New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-30
TIE EsoosUs4 COLLECTION

The ESC0SUBA COLLECTION
"a the Bucksn Galleries Nos si7sle Broadway tnere
lshown vast collection Of tapestries and embroidene'
Assumes and arms, carved woods and vorles
I'D musical instruments and variety OF more OF 1883
venerable curios which have been collected " Nh I0v
yncoeura with much good taste ana discre"on' ms
exhibition of studio effects presents NJ hscos"rA W No ~
euav character Although pupil Of Gerome ne was NJ
enc time popularity associated with sae raneo opa,
vauters and there o day wncn MS vogue Al '"i'
soantry as painter Of the viruoso order OF genre prom
d Ia be considerable Some fifteen years ago MS pct
urss we're 70 re in the galleries OF our dealers anu
Ssv found their way the Astor Stewart aud Johns
N. collections aud into the galleries OF some Boston
amateurs Bat for reason or anotper th's success
as onlv temporary and Ii Is Impossible that tine forty
pictures Included In this collection snoud
the artist In With the exception OF few land
cane studtes and portraits these pictures are chisny
historical genres There degrees OF merit aud rev
xamples like "Thc Guarisnan" show considerable
executive ability in the direction OF detail painting op
the general characteristics rawnoss OF color and
uncertainty Of touch which render proohgei exam INA
ton unprshtahie.
As n collector OF brio abrac bibelots curios or what
NOT Il must be said that NJ. Escosura has accomplished
more han with his brush II there Is any moral hidden
beneath this fact il will not be discovered ty those OF
our own artists who ambitious to emulate the
princes OF brica brac among the Paris painters NJ
E.cosura has been q collector for many years. ana
although he has collected many objects which have only
Of curious interest, there are many others espocay
among tue old pictures. tapestries and emSroidenes
which of unusual Importance We are assured 'hat
every article In this exhibition is from the coiecton OF
n Escosura and that nothing mas been added from
outside source.-a practice unfortunately not unknown
40 to the many questions OF authentioity wnicn WI"
hsrass the Jealous visitor 1t may be said that reliance
upon W. Escosuras knowledge and large experience VIII
often pe found inevitable. Those who followed NJ
Euies exposures Of modern methods OF manufacturing
aptiaue furniture pictures. hangngs, porceains and
Other objects hardly allow their sceptcsm TO pima
them to the that genuine antiques are still TO be
had in open market
The old masters collected by NJ. Escosura include
some exceptional specimens Of good painting. The
superstous reverence for anything which bears the
name of an old master" still exists among us, but
fortunately this sthe attitude OF very small portion Oh
Ye community. It. is necessary to reckon with gen
eral Indifference to Z" old masters " on the part OF
American amateurs, and yet when we receive an ex-
ample OF evident intrinsic merit wellas OF undoubted
Authenticity like Rembrandts Glider" 1t Is not un-
appreciated This to be sure is an isolated case Our
attention called every month to pictures bearing some
superficial points OF resemblance to the work OF the
~od masters" whose names are affixed and these pict
ures arc revered authentic by few OF the faith
ful But as a they have little merit, and even
where this is present the extravaganza OF the claim
put forth discourages confidence. For instance, NJ
Escosura has proved his discrimination by collecting
several pictures which will afford enjoyment TO those
who for good ART Dut III IL uOt w "~
him claiming as q Raphael No. 6S5, which Is accom-
pauied by a photograph OF the Raphael at st. Peters
burg or No 720 ~ "a Da vnc as beautiful as La
Jounde' OF the louvre" or the trptych No 7OS as
Mst,ys whose pictures lie those of the brothers Van
Eyck OF the utmost rarity NO one OF .hese
color tue from its tone and expression tue third
from a seriousness and a certain austers simplicity
which might well he reflection or the early fieimpgs,
and fourth from sincerity OF treatment
iu ways which might also he regarded as characteristic
Oh We that Will accept WIFE
out reservation the Raphael or the Da NlIc or IN. osI
there is a general consent to the ascrpon Of the ad-
miraLle portrait of two boys, No. 49, to Albert Cuyp
and paintei soidly and we'll with sooriey and reserve.
