New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-25

!. ,1snruan n1U u6lanns = - toeA ny -
...x.,,iv .s1pAl. esnHdbu1Aoss - the art produss
a. the ysas aev Sns tAsss ars sdsQpass - uins-
1rat,ons az the tsxt h Q Qassttsn wAiee WI -
ysr,ousy answered asosrdtng - ones ssumsss Oh
the POEM. In Resssttts Blessed Damossr' hsav.
en- and earth arc mingled In soms~h"
pussling confusion. The language. the imagery
the whole plan Of treatment suggest an insohs'
spirituality, but the conception or the poem -
purely sensuous and so. when carefully exam'heu'
is it's entire DEVELOPMENT In this respect 1t has
presented itself to the artist and we believe tha'
he has shown true appreciation OF 1t. aitnousn
ess critical admirers of Rossetti will charge him
with lack Of poetica sentiment Possibly DC mas
gone little too tar In the right direction. Inc
male lover should not 20 to heaven looking IKE q
handsome Young Fifth avenue club man with most
OF his clothes OF aud IN the Blessed Dsmozefs iacs
we light at least seek for the wonder which 'he
poet tells not yet gone from that sui LOON VI
hers. But there 10 not much to int that this ""s
one OF Gods chersters There Is no deep ekproS-
sion on her countcnance in any OF the drawings
and 10 some of the most important OF them sno up
pears with her eyes nearly quite closed. ms IL
the more remarkable because the deep look IN her
eyes was evidently a favorlte thought Win 'h'
poet. In the first stanza where she
leaned out
From the gold bar of heaven, =,
Her eyes were deeper than the dep.n
OF waters Slillcd ut even.
Rut in Mr. Coxs represen tatlon of this passage BIO
seems TO be asleep. The Lady Mary Is 'e''
worldly lady indeed. Even the angelic Eros "ho'i
the artist with pa rdonable deviation from tne
exhibits In the act of Joining the lovers hahos' 10
the art q, handsome man whom we might expect.
hut for his wings and his nskedness. meet On ter
restr1al streets Giving all thee objections, now
ever their utmost weight il still remains true that
Mr. Cox has produced a set OF strong and graceful
drawings We agree with tho opinion expressed IN
Mrs. Schuyler Van Ro1sseaers Appendix that his
treatment of the nude is wholly unobjectionaoie.
1t IS bold sincere, aud chaste
Mr.. Barpard's six" Character Sketches from
Thackeray" nearer to the originals than his
pictures from Dickens, and yet they are not quite
satisfying. They are the work of n clever man who
has read bis Thackeray diligently. and picked up a
great many useful hints. but has not really got HIM
self in.oS the0 mood of his author.
Thackeray'N own sketches have fixed our
ideals of his prlnO1pal characters 80 firmly that
no artist can hope to do more now than develop
those crude drawings exactly In the temper
of the Original; and to do that would
be an achievement indeed. Mr. Barnard has tried
to do it with Colonel Newcome. Major Pendennis,
NJ .ior Dobbln, and Captain Costigan, and In each
case he has weakened his model. In The Little
Sister from 1.-The Adventures OF Philip" he was
hampered by no embarrassing traditions, ana thls
is pretty picture His Becky Sharp Is oold
departure from Tbackeray the authors curously
inartisiic skeich of Becky were symbocal rather
than il,ustrat We; and although what we see here.
is not the Becky Sharp familiar To our magma
ton but a much more beautiful and dangerous
woman it is a subter representation Of character
than anything else IN Mr. Barnard's collection.
Our advice 10 book illustrators Is to let alone
Thackerav and the early works of Dickens.
The present generation is not likely to accept any
substitute however good, for the old pictures
which have become almost part Of the texture OF
the nov. ls.
Mr.. Arnold has produced fluent and readable.
if not q very spirited translation Of Goethe's yer
sion OF "Reynard the Fox" and has prefxed to 1t
an Introductory letter contai ming all that the gen
era reader will wish to know about the history OF
that famous satire. The illustrations by kaulbach
are wonderful studies in animal expression, and
many of them convey a meaning no less sharp than
that of the poem itself Their humor Is OF the gro
tesaue rather than the drol variety for the sense
of pure fun never has been developed in Germany
but 1t is neverthe less rich humor, aud it would
be worth our while to study it. KaulbacRs draw
,ngs are inserted IN the text. The plate engrav-
ings. after Joseph Wolf. are of inferior interest
The volume is sumpiuously printed, and despite All
ipartistc cover II will make popular holiday pub
hcatlon, besides being gooi standard edition OF
one Of the worlds most ce ebrated books