The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-04-06
sUME NEW BOOKS.


then you meet people alive to the merits Of
MbsrA. Juanes. and Morales but with these ex-
eeptions the lllustrious figures In the rich his-
tory OF Spanish: pictorial art are not oven known
o. name to the great majority Of so-calied Gull
0vatod persons IN the United Stnt,-s. The COM
curative neglect Of the earlier Spanish mastcrs
- well a. Of some notable work dono as late as
ot tbs close OF the last century is due parity to
he fact that many OF lie pictures worth study
ing ars not TO be found at Madrid. Seville
lransds and Valencia. but Of, tho beaten
routes Of travel. in the churches and converts
, Ct provincial towns Neither Is adequate as
sistance obtninablo from English writer's by
those who would trace the development OF art
In the IheriNn peninsula There is. to be sure.
much useful Information scattered through the
pages Of Eord's guide book. and there arc two
or three books purportlng to discuss tho pic
toeial side OF the Spanish renaissance In q con-
eeeutive and toleribly exhaustive way. OF
shsse books however. tho best known. Stirling
0axwell's. IL rather anccdoticnl than critical
What has long been nee lol Is n concise man
0al which should not only enable the reader to
follow each important step In the evolution Of
Spanish art. but supply such definite informn-
tion with respect 10 pictures not contained in
the best known collections ma will show the
prospective traveller what to look for and where
% ind II. To meet this want is the aim Of some
unpretentous but pleasing and serviceable pa
psrs By ENEirN W. WAsHBuEN on the Early
GDantah Masters tPutnamsl For biographical
facts the author has gone to the original
sources. to Bermudez and Paomino. and for
critical judgments 10 Head Wilkie. Kug!er.
Ford. and. occasionally. to Stiring-Maxwell.
The writer does not profess to offer any origi-
nal. much less revolutionary. opinions respect
ing Spanish art. but undertakes simply to point
out what was accomplished by painters too
little known. and to indicate the view Of their
respective merits which is generally accepted
bv students OF the subject. The nature OF the
service rendered will be made clear by refer
snoss to some Of the most interesting topics
tfsatsd In this volume. In the course OF which.
howsvsr. va shall overlook what the author has
70 say about velasquez and Mnrilo in whom
Spanish painting Ia almost universally assum-
ID to have touchsd its apogee. and conflne our
selves to less famous artists belonging TO the
preceding and the succeeding age.
The Museum OF the Prado exhibits but few
pictures by native artists who lived earlier than
The age Of the Emperor Charlea. and there is
90 doubt that Spanish painting borrowed its
processes and its standards OF technical ex-
csllenes from the schools OF Italy. This re-
lotion OF pupilage accounts apparently for the
tact that painting eliminated at least n con-
tury later In the 1berian than In the Italian
peninsula But while the Spnniard was in
debted to italian masters for his method of
pictorial expedition. he brought to his work an
inspiration Of his own In the fervent pietv
which offers a sharp contrast to the essentially
pagan spirit Of the italian renaissance. This
religious fervor. which shines forth with pecu-
liar intensity in the works Of Juanes and Mo-
rales. seems to have spent itself by the end of
NxAnf rI fnr
- the Spanish tyre Of religion affect
Cd art At al. 1t exerted a repressivs in
duencs. and although 1t could not stins
The powers Of velasQuez and Murillo. it
Internationally narrowed their field Of sub
3ects and cramped their treatment. The atti-
tuds assumed by the Inauisiton toward paint
ing 10 made clear by the author OF this
book through some pertinent quotations from
Juan Pacheco who wns at one time employed
BY the Holy Once as inspector Of the moral
tendency Of pictures. pacl,eco. 1t seems was
greatly shocked by the naked figures in the
Last Judgment" Of Michael Angelo. and told
the story OF Bishop who had made the voy.
age to America. but who said that he would
rather face hurricane In the Gulf OF bermuda
than ofnc;ate again opposite certain altar
piece. 1t IL known that the 1nquisiton en-
forced upon the painter rigid penance in all
avows himself deeply afflicted at seeing the in
Sant Jesus represented naked In his mothers
arms. for Saint Joseph. lie says. had an office
and was well of. and would never therefore.
have allowed his child 10 want the bare neces-
stiles which the meanest bAggar can afford.
Elsewhere Pacheco writes: What can be more
foreign from the respect which we owe to Our
Lady the Virgin than to paint her sitting down
With one OF her knees placed over the other.
and often with her sacred feet uncovered and
aaked?" We scarcely ever. therefore. In Span
.sh pictures see the feet Of the Virgin. Car
aucho speaks more particularly on the impro-
,riety of painting the Virgin unshod. since it IL
manifest that Our Lady was In the habit OF
wearing shoes. as is proved by the much
vcnsrsted relic OF one Of them from her divine
feet in the cathedral at Burgess" 1t is curl
qua fact that In Pacheco's time 1t was pre-
Scription Of the InQuis!tion tina. In pictures OF
the Conception the Virgins feet should rest on
Acrescsnt with horns pointing downward. 1t
Is evident that this rule must have been relaxed
In the next century. since the horns Of the cres.
cent turn upward on Murillo's canvas.
Among the remarkable native painters en-
pioyed By CharesV. was Alonzo BerruCueto.
He was pupil Of Michael Angelo. and, like
his master. rrSctised the three professions OF
painting. sculpture. and architecture. The
eame thing may be said Of his fellow country
man Becerra. and the hest work Of each artist
was done with the ohisel Some OF the best
paintings Of Berru9ueto were executed for the
cathedral at Palencia. OF Giovanni Spagnuolo
who. next to Raphael. has been thought the
most distinguished Of PeruRino 's SC GLARS there
arc no pictur~s In bis native country Spain.
Morales has been compared with Fra Angeli-
%. and lie seems to have owed less than any Of
n Ia - ~. IA