New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-13
BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINEARTS

IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE IRlbONEl
BosTON, June 30-The interest in the Bos-
ton Museum Fine Arts is illustrated by the fact that
when the trustees asked for 100000 to complete the
bpding their appeal was met by subscriptions to the
amount OF sl25OOO The trustees and eurators recip
rocated by doing all IN their power TO make the museum
attractive and to ad its educational value Some
such motive dictated the formation OF the special exm
btion OF engravngs open under the charge OF MT
Edward Hale Greenleaf curator Of the wenknown
Gray collection. The latter was formed by the
late Mr. Francis c. Gray, Of Boston, who de-
voted many years Of his life to making IL
complete. He bequeathed 1t TO Harvard Col
lege, together with sum Of money, the income Oh
which was directed to be spent in taking proper care OF
the collection and in making such additions from time
10 time as would enhance its value. 1t was arranged
and catalogued by Mr. Louis Thies. and remained at
Cambridge from the time OF Mr. Gray's death, about
fifteen years ago, until the opening OF the Museum OF
Fine Arts The college, though not empowered 10
ALLEVIATE the actual ownership then enteredto an agree
ment With the Of the Museum, by the terms OF
which the engravings aud prints transferred TO the
latter on term Of seven years, to be exmoted
10 the public in the new building. Inc loah
viii probably be renewed from time 10 uulo
"a the value of the collection to the peo-
pie is greatly increased by It's removal from
Cambridge into the city, One Of the stpulaons OF the
agreement between the college and the museum is that
the prints shall only be exhibited under glass to general
visitors but that students and others particularly inter
ested in the subject of engraving shall be admitted 10
closer inspection Since its arrival in Boston the col
lection has been entirely rearranged The prints are now
classified under six different schools. French, German
Flemish and Dutch, English, Italian aud American, and
are arranged chrOnolOgcay according to the date OF
the engraver's birth In this way the advance OF en-
craving in each country IL easily followed The por-
traits which form prominent feature OF the collection
are kept separate from the other prints. Eventually
the various branches Of the ar-woodcuts, etchnGs,
1ofao will
the basis Of a subdivision There about one hundred
wOOdcuts and about 300 prints, besides large ana
very valuable assortment of books upon engraving ana
other art subjects. The etchngs include some OF the
finest Rembrandts, and the portrait gallery Is espe
cay rich in works by the French engrayer Of the seven
teenth century. The prints kept permanently on ex
hibtion in the show cases. about hundred being dis
played at time and changed for others at intervals OF
about six weeks In this way the greater number Wn
time have been on view.
AS to the special exhibition Open although contain
ing number of the Gray specimens it is entirely indie
pendent OF that collection. 1t brought together and
arranged for purpose showing at comprehen-
sve glance the rise and progress OF wood engraving
and particularly Of illustrating the point OF excel"
lence respect of technique to which modern Amerl-
can engravers have attained comparison between the
works Of engravers of the past and those of the present
brings out in strong relief the wonderful proficiency OF
the latter II must however be confessed that the diff
ference not all in their favor and that the abandon
ment Of the simplicity Of the old work is not all gain
For its nervous strength they have substituted
a more labOred style, which is In the opinion
Of many better suited to the studied elegance Of metal
work That the purpose Of the exhibition is thoroughly
practical and educational has already been shown The
fact is further illustrated by examination of the col
lection. 1t is divided into prints chiaroscuro prints
books containing wood cuts and fac SMILES and reprints
and each of these groups is subdvided into nationa
ties-German. Italian, French, English and American
afr and
the trustees, having practical end in view, have not
thought 1t necessary go further back than the fifteenth
century and the prints may be said to cover the period
between Albert Durer and the engrayeTs whose works
may be seen in the American magazines Of the present
time.
However the question recently raised and discussed
as to the engravers title TO place among artists, may
ultimately be settled there is no doubt that before
Durers time the wood engraver was merely workman
He was nothing than the successor OF the Egyp-
tan maker OF 81, g t S voS 10 call him an SrtisI
would be q specimen OF euphemsm hardly consistent
with historical truth Restricting his attention to the
mechanical part Of his business he knew nothing OF
drawing OF design and the other hand the artists
o. ne Ies 40 90 MOI c hG couS avail tbemseyes for
any purpose within the legitimate bounds OF art.
whether as the older writer's maintained, Durer was
himself wood engraver. merely drew upon the block
and had the cutting executed by Others he certainly
ercised great influence upon the advancement OF the
art Born in 147 he died in 1928 and while his greater
fame may upon his paintings, his plates and
his invention Of etching the fact is more pertinent to
the present purpose that his initials are found upon
about two hundred enravings wood from his designs
The earliest OF these published in 149S and consist
Of series of sixteen cuts illustrative OF the apocalypse
With them the Special Exhibition in the Boston Fine
Arts Museum appropriately opens, as their publication
certainly marks the rise Of wood engraving into artistic
eminence From that time forward 1t advanced in the
estimation Of artists many Of whom were led to draw
GOD nd nj IN
lions aud supply the enraver with designs far in adj
vance Of those which he had been accustomed "The
Mass of Gregory" The Little Passion" also known
The Fall Of Man and his Redemption through Christ"
"The Arch Of Honor" and five others, including bis
Emperor Macmillan, and his strange study from
fancy and descriptions OF an animal he never saw, The
The exhibition They are all taken from the Gray and
Charles E. Norton collections Beside the cut Emperor
Maximan" probably Of the bOldes ever executed,
has been placed OF the exquisey finished moths Of
Mr.. Henry Marsh. 1t would have. been impossible to
bring vivid contrast the extremes OF ancient
and modern work.
After Ddrer come his contemporaries Lucas Cranach,
born at Cranach Bamberg in 1470, and Hans Burgmar,
o. Augsburg where he born in 1473 Of neither Of
whom is It certain that he engraved although both
undoubtedly drew on wood There in the collection
fourteen plates OF the (" 1riumphs Of Macmillan" OF
Christopher Jeghers engrayng Of Rubens designs four
ton of the Virgin and SChfist in the Wilderness"
Jegher German by birth, although resident OF
time d57g-167OJ There arc also modern impress
siOns IRON Old blocks by Hans Sebald Behaim page
from Luher's Bible 1850, and number OF modern cuts
from illustrated papers and magazines
Italy represented by several cuts Of the sixteenth
century, while those in the French section are all mod
ern many of them being after Dore The first OF the
English "a an India proof Of the Diploma OF the Highland
soeiety, engraved by John Thompson The design for
this work supplied by BENJAMIN Vest and was
transferred to the block partly by ThurtOn and partly
by Luke Clennen. pupil Of Bewick. Clennell then
engraved It, The block burnt after its compile
ton, and the work Of Te-engraving was ntrusted %
John Thompson from whose block the specimen in BOs
ton was taken. A scene from Jerusalem Delivered"
Ia nv