New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-10
DRAWINGS By DURER.
A GREAT PAINTER AND DESIGNER,

a GREAT PAINTER AND DESIGNER,
Although 1t seems impossible for New-York TO enjoy
exhibitions like those Of Rembrandps and Durers work
at the Boston Art Museum, yet something was done
last year TO illustrate the etched work OF Rembrandt
and now the Kachner Gallery offers eight drawings
by Durer, which formed q, part Of the admirable
exhibition In Boston. These drawings were obtained
by Mr.. Meder from the collection of Alfred r. Won
Franck, Of Graft. Numerous Durers drawings
are, by far the greater number are in the museums
of London Berlin, Vienna, in tho Louvre and othee
galleries, where they will always remain and It IL
therefore peculiarly fortunate that this little group
should have been secured for ourselves. The IN.
RENTING labor and study indicated BY Durer's
numerous sketches is as familiar characteristic 40
the subjectivism Of bis art or It's imaginative powsf
with its strange expressions, or its intense gravity
All the vast Durer literature is occupied moro or lsss
with discussion not merely Of the artists intellectual
torce and mental tendencies, but with explanations
Of the significance Of designs IN which Durers thought
and imagination found strange expression. In
master less great than Durer the metaphysical vagaes
and symbolism which have so frequently appeared in
German art and literature would have been borne
with slight patience. The prestige Of great repus
tation has had something to do with the usual tudg<
ment of Durer, but the consensus of opinion regard
ing his exalted rank is due not merely to the fact
that he was thinker who palnts,7 but rather 70
the work which shows him TO have been great
painter and great designer. This question was nos
merely q question Of genius socalied, but also ono
of labor severe, conscientious and unremittng, and
drawings like these with their associations poina
the moral that genius Is labor
All these drawings, with one exception, sre
described by Thaustng, and the exception y
noted I'm the pages Of Heller. The earliest
head OF the Virgin, executed apparently in India Ink
and Chinese white upon red ground, was dono %
Nuremberg in 1903. two years before the maatsr
undertook his journey across tho Alps. 1t Is u
the year 1902 to quote from Thausing, that We
first meet with portrait studies Of Durers which show
an entirely new quality of conception. From that
date henceforth creative breath seems to have enfused
life and animation into the work, always true TO
nature; the hair moves, the eyes glsten and twfnne
and the lips trembe IN indescribabe way Besides
this head of Christ. the British Museum possesses .
charcoal head of q man in Q tirban and Herr Aimed
Won Franck Of Gratz, has head Of the Virgin, with
soft and singuIsriy noble expression similar
head lfesze, in charcoal Is in the Berlin Cabinet
as well as another of young woman In inc
RunsthaIlo at Bremen there Is q remarkable heaa,
nearly hfe-sze. A silver point drawing belonging 10
Mr. Locker of London. belongs to tho same class OF
heads all OF which bear the date 1903, and arc for the
most part executed In charcoal To them may DO
added the long series Of similar studies of heads among
which the numerous Apostle types sought BY Durcr
hold the first places Perhaps Thansng's