producing picture %r oen and White sketch
assigned to Dyck is certainly an exec lent oit oi
"va which are vivid pictures OF their time The large
icnre attributed to Ruhens is not remarkable ior vlgr
Int elsewhere some still-life painting In
picture by Meris. No $50 which OF ne k Hana Is
Nelscher, No. IA which seems character,sue s'ao3
assigned TO REYNOLDS Win ,Sn rcoo o Veasqnea
of various degrees OF merit some Dutch ana fieuisn
er, interest pcrtrsit hcn will hardly be accepted
olbcin even though the painting OF ne taee no
unlike the masters mannor and an excellent sRe.Gn NY
Sir David wilke There Is no na judgment mpcx tho
authenticity of old masters IN TINS country pu ~iu
out regard to names ii may pe anrlnel thst "
has collected many extremely meritorlous eAainpieso VI
he specmen, Of metal crk wood and ivory carving
aud The porceans int resting bat they are OF isS
o. We'll "a q. the form ar must regarded objects OF
curious interest but the hundreds OF pieces OF brocues
gold and silver and other embroiderles anu app.H9
work. the cushions. hangings altar pieces, a.,
,estr,ents and costumes SHOULD afford some hints IL
decorative design. Perhaps the Associated Arlsls
ccuI hest estimate educational worth or WOfk or
IRIS KIM hut il IS certain that these SUITS exhibit Wuch
which ia beautiful III color ami IN ucsen neic
We haunted ny questions OF au'nenuelty wns.ne e
tins velvet by Marie Antolnette, whose
reroa possessions must have far ex ,eedei those OF
tolnmou whether the Oruamenation OF that chest was
desiencd ay he Boule and other queries when local
experts viii for themselves The tapestries are
undoubtedly Old and In some Instances e! nanc 10, 10
srart from that given Ivy age, nut we "onuer VIVA. 10
Ii.Inry"' and of Airas." byzantine" surely W.
Fscos IA docs not claim that this tapestry Is older tha
nc tapestries Cathedral OF HaDerstadt OF tnose
II saint Geron 1T of which there are pieces IN
the museums of Lyons, Nuremberg ana Scuth heisns
ton We know that VI. tscOsu-a himself presented 10
Gohenhs Museum Peee Oh carr! o" i ,h
tiry tapestry watch NJ Muntz cor sdeTed Tue oueS -
,ecimen OF the Franco Flemish high warp, ana 10
strange und the piece In thus coiIectlnh announces az
rho oldest in history" Moreover 10 describe THIS
,anestry AS of Arras and Byzantine is like descrb-
ing picture as the French school anu OIL lhe Ehsiis
.c1ooi IRON the sixth to the twelfth centuries Con
.antinople with exceptions provided tapestries LOT
Eurol. Very early In the fourteenth century Arras
like Paris and Brussels. began 10 ne centre 10Y
WORKERS Tais piece is probably INTENDED 10 ne ae
scr,bed as made al Arras in the fourteenth cent!
ANA If this be true there are OF course oner h
examples in existence. W. Lsc0sufa mas tov ut
tnowege of tapestries held rCsponsiDe TOT suol
bungllng catalogung as this but le sI0uid nave su1
yise his catalogue carefully Tor us
claims misplaced panegyrics and many examples %
Wrorc Inscriptions aud bad spelling like Van D!ek
for Van Eyck." and Cuip for Cuyp are apt 40 III
press the visitor unfGvorably But lne @
concern themselves principally win modern Pah.'us
Oriental porceains and prints. we nave no loud, wa,
they and those who gwen 10 'avish mouse
viii find " Lscosuras collection well worm attention.
ARTISTS FUND PICTURES