New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-02-15
ART NEWS AND COMMENTS.
THE WEEK IN ART CIRCLES.
THE MERYoN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF wATER-coLoRs
ART NEWS oUr OF TOWN.


1t seldom happens that there are three exhl-
billions open the time III this city OF so much In
terest as those ut the American Art Galleries. the Acad
envy and tho gallery or Mr.. Frederick Keppe On Sat
urday Mr. Keppel opened the first exhibition OF Meryons
echngs held In this country The works or Hadeh
Whistler Van Grayesande, Hag and other etchers nave
been shown collectively In this city. but knowledge OF
MeryOn has been for the most part confined 10 PRINT COL
lectors. Messrs. $. p. Avery and Howard Mansfield
have len impressions from their ch0lse COT
lections of modern prints to supplement the colIec
tion formed by Mr. Keppeps perseverance, knowledge
and possibly his good fortune There are few OF Mer-
yOns echngs in tho CaghOrn collection, owned By Mr.
T. II. Garrett and still larger number Is included
among the ctchings collected by the late Mrs. NJ j. Nor
gan. But private portfolios usually inaccessible
and the exhibition at No % East Sxteenth-s gives the
public much needed opportunity OF studying the work
done by a who was appreciated too late as one OF
the greatest and most original artists who nave appear
ed I'm Europe" Some account OF Meryon's unhappy life
has already been given In this column, but the story OF
his beginnings In art the influences under which
he came, the subjects which appealed most strongly
to his IMAGINATIVE over wrought mind and the
result OF mental disease fOrcby presented In
his etchngs. Considering the rarity OF the liner I'M
presons this exhibition represents Meryon far better
than we might have expected. It'll credtable to
ITS promoters. In London with the Haywood ana haden
collections and the Meryon prints in the British Museum
to draw upon an exhibition OF higher order would be
possible and this is true also OF Paris The Meryon ex
hbition held by the Burlington Fine Arts Club IN 1879
cannot eGualed here but the criticisms upon the ex
hbltion organized by Mr.. Koppel will come from
amiably selfish connosseurs In Estates" and
unique proofs rather than from the public The portion
OF the public which entirely unacquainted with Meryons
work may be somewhat disappointed at the nrst
sight OF small architectural echngs, but very
little intelligent study will change the hrst Impression 10
surprised appreciation OF the imagination Individuality
and the rare qualities OF draughtmanship, and light and
shade inherent these little etohngs. IL rarely hap
pens that the personal element strongly marked Ia
An artists work. and on this account among others these
prints may be commended to the attention OF some
American etchers.
In the neatly designed catalogue Mr. Keppel has
adopted wedmore's rather than Burtys arrangement
although Burty's numbers are added IN smaller
type Burty's arrangement which Is chronological
seems TO us the proper and It is certainly the most
convenient anxious to obtain correct Idea OF
the artists successive periods. Wedmore's list, how
ever has the advantage OF putting the best work, the
Paris set first This followed BY the best OF the $50
lated etchngs, and then comes large dlVI'lon OF
"minor work" headed by the New-Healand set. For
those Interested only the masterpieces this arrange
ment Is possibly preferable Mr. keppel shows also hat
dozen slight drawings by Meryon, two portraits by
Rr,coueuond and the terrible portrait OF Meryon in-
snuc by Flancug. WedmOre's classification OF states
has been adopted I'm this catalogue mat made
by Burty reference which always means Burty edited
by HAirh. IL more severe, because trial proofs
are enumerated IA states the finer impressions
rank lower than In WcdmOre's list Mr. koppcls OBJ
cctons to this arc sustained by many authorities and
tho classification adopted will certainly be generally
satisfactory without regard 10 this particular point,
however II impossible not to regard Burty IA the
original and moro valuable commentator upon Meryon,
and Wedmore in large part compiler and borrower
The usual list OF AIeryon's etched work contains
A. "a aufa lp
different states OF each plate are numbered for cou'
| v.nience and these with the drawings and portraits
