The New York herald., 1879-07-13
FINE ARTS.

TIE COLLECTIONS OF THE METROPOLITAN
MUSEUM
visit made yesterday to the Metropolitan Mu-
of Art the Central Park, under the guidance
General di Cesnola, the director showed that the
work OF installation OF the collections moved from
the old quarters the museum in Fourteenth street
is progressing rapidly possible under the cir
cumstances of the fact that the ordered
ready cannot be delivered before the end
of August. probably later. regrettable circum-
stance to be noted is that much inconvenience will
result from the fact that only onehalf of the
needed will be available this year. the legislative
appropriation provides that half of the necessary
funds for the equipment and establishment of
the museum is to be paid this year and
half next. 1t is not certain that the museum will be
opened to the public in November, as previously an
nounced. the may not be ready in time. but
General di Cesnoa and the trustees will do all that
they can to have the opening in that month The
first and second Cesnola collections from Cyprus.
which now form whole, will be arranged in the
space along the walls and under the galleries of the
immense main hall of the first floor and in the
smaller east halls opening of of it. On the north
side OF the main hall upright will be arranged
along the walls and rectangular at suit
able distances opposite them. In these will
be placed the small statuary, busts. heads
and inscriptions of stone On the other side
in similar cases will be placed the like objects in
terra Gotta and earthenware. About twenty thousand
pedestals will be needed for these objects, and they
now being manufactured in the building as fast
possible In the east halls will be the larger stauary
in formed about the walls. while the sarco-
phagi will be arranged in the space between. In the
corresponding west halls will be the statuary. The
body OF the main hall will be hereafter devoted to
loan collections of various objects of art but these
cannot be arranged this on account Of the un-
availability of the second half of the appropriation.
In the northern gallery. running along the side of
the great main hall, which is like railway station
and entirely unsuited to museum for it dwarfs all
objects placed it, is too much lit and would easily
and in good proportion admit of the placing of an
Egyptian obelisk in the centre, will DO placed in
running along the wall the objects of ancient
Greek glass The gold and silver ornaments and
gems Will go in upright and table cases arranged III
the space between the walls and the balcony, from
which one looks down to the floor OF the main hall.
In the corresponding gallery on the other side will
be placed the Avery collection OF Oriental porcelain
kindred objects loaned to the museum, the Bryant
vase and the King collection of engraved gems
bought recently by Mr.. John Taylor Johnston, the
president the museum, and held at its disposal.
The four picture galleries, placed two and two
lengthwise at the east and west OF the great main
hall the second story and communicating with
the longitudinal galleries of the latter are admirably
disposed and lighted. Inc pictures VIII show TO
western galleries General di Cesnoa proposes to
place collection to be formed of pictures by de-
ceased American artists of merit. and dating from
colonial times His project Is an admirable one ana
meets with the hearty approval of Daniel Hunting
ton, president of the National Academy OF Design.
OF the vice presidents of the museuin and chair
OF the Committee on Painting and Sculpture.
ana OF Frederic s. Church. the well known artist,
one of the trustees who will take charge of the
matter having keen appointed committee for that
purpose by General di Cesnola. The collection of
thirty y-nine pictures and studies by Kensett. and
given by him to the museum, are now in place on
the wall and will form the nucleus of the col
lection which will be added to by donations loans
and purchases when in time funds become available.
The larger and inner gallery will be hung with the
modern pictures owned and loaned to the nstitu-
tion 1t is hoped that in few years the formation
of collection of the best examples of modern art
will be commenced. In the two corresponding gal
leres the east side are being hung. under the d
of AIR. Daniel Huntington the collection OF
old masters owned aud loaned to the museum.
These being arranged for the best effect aud not
by schools. as there are not enough specimens OF
each. In the larger gallery. where the hanging is
nearly finished, the work OF the Flemish and Hol
landish schools predominates.
1t is proposed to devote the main hall on the
ground floor to the collections illustrating indus
trial art now being formed for the museum, under
the direction of Professor Thomas Egieston of the
School of Mines, Columbia College. On this
floor the directors Office the store and repairing
rooms where the d,sjecta members of the Cypriote
collections are being repaired 1he duplicates will
be formed into small collections, illustrating Cypr
ote art. and be sold or exchanged with colleges and
museums throughout the country. Governor Nc
Clellan of New Jersey has already spoken for col
lection for that State. t. be deposited at Trenton
where they will be of great service to the poteres
and porcelain manufactures. The work of classf-
cation and arrangement of the Cesnola collections
is gong forward rapidly, under the direction or
General di Cesnoa. ably assisted by Professor A.
Duncan Savage, his nrst assistant
From the annual report OF the trustees, just
issued take the following:-
"The subject of industrial art schools has engaged
the anxious attention of the trustees. gentleman
of large means. leisure and experience, with whom
the subject has been study for years. has kindly
offered to assist the projected schools with money.
time and the result his experience. With his
valuable aid no doubt is felt of prosperous begin
ming to this attempt to supply a long felt want.
"rhe second Cesnols collection has heretofore re-
Of IL known as the Curium Temple treasures. This
Cesuola collection The plan of arrangement in the
building has been with the trustees subject of
much labor ana now that the entire collections are
actually in the main hall Of the building it
fest that it will be difficult to avoid crowdng too
greatly the valuable Cypriote specimens preventing
their accessibility to students and injur;ng their in
terest to general visitors II justice is done to the
other collections.
Already therefore it is manifest that the building
in the Park is not large enough for the accommoda-
tion and proper exhibition of tine collections of the
museum, supplemented as these must be by perma-
nent loan collections of objects belonging to citi
zens. The museum can never so well illustrate con-
temporary art by loan collections and there is
reason to doubt that hereafter freproof build
ing, with fine facilities for exhibition. we shall find
the generous Kindness OF our fellow citizens in
lending their ever increasing treasures for public
exhibition even more free than in the past and con-
sequenuy requiring more and more room for their
exhibition.
'.The plan Of tho extensive building of which the
present structure is the beginning includes an ex-
tension by wings running north and south from the
present building These wings can be added from
time 10 time without large expenditures. The ne
cessity OF an additional wing is already evident.
The subject of applying to the Legislature for the
means TO extend the building in such way shall
accommodate the necessities of the museum is COM
mended to the attention OF the members
s'The trustees have entered the new building which
Is to be the permanent home of the museum. with
the warmest wishes for and the utmost confidence
in the future power for good of the institution
under their care. New plans of usefulness and new
departments OF art Illustration are now rendered
possible
Tho number of visitors to the museum during the
past year has been - 932 of whom 26,l37 free
visitors and 3795 paid admission; $40 tickets
for art students have been issued and used by them
during the year. the total number OF visitors to
the for six years from 1878 to 1872 has been
353, i21.
The present financial condition of the museum is
ascertaned from the report to be as follows:-
Total subscriptions to fund, paid. s.I24 675 O6
Donations of works of art, value. 7s.245 30
Loans payable. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $500 90