The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-25

old houses and not always without reward. Chatting
on The portico OF village Inn one day, with man
who seemed 10 know the neighborhood, We heard she
family histories OF most OF the inhabitants,
and. among other things, the account Of q
house out OF which the old folks had died, and
which the young folks reiurnishing. what did
they do with the old furniturep put 1t all IN the
garrett why not sell IL" who tor They'd be
glad enough to sell IL II anybody would give anything
for ~ Gould We see nf Il s'poss 30, if you want
TO look I'll 60 and ask him. Tho results . visit
10 the garrett far away. II wonderful place,
that garrett. The house was old, tho family one OF
property and position for nearly two hundred years.
The garrett contained piles OF ancient furniture, and
wreck OF pottery and porcelain that was sad and
solemn in eyes OF q collector Old blue and white
Chinese wares literally trodden under loot, for
the Aoor covered with fragments OF immense
SERVICE crushed into thousands of pieces, and min
ged with the similar relics of an old English cream
ware service, deicately painted Out of that wreck
rescued, In good order, some rare Chinese plates,
with poycnrome decorations; tho Liverpool mug,
with portrait OF The Hon. John Hancock. elsewhere
illustrated; . good old wsdgcwood cup and saucer
and few other pieces OF English fabrics
We have found five specimens OF Rouen, Nevers,
Delft, Dresden, sevres, Bow, Derby and many
other factories in New York second hand shops,
and no country the world presents better opportu
mites the gathering of Chinese and Japanese
Of poychrome decoration, which are fully interest,"
ing and beautiful any Other Glass; DR.. Prime says
that prices in America wholly unestabishcd and
in general absurd The few dealers who sometimes
sell old china do not profess to much knowledge Of
the subject and fix prices which rdculousy cheap
on some articles and ridiculously dear others.
Fashion among collectors controls the prices OF Chi
nese and Japanese than those Of any other
fabrics. Old blue and white is very much sought
and very costly If 6ne. DR.. Prime mprcssos upon the
minds of young collectors tho Importance OF making
collections useful. 'Colcct Tor art study or for his
toricai study tor the love Of tho beautiiui-tnc
study and enjoyment OF the beautiful" The writer
thinks there is plenty of decoration latent in
this country will later be turned
count as IL is already beginning to be-
The frontspioce OF the book shows the fireplace Of
New England house decorated with tiles dishes and
vases. which collected in America, and which
goes to prove that II people living IN the country
would only use some OF their pottery stored away In
the garrett decoration they could make tasteful
their city cousins, who forced to buy all
their ornamentation. Eighty pages OF the book are
devoted to fac-simile illustrations OF the marks and
monograms Of pottcrs aud artists which are found on
pottery aud porcelain There Is great deal in Mr..
Prime's BOOK that be found elsewhere and he
gives credit to his sources OF information His book
is valuable as gathering so much Information into one
hausive index the end Of the book The binder
printer have done their handsomcst to mako this
attractive volume una they have succeeded.
CONTEMPORARY ART IN EUROPE.
CONTEMPORARY ART EUROPE. BY IS. G. W. Bepja-
min. New York: Harper Brothers.
The contents Of Mr.. Beujamin's book are made up OF
articles which have racentiy appeared in Harpers
Magazine In his preface the author says that has
endeavored honestly and earnestly to give his own
views upon the present condition OF European
without regard 70 sex, sect race the
perhaps contrary opinions which may DO
held by certain distinguished art critics ana
artists" The book, which is prouseiy illustrated
begins with art In England. The directory Of that
country contains tho and residences OF nearly
four thousand men and women devoted to the pursuit
OF the fine arts In the United Kingdom and the list
far from complete In addition 10 this there are
forty thousand students in the schools Art Is
. lucrative pursuit London. Mlsis gets e. 900 for
portrait. He Ia at work o commission for which
no s 10 get fl5, O0o and he built house costing
Gao. 000 The Artists' Annuity Fund has funded
capital of .O0o and provides Tor members In sick
ness and oy annuities TO those permanently united
for pursuing their profession. The Artistic Benevo
lent FUND has invested capital Of f23 O0O devoted
to the relief Of the widows and orphans OF deceased
members The art clubs, associations and museums,
exclusive OF private galleries, number Ill, OF Which
Atty are In London.
Mr. Benjamin devotcs some space TO the romantic
school, whose tendeDces he says illustrated by E.
Burne Jones and d. q. Rossoti. The OF Miss
Elizabeth Thompson Mrs. Butler. is spoken Of ut
length Within two OF her arst appearance In the
Academy she has received E5, 600 for painting As
works of Mr.. Benjamin thinks that hor paintings
edsplay real pathos aud dramatic power In parts,
oftenw with he
power 10 too scattered, the composition lac,A
pcity, brcadth concentration. nile isolated groups
admirably conceived and would appear we'll as
separate paintings or episodes they do not sufficiently
harmonic to form the UNITY OF one great composition
The coloring 10 also sometimes very good, and then
again impaired BY crude, unnatural ycllows other
tints out Of tone with the rest Miss Thompson's
genius seems TO be lyrical rather than epic" Run.
ming comments are made on great number OF
English painters, with which the reader will differ or
agree as his taste dictates.
Mr. Benjamin, when he reaches France stops 10
moralize OIL the slow and dcmoraizing" work done
by many French artists. He does not blame the
artists much the public. The number OF artists
in Paris is 5000. and The sale OF paintings averages
10000, 600 francs per annum. The Legislature makes
annual appropriation Of about 100000 francs
Tor art purposes. Out Of this amount $4,000
francs are appropriated TO the purchase OF works
OF art in the Salon The art students, OF whom
there several thousand In Paris described as
lawless, brutal lot, who do not stop At murder TO
carry out their stun" The sketch OF Corot is very in
terestng to his admirers The sketches IN fact OF ai
the artists are interesting. German art, as repre-
sented By Kaulpacn, Diets, Pioty, Lindcrschundt
Senbach, Max, Makart and other artists is iull OF
tcrest Mr.. Benjamin has just sketched, might
say, the pcculiarties OF these painters, and lett
larger books and 10 history ogve further particu
lars Tho illustrations to this volume portraits OF
the artists spoken OIL with copies OF their representa-
tive work. Besides boing entertaining reading tho
book Il valuable as Reference " ID printed on
tinted papor and tho illustrations have been carefully
printed.
LITERARY CHIT CHAT.
j. 3. Lppincott Co. will In their Library OF
Contemporary science tho important book Of DR..
Paul Topinard on Anthropology