New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-16
sEMBRANDrs ETcHINGS.
rm wuNpEnLIcN EXHIBITION -raE VARIOUS

THE wUHpERLIcH EXHIBITION THE VARIOUS
PHASES OF THE MAsrrN ILLUSTRATOR.
After the examples of misdirccted effort. of tho
commonplace. the specifically clever. which rep
resent most Of the etching OF the day, there Is need
Of renewing acquaintance with work which Is and
always must be q standard, and the exhibition OF
Rcmorandts efchings at the Wunderlich gallery Is
therefore peculiarly timely. This IL the first Rem
brandt exhibition, believe, which has been held
in NcwYork and the general quality OF the impress
sons Is admirable. The catalogue Of tho instructive
Rembrandt exhibition recently held In the Boston
Art Museum enumerated all the $50 etchings and
dry points Rembrandt and the eleven whose authen
tcIty disputed, and the prints which were unattan-
able were illustrated in reproductions. The exhibit
ton at the wunderllch gallery contains 100 etchngs
and dry points together with some etchings by Walt
ner Kocpping and other modern artists after Rem
brandt's work with the brush. Most of the etchngs
shown In Boston from the remarkable coilec-
tlvn Of Mr. Henry +. Sewall. OF this CITY, collection
with which public has an insufficient acquaintance.
The wunderch exhibition is not comprehensive
in the full sense Of the word. but 1t illustrates all
the various phases of the master Of the art with exam
pies from various distinguished European collections
which usually f'notabe merit.
Bartsch's arrangement By subjects has been fol-
lowed in the wunderlich exhibition in preference to
the Vosmacrs chronological order, which was adopted
for the exhibition in BOSTON. firth state OF the
Rembrandt IN Turned-up Hat" from the Buccleugh
BY himself, and these are followed in order by the
religious subjects. genres and classical subjects, land
scapes and portraits. Tho question Of states offers
chance for indefinite discussion which is best left
TO the various authorities Middleton has been &C
cused by Mr.. Haden OF unnecessarily multiplying
states. evil common to all catalogue
makers, to quote Mr. Koeher, with
" good time coming when trial proofs will no longer
he described states. and press scratches and dher
in printing will be recognized for what they are"
We notice that In the wunderlich catalogue the REM
brandt and his wife' and the small LAZARUS are
described as first states, without tho additional In
formation that only state exists. 1t Is correct,
OF course, according to the best catalogues to describe
the Great Jewish Bride7 first state and yet this
rare impression, like the first state OF The Cold
wegber,' is simply trial proof from unfinished
plate. Tho latter, like the first state Of the
young Haarng,7 also practically a trial proof is
from the Buccleugh collection But, since proofs
from unfinished plates established states in the
catalogues their special interest for connoisseurs must
he recognized, even though that interest be due 70
difficulty of attainment more than to supcrlative In
rfnsic excellence. II through the collection
hastily with an ego to rarity, we find an early i'm
preston Of the Jesus Found by His Parents' another
Of "The Little La Tombe," also showing bur like the
impression In the sewal collection first state Of the
GOOD Samaritan" with the horses tail white,
plate recognized by Blanc, Bartsch and others, but
questioned BY Middleton and asde1 ,sh first state
preston of the View Of omva" and another of the
"Yiew Of Amsterdam; fourth state Of the Village
with Tower showing considerable bur an early
impression of The Canal" and another of The Mi'
to which Rembrandts name has been absurdly given:
excellent second state OF the Landscape with
Cow first state Of the Dr. Faustus.' also in tho
nso thee sGgs aa 81
state of the John Lutma" and another OF the Jan
of the "Uytepbogaert' rich impression Of the third
state Of the Burgomaster SIX Of which the Gray
collection contains second state and first state
These Impressions and others will appeal to con-
nosseurs, and the high quality Of the collection judged
by the standard of connoisseushlp may be confidently
affirmed. But there are others Of us In whose eyes
etching is moro precious because horses tail
Is white Instead of black or key on stove omitted
is Indifferent to the discovery of bur- but there are
some who hear with anguid Interest that bur means
the little ridges c up by the needle on the
certain velvety richness to the impression,
and also indicate dv an Worm early IMPRESSION
distinctions have their value. but need
feel excluded by want of technical knowledge from
understanding of the spirit the essence of Rembrandts
pressed himself in etching. The men and women
drawn upon copper by this master realist make their
vitality their marvellous Individuality felt whether the
onlooker have knowledge of technical processes
not IL Is not 10 be connoiSseuP In order
feel the naturalsm of these portraits, ex
pessve action Of crowds the strongly marked faces Of
the Amsterdam Hebrews appearing and reappeariBg in
efchings Of sacred the simple yet clear ind
cation Of distance the landscapes the vigorous draw
Ing OF trees the force OF Clouds or the management of
Hight and shade, which has become proverb. Yet it
truSm TO that Rembrandt is best studied In tho
best Impressions, and the Wunderch collection, which
will remain at No. SOS broadway for a fortnight more
Men TIssLt