St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-26
BY THE OLD MASTERS.
The Collection Of Antique Paintings at
the Exposition.
THEIR FINANCIAL VALUE.

Old Canvases Over Which Art Cranks
Fairly Rave---Aqes and Historic
Cal Data.
The collection of antique paintings by
Old masters of world renown. to even
the casual observer, should present
points OF interest not to be found in the
collections in any other alcove of the
art gallery. To the visitor who checks
his sun umbrella on the first floor, buys
catalogue, glances at the plaster casts
III Sculpture hall, rushes through the
amateur department, runs up stairs,
asks to be shown Fairmau's "St.
Anthony Falls" and flies out again to
examine the beauties of threshing ma
chine, drink glass of cider, look for
an alligator in Palmer's lake, hear one
selection by Cappa's band and catch
the first open air car for the West side
from such a visitor the old master will
hardly attract more than passing
glance. Perhaps, to such a care
less observer the squares of dingy
paintings with their faded and
cracked gilt frames would hardly pre-
sent greater attraction than samples of
well worn oilcloth upon which Gen.
Grant or some other national hero is
supposed to have once stood. To one
who has at least an eye for the artistic,
and an inclination to look for beauties,
IT he sees tfem not at first, the collec-
ton will be decidedly interesting, and
to one who has knowledge of paint
IngS and a penchant for the historical
or antique, it will be fascinating. Prob
ably most instances in which the true
value of one of these relies OF antiquity
with record of four or FIVE hundred
years Will be forced most en-
phatlcally upon the average visi-
tor will be when he is told
that certain stretch of canvas is
worth $4,000, OF that the little dingy
picture hardly larger than his hand
over there in the corner is worth as
and above his liabilities. In this money
making age what you can get for moth
ing is practically valueless. 1t is the
unObtainable that forces the price to
the highest notch. So with these old
pictures. They are valuable because
they cannot be duplicated. because of
the associations that cling about them,
begetting almost reverence, and because
they present elements of genius that
are wonderful. If man 500 wears ago
had constructed a locomotive such as
now pulls train of vestibule cars, he
would have been considered prodigy.
Still such feat would hardly excel
what was accomplished by Rembrandt.
David Tenlers, fills and pere, Murillo
and others. When it is considered that
EhaJn haH har
than three or four coIors with
which to work. that they actually
dug the clay from which they mixed
their paints themselves and wove their
canvaSeS, the real excellence of their
work and genius displayed forces itself
upon the comprehension. But as to The
collection:
The fifty-eight paintings are valued at
over $500, 900, and are from the coilec-
ton of Mrs. McCook Baldwin, of Wash
ington, d. c., who, by the way, is a
sister of the famous fighting McCooks.
The pictures were obtained from the
family of French collector who had
spent his life almost in gathering the
make a tour of the world exhibiting
them. He died before his task was
finished, however. and his family parted
with the pictures without I'M
derstanding the almost priceless value
of some of them. An idea
of the value of the collection now Of
fered for the inspection OF the people of
the Northwest can be most forcibly
given by mentioning briefly some OF the
leading pictures. The one upon which
the highest price is set is Rembrandt's
''Jewish Rabbi" held at $40, DOC. and near
it hangs TintOrettO'S Monk, "affOrding
comparison between the works of the
leaders of two schools Of portrait paint
ing. The picture is valued at So, 1000. as
is genuine Murillo of the infant st.
John. while another, by the same artist,
of st. John the Baptist is held at the
same price. A portrait of Vestier, his
daughter and son. painted by himself,
is considered masterpiece in coloring
and expression. A burleSque on the
Temptation of St.Anthony," by Teniers
fills, is wonderful piece of Imaginative
work. $4,000 is it's value A wood
panel painting of st. Ann. $50 years old,
by Colin Cater, is held at S12.G0O He
was one of the first artists torgive &C
ton to his figure. There are several
Wouvermans in the collection in
which speciments of'his vast work at
version of st. Humbert' is listed at
s., 200. A portrait of Paessella, the
French philosopher, by Madam Vigel
LIE Brun. is a rare picture, and is worth
$4,000. Christ Healing the Blind" is
supposed to be the joint work of
Rubens and his greatest pupil, Heems-
kerk, or at least it is supposed that
RubenS painted the heads of the four
apostles. The picture is 23O years old.
There are number of the works of
Teniers pere. A portrait of young girl
by Vanloo is considered remarkable in
its flesh tints. There are also
several figures of Velasquez nota-
BILE for action and vigorous conception.
A portrait of Queen Horteuse, painted
for Josephine by David, has only been
owned by four persons, and is valued at
S.. 000-Rembrandt'S portrait of himself
is considered worth $4,000. A portrait
of VOltaire, the face by David and the
drapery by Wen, is remarkable speci-
men OF collaboration. So OH through the
entire collection. There are interesting
historical "reminiscences concerning
each one, and artistic merits that afford
delight to the cOnnoisseur.
Mrs. S. Campbell, the daughter of Mrs.
McCOOk Baldwin, has kindly consented
to remain during the Exposition to eX-
plain the points of interest, with which
she is perfectly familiar. She is a pleas
ing talker, and visit to the "oId mas
ters' will be found both instructive and
pleas ant.