.weu the lat To ~ II Is headed by the cover
for the Paris set the etched verses to Leeman, auu
other Introductory designs OF minor interest when
rcedo lie >trgge" that "horned and Winged Demon
the incarnation all owl and disastrous things which
the Gothic Imagination has set among the carved stones
NJ N,tre Dame" Minis which Is probably more gen
orally known than any other o; Meryons subjects there
are four states including first state, with the verses
prlntcd upon the groesh rUge paper selected Dy the
artist himself which greatly reoices the true col
I,ctor Here MCryou allowed himself certain license
in the t aud shade in the hdows OF the street below
md in the relation OF It's buildings to the perspective,
Int the essential Of the etching Is Of course the
eynresson OF the demon brOOdng with sinister satlsIac-
ton over the and suffering Ofthe city below Another
instance Of departure from exact facts Is seen in
| I, Fctt Po,t" whore the composition was probably
made up from different sketches and tho towers ap
near higher than they would be- from the point OF view
finally adopted The artists peculiar tact III balancing
lint and s de and rendering water appears here and
~ w ~ Arch of Totre Dame" In both, especially In
the latter Meryons mysterious ttle hgures DeSIh TO
appear something more tnan stDdge % be endowed
Win an animated significance OF tnelr own More DIS
tinctlye still the "Galery OF Notre Dd"e WIN the
city stretching away below ana the lRh nhay ulseu
through Gothic upon the stones. IL not strange
that this etching ana II S"y91 naor nave whose
pe1 under Meryon's needle; p od ra ail,
ts bare architectural lines barred Windows ana threat
enlng shadows, Is impressive II Is even an evidence o,
y hy .Hch OPAQUE oyerbteu blacks. This point
comes up again anu again, ana Buity CRITICISM IhaS
Old Paris but his platos were frequently overoit
| ten seems Justified Ia The Clock Tower ana Ine
ncioriai flower ~ the Rue de Ia Itrdnderte there
Arc nne gradatOns OF light and shade, Dut one OF tho
artists most significant 60 % the T T,t state the
between shadow GU ,, Tue ie hG tha
wall and iSht "P ponteo I've ke ays0 it's places
i'm the composition, much more strongly marked thah
Ia dG 9 "a probably nearer nature Here tho
viii attract attention The difference In inc staos arc
partly dslnguished by differences OF attitude In nenre
| on the scanOding to the right. The Pump OF Nore
Dane with the significantly useful lines OF Tue piles
urecede lie Ponf NeiJ the bridge recently partially
destroyed The first state OF thls printed upon eerge
naner may have a moro mysterious ana chara9erlstc
meet than the state out the latter presents more
clearly the gradaiions from the sneI "St"r 70 UIaso
towers bathed ia sunIiyl a aHaiu 70 tno u,'y ms
! uhere above the roofs and chlnneys OF the city'
| Mr. Keppel also shows minor states with Tue chi;n
ncys removed OF one OF the hnest examples Vi
etched work the POnf Change, there IS a trial
proof before sky ngures or iIy p'intns, cnt W M
launching with the BURN aud his introduction OF Dirds
and balloons In the sky The beautifully simple lines OF
| hridro and quay drawn aud meeting with wonderful
cIncness tho hurrying figures upon the bridge, the
e,Ivnx water and warm light upon the Palace or Ju'-
tra'arc features characteristic of MeryOn and here
most; exqusitely expressed. The two master pieces
whch remain Illustrate two contrasting moods Gloom
IA upperinost IN The MorRue whose simple DOrlc out
line IA drawn into the sembgnce OF tomb. with arrea
door Ike "A grim face beside II, with many wndOweu
houses raising their fronts behind as brualy curious
a. the oilers hanging the parapc with men on tue
! hear "A
frantic woman rushing by tho stern genddr0'e ana WIN
the black pitiless water flowing on below from ths
tbe most terrible OF Meyons etchings, we turn TO inc
beautiful harmony Of tho Apso OF NofTe Dame. tor
once the popular verdict Is right The perfect compo,
sitou the delightfully."- curvng lines or parapet shu
bridge perfectly depicted how OF the river snI Ino
hney dilrsed light stamp this IA Meryons best WORK
The mpresson il Richer Of course printed WITH rcD0hs
San, mi many will lind the simply printed Impression
preferable THIS mention OF tue Paris set must cohouuo
| Ipresnnt nntice Of a reInhI kahle exhinton.