New-York tribune., 1885-03-02
THE SENEY COLLECTION.

highest rank, and In the genres some more thah
sadly weak and frivolous Comparing the examples
French and OF American art we think that Mr oeneS
has selected American pictures with the greater care
The latter comparatively few In number, 10 DO suro'
present good average OF general eKcellsnce Inc s
of the 800 pictures French and these snow
astonishing heights OF achievement side Dy size wiz.
lamcntable depths But 1t is too much 70
ask that any collection should Include ony
masterpieces and Mr. Seney has certainly distinguished
himself among amateurs by securing so many ui''
auestonably great examples OF modern art IL was oh
few years ago that Mr. Seney began his career az COZ
ector. became known as a liberal" Duyer vi
pictures wherever his fancy touched, and In some
instances think that he must have been buyer Oh
But this very lavshness served to place at his
command the best works OF the Paris and New-fork
markets He has acquired some pictures, Ike
Morning." and others Of the remarkable group by THIS
artist like Diaz's at Fontaneblcau dateu
1861. aud Dupres " Threatening Storm" which would
arouse no small excltement among dIetanR were they
to reappear in Paris. The collection Includes
other works like Jules BretoRs Evening
at Finistsrre," Munkacsy's Studio Interior anu
Renours "Helping Hand. which ranked among the
best pictures Of e when they we're shown III tne
galleries of local dealers Doningos spanish CAFE Is
another centre of interest The unilormy high qualV
OF American pcturosis indicated by the mention OF
such names rs Accorid,ii,s, by Mr. Henry Moser
"fhe Reapers Rest" by ID. Knight 4" An Interesting
Game" by Mr.. f. A. Bridgman; "June." by Mr.. George
Inncss The Massachusetts Coast by Mr. q. H. Snilie'
and Z" The Captives" by Mr.. Douglas Volk These e1
ampieS certainly indicate that Mr. Sency had made II
prosperous beginning collector. For this collection
represents the beginning Of his career rs an
amateur despite the fact that he acquired more
paintings than ho could properly house OF
enjoy. Hat Mr.. Scney continued as collector
each year would have witnessed gradual wedding out
OF rubbish until tho end Of let ten years tho
collection would show such sharp contrasts A. AT
present and its average would be far higher col
cctor who desires to becoms a true amateur ana 10
escape dependence upon the word of more or less IN
advisers stands nearly much In need of edu
cation and experience artist Bat II Is most crcda
bic to Mr. Secy that he should nurture love for the ne
arts among the distractions Of an active business life,
and that he should In many Instances crafty THIS love
with such sound Judgment freely chosen collection
this character has at least the advantage OF contain
Ing something TO satisfy evorybudy's taste. The al
mlrers of Bou;errau's abored and highly fin
ishcd paintings will nad In "im-
portaut" example. la Vier.s aux Auges."
pleasure which others will scek IN Mict's simple and
expressive The Iauadrcsses" The accurate workman
ship OF McissOnier's "Ths Smoker" and GcrOnes
Arab Sentinel Guarding tho sultan's Tomb VIII
draw the attention Of some whom the attempted nys-
cism OF IIehcrts ." Ia Yoix Celeste" or the dainty
color scheme of Alfred stevens Tea Rose might
peal in vain The media val-m of the Baron Leys. the
classical researches Of his pupil, Aha Tadeina The
sturdy seafarng folk portrayed 10y Erskne Nico and
the lighter struck By Frmn Girard Zamacois. Mar
chct and their ccmpeers will serve To enlist the most
divergent fancics.
