New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE SPANISH MASTERS. BY EMgLYN w. WAsHBuRS'
New-York: G. p. Putnams Sons

THE SPANISH MASTERS. BY EMgLYN W. WAsHBURS'
New-York: c. p Putnams sons
as o,;do look TO the lesser known painters of
Snain this hand book for the most part carefully
ard ;,tellieentiy arranged undoubtedly possesses
a value Yet IL may be questioned whether the
came is worth the caLdle after all. For when we
excert yelazQue7, and possibly half dozen others,
we find that the priest ridden art of SPAIN depend
ent as il was in general upon Italian inspiration has
lacked the vitality and original force which made
the Flemish and Dutch masters and the itahah
schools of the best Renaissance period such nnuen-
tial factors in the history and philosophical devei
opment of art. 1t would sometimes seem that Vne
author feels her position to be that of special
pleader for weak cause which she seeks u
strengthen by enthusiastic comment and euiogy'
often misnlaoede and calculated to lead tho reader
astray, and to confound in his mind the WIDE as
tinctions which exist between the artists OF whoin
she treats This tendency to make the most OF
little men results in apparent lowering OIL a's'S
like Velazauez the great rcallst; MurlIo "no'
whatever may be thought of his indlvidua iorce Is
noxt IN Velazouez best known in Spanish art Inr-
baran Coello Joanes, GOria Rlbera ana opagno-
letto although the last two belong to SPAN only oy
The accident of birth In the first chapter we lind
the author regretting the scantlness OF Information
relative to Spanish art before the seventeenth
century. Why this deficiency should be regretted
is not clear since there satisfactory evidence that
nothing of an artistic value existed IN Spain before
that time And il was hardly worth her while TO
hunt ND tales of mssals Illuminated by Spanlards
in the eleventh or twelfth centuries. Ihe early
Spanish painters show the effects of German lnhu-
ence as those of the Renaissance reveal the influence
of Italy; and these foreign influences are some
times slurred over in the opening chapters. Inc
older Spanish writers, as PalOnimo fontz ana
~ AZ tnV1Ol lffhf
and grave the former entertaining the latter often
poorly assimilated There Is much OF interest III
Inc chapter upon the Escorial and the schools OF
Valencia Seville and Madrid. For exact analysis
and tborou Oh knowedg the student Will be forced
TO 90 elseN here than to tho chapters upon NeIal-
ouez and Murillo and the exhaustive photography
and list of VelazQuezs works by Mr. c. h. Curtis,
issued not long since is sufficient in Itself 10 lhd-
cate the sghtness, perhaps inevitable, OF this an-
thor's work Her opinions, often amusingiy NAVE
and the opinions selected from Others. seem TO US
likely to cause unnecessary confusion. Her facts
are evidently the result of much interested labor.
and we see no reason to donbt her general accuracy
Tho author has brought together much infoma-
ton that was previously inaccessible, or scattered
through the volumes of early writer's and such au-
+borities as Stirling Max we'll Head and Ford. Her
index of Spanish painters is valuable feature out
with all due credit to her Jealous industry VIC can
not feel the existence of the long felt want pre-
supposed by the appearance of so la5or1ous book'
THE UNITED STATES ART DIRECTORY AND YEAR
NOOK (second YearA Compiled by 5. r. koEHLEB.
New-York: Cassel & Co
The second volume of the Art Directory furnishes
n review of American art from October, 1852, to
the close of 1888. A more convenient division
would be to include In each volume the art season
proper from September or October to the following
Nav or June. Mr.. Koehler has discharged his
duties with the same faith funess and exactness
which have been noted in The Magazine Of art lie
presents brief but udcIous accounts OF the princ-
pal exhibitions and the features of sculpture archi
lecture decorative art and the reproductive arts
for the time specified, together with notices OF
prizes and competitions museums and public col
lections cold masters in the United States"
American art in Europe, neurological list OF
artists a statistical table of exhibitions, a refer
ence to the tariff question, and a catalogue OF art
books and periodicals. TO this comprehensive sur
yey he has appended list of local art institutions
70 general as to include even the Albuquerque
IN. NJ Exposition and Driving Park Association.
with its offer Of medals for painting, penmanship
and other branches of the fine arts. An Artists D-
rectory q classified index, and reproductions OF
mixtures prominent at various exhibitions complete
n laborious and accurate compilation which has no
SLIGHT yalue as a work of reference