New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-18
MUNKACsYs "CHRIsT BEFORE PLATE" :


kaosys Christ before PLATE" was placed upon CT.
hbition yesterday at the Twenty street Tabor.
| nace." The auditorium has been painted In sobes
colors the proscenium arch filled In with dark red
curtains aud tho attention Of the spectator 10 thers.
tore focused upon the picture what in the
ner familiar to admirers OF stcreoscopo views. Tho
canvas which occupies twenty feet of the middle
of the STAGE Is lighted from above and barrier keeps
the curious at a respectful distance The cbarac,er-
is tic arrangements OF yesterday included the disbu-
ton Of pamphlets containing what might be termed
apotheoss Of the artist, with fervid accounts Of the
European successes OF this picture and udciouscomp
ments to America. These and kindred circumstances
are noteworthy only account of the claims strenu-
ousy put forth that this picture In conception and
sentiment is religious" and that in execution it Is
| almost unprecedented work Of art The term re-
gious In the best implies fervent belief entire
sincerity and high moral elevation qualities which
not conspicuous in this picture. A to execution,
there are evidences Of bold and dashing brushwor d
coorng sometimes rich and impressive OF q consider.
able tact In individuazing characters upon large
| and crowded canvas and Of a dramatic ability IN
portrayIpg the more violent emotions The methods
OF the artist direct occasionally brutal and We find
In this picture in other works constant effort tor
strong presentation by the opposition OF torcible con-
is readily aokno wledged The subleties OF light and
past with whom TIE artists name has been most mis-
t%kepy lin ked are more within hs re, CHI than is a.
adequate conception OF the SUBJECT which has been
| chosen tor its effect upon the multitude.
The picture needs little description, for its compost
ton is already familiar The is vaulted room
li.hted by some method which Is perhaps the only
thing upon the canvas LETT TO the imagination. Tho
blue Of the Oriental sky and bit OF Landscape are
underneath the heavy arches through the square
windows, a slight relief to the sulen shadows OF the
remoter nterloT The slender figure Christ clad in
long white robes stands nearly In the centre OF the
| foreground, relieved against opaque shadows and
| ID he 4. Of.
markedly ascetic type The expression Is one OF suf-
| ferlng save that brow and eyes express something
approaching to disdan. The second figure Is that OF
Pate seated upon throne to the right and robed In
white His square and massive head is like bust OF
| Roman Emperor, but his face shows hesitation and
perplexity. Caiaphas. the High Priest stands on the
lower step Of the dais his right hand outsretched
toward the Saviour. pouring forth his accusations.
Near him sits wealthy Pharee in long red robes and
halI-curious nsolence. On Pilates lett a Rabbi in
sumptuous blue robes leans forward intent and eager
as il questioning whether this new doctrine might
possibly be true. these three figures TO us the
strongest single parts OF the picture They ere admir-
able erizations Another Rabbi more hostile.
also sits on Pilates lett and his right ali ndier-
ent spectator or Scribe leans against the wall and
various doctors whisper together glancing at Plate
the Saviour. Behind the latter a stalwart Roman
soldier, consr icuous hgurr, barearmed aud bare
legged, his rediish-brown mantle thrown over his
shoulder, stands with his back turned, keeping back
the camorous mob with the long handle OF his spear
One swarthv ruffan. ferce OF aspect perhaps .
demonac, demands with mounted voclieration
and upossed arms the punishment OF the Christ. All
around the angry rabbie press forward. Compassion
Is shown only by a Borrowing Jewess who lifts her
child to show It the Saviour
II will readily be perceived that the artist has NOS
felt himself dependent upon tradition upon senti
ment. nor upon necessity tor archaeological accuracy
In the types, the costumes and the architecture.
