Frenchman Of Ourown time bat Mllet has equaed
him lie Is known here by etchingz, photographs and
eugrayngs and he would have been better known n an
edition Of LIS Merabes," for which nc made series
Of Illustrations, had been published In readable shape
and printed ON good paper one OF these illustrations,
drawn m cruyOn IS 10 be IN The present collection,
No 300 but n Is not perhaps Of the best. His PO-
tao Harvest during the Inundaton OF 1853" the Flu
neral IN the Vosges" the Reading of tie Bible" and
"The Dance OF the Cock" striking individual pie
lures as have produced In day and whoever has
become well acquainted with Brions genius IA shown In
these works can never pass him by with indifference. lie
has always something to tell US, and he tells IT In gen.
une unaffected way. in the present picture lac is not
quite h ground, but such is pretty 10
bc guided Ia his choice Of subject another land than
his own by certain knship To his own thought aud
pcrencc and here Brittany, the land Of supersttons
Of somber legends. OF regiousi ecstases and fanai
icisns, Bron has found sentiment akin to
what he knew IN his native Vosges, though
darker and sieFner He has made out Of his subject
strong picture, that compels attention but it would
be II 10 imagine BriOn always sOmbel
as this. lie knows how 10 dance and sing
No. AZ, "Vrgl aud Dante Crossing the styx"is the
sketch by Eugene Dclacrox for his large picture in tho
Luxembourg. 10 illustrates the passage IN
the Eighth Canto OF Dautc's Inferno, wherein
Is described the passage Of the poet and Vir
gil over the stygian Marsh in the boat Of
Phlegyas The sygian Marsh the abode Of the Angry
and the Suilen "sullen we,' they say, in the
IA a. -. II
the two Poetare conveyed across IN the swift bark,
e1,irii rsna frnln hafnrn mud hna nnnIn