But with all duo recognition Of tho popular
interest always felt In figure pisces which tell
story or express familiar sentiment. think that
the landscapes In ts collection will hold the hrst place
In the regard OF many amateurs. There Is
American collection 10 our knowledge which contains
such group OF Roussoaus aud the number OF the pie
lures less remarkable than the variety Of tho subjects
,I ~ he latt "a re ell Ia
the moods In which the artist worked. In his round Of
the seasons illustrated hero. winter Il unrePresonel
There Is nothing which to quito impressive
as the Winter Solitude" In Mr. WsltersA gallery but
comparison subjects diverse this and tho Morn
ing Disc" Is task worse than thanklc--
Both believe IN the Laurent Richards
sale 1873 Mn, Charles Morgan recently sent TO the
Union League Club Evening" which Il often cassed
as the companion Of this Morning Beside tAc former
and other evening Mr.. scney's collection tie
execution of The Morning seems slight aud unsubsan-
tal /, painted Ina style bcning the subject For
the has expressed the spirit ofs 'pras TIE
ycrna. the foliage green and tender
the air moist and balmy. tue Ille blue sky hecke win
light clouds and the horizon soitened by lighter haze
mi, little canvas brings with II the fresh cool atmos
phers the morning and O spring, AMI yot there II NO
ark of minor Incident AN variety figure tTayer-es
the low land ~ the left foreground among trees whose
truth detail is sufficient aud whie SAIL gllilnrf'
npon the silycry river which winds down through the
middle Of the landscape simple. delicate and pure are
the terms apply nvountariiy 10 this charming and
scape. aud something OF the sAne spirit fingers about
smaller picture. also morning sccn", with peasant
poughing IN the foreground ana beyond hlin me ol
ihcky l-avcd trees rising above his cottage lIsht
greer touched with silver predomuate' IN bsth pic
lures aud suggestion of th9 sane dewy irrsh
rcapp-ar, in still another but less res'lve morn
ing landscap" with woman NJ vel before cottage
Then as the -l grows nors iary we 1.stacsr or ,ne
Landscape nnderges change as IN tue niue NoohIsy
Scene" with woOdhaulers resting beside river. anl Ia
the Cottage. with Group OF Trees" summer subject
AMI the largest In the collection This to us -
less attractive, for the artists subtle sympathy with
nature l. little felt and he gives us only carefully mod
eed towering mass OF foliage against the Sky III the
clear radiance Of summer noon These are noble trees
than In the group OF evening scenes Here Is one
with the rays OF the setting struggling through he
i,e'' another s% cniie Sunset and solitary Tree
broken rocky landscape with st1rA tossed tree l,an
athwar the crimson AMI carminc OF the sunset. Ana
in = third gloomy forest is pierced by the light from
the blazing We ,tern horizon. Morning MONDAY, ani
.enind iha la.t by the "oaE iu Antun an array
trees ia yelows dress about cottage whs.e hue lar
monies with theirs closely that the picture Is almost
There is DuprG deserving Of the first rank and
that is The Threatening storm Ia subject aud exc,
cution II closely resembles 4" SYMPHONY which Will
he Remembered BY recent visitors TO TIE Union
the foreground group Of huge oaks bow before the
storm But the couds charging across The sky ana IN,
tossing bongh. show the approach OF the tempest not OF
night alone. The artist has entered into his subject
working with forco which has r-en to passion. mood
ecuton has been free and mpctuous One could wish
the canvas less heavily loaded but that VIII arrange IL
ssf II the picture can be In proper light When
we have mentioned the Impending storm with its
needless to say much CONCERNING the examples OF
DupT6 For such studies as the Cottage at the River
side aud By the River scotn r. possess only
the melancholy interest attaching To the products Of tho
failing health and eyeslsht Of an artist whose name
and long sustained manufacture Of pot-boiers
one, least of the small pictures attributed
to Duprt which is passaby interesting possibly two. but
that Is ALL
And Diaz has been greater sinner than either
Duprt CorOt. No wonder that many limitations Of
this group Of artists have passed. genuine since some
Of the copies are better painted than some OF the origin
ais IL IL severe test 10 assemble group Of nearly
dozen pCtnrcs signed by Daz. for DiaZs receipt for
picture making seldom varied and ia easy To be-
snfeited one variation there II here which we
think the best OF the grohn summer the FOn-
tanebcau forest painted IN 1851. Green trees from
Diaz are rarity and thiuk these rich masses OF