What he has done has been to paint strong picture
of an intensely dramatic in entirely realistic
manner and this picture is exhibited In a way 70 IN
the realistic eject to help the bgures as the
common expression is. in standing out " from the
canvas This is realism and simple, and, as has
been very well said. the picture Is an illustration OF
the Gospel according TO Keenan," should never
have ventured paint Divine figure" the artist has
said Z" tor what H. Divine cannot be painted Tho
painters of simpler more devout, ages have thought
differently but in this instance left free to
slider the choice and delineation OF model. Tho
artists Christ is particularly differentiated from tho
turn oil perpexty wrath all Sides but the central
figure remains calm occupied might say more with
Pilates mental conflict than with the results 10
himself Instances of such selfmastery. under
equally adverse circumstances are well within tho
range of human experience. The artists conception
but failed to reach the heights OF that
infinite pity which could utter theprayer Father tor
give them tor they know not what they do In short.
the hguro which Munkacsy depicts might be any
strong example OF the ascetic type borne up by fixed
purpose and implicit faith in his destiny and mission
That the arti.t should have invested his model with
even much expressiyeness this il most creGable,
for hesitate TO take seriously the talk Of his con-
ception OF his subject. W may well doubt whether
his conception went much beyond thugs outward
and visible Ii may not be true that the artist
readily offered to paint another Christ" when his
manager criticised the first figure In any
told that he did rrpaint the figure and that his first
idea to represent Christ as proud philosopher,
law gver, confident of the eternity OF his work. and
despsng those who thought that they could destroy
it by destroying him. This possibly helps to under
stand the artists comprehension OF bis theme Ii
found that the public to this bitter conemp-
Christ ana in Difference to popu criticism the
artist softened down his model, and endeavored 10
express play and sorrow. Much tor the former
criticisms remains. yet the subject may well be
deemed impossible. In purely pictorial way. two or
thraa of he iorura
PLATE himself better than the figure OF CHRIST In
tact the artist has painted many OF his minor figures
with much the centre centres OF interest.
The figure OF Caiaphas has dignity sometimes lost
in other instances by the effort 10 express agitated
action. The wealthy Rabbs and even the ri fhans OF
the mob Or the most part interesting studies in
their cleverly indvidualized expressions OF indier-
ence malevolencc dstrus hatred and brutality Ii
not for The high attributes mista kenly assigned 10 his
pictures, attributes impossible for the artist and in
part impossible Tor this age that this picture worthy
of notice, but a varied study of models arranged
with considerable cleverness invested with much
pressiveness, and painted iorcibly II coarsely.
The drectness OF Munkacsy's methods is illustrated
upon this canvas, although the picture shows some
notifications OF his familiar manner. lie Is not q
subtle workman. lie does lot pride himself upon sug
costing much by slight means. tie aims TO present his
subject strongly to attack the eye at once lhis has
been done the present Instance The notifications
a extended range of cOors, greater brill
fancy, and decrease IN the sooness so frequently
remarked in his work. Nevertheless, he acts upon the
eye here by violent contrasts OF light and shade and
opposing OF color and opportunities tor the use
OF half tones and delicate gradauons are sacrificed.
His shacows still Opaque. his blacks sometimes
rich in their intensity again muddy 10 de-
stroy any feeling of modelling, IN the figure lifted
above the crowd Often he has lost sight OF texture
in this eAor: for forcble coorng. ltis impossible
distinguish the stus OF the costumes to tell whether
the steps OF the dais of metal. wood stone and
Is hard 10 say whether the floor bears Mosaic or
Oriental rug In the costumes which show many stif
metallic folds, this failing is especially noticeable The
reiet of the figures is gained in part by exaggera
ton of the shadows This and the large contrasts OF
color show thickness which would be pardon
able in painting OF panorama. Sometimes tho
coorng is splendidly intense rs in the blue robe on
the right Again we find 1t permea'ed By an opacity
which is also noticeable the hesh tnts. The right
arm OF the voctcrating demonac is OF eccentric
drawing the remoIer figures blurred by bitumnous
shadows, and the sympathizmg Jewess, a more con-
Yeniional thnn others and her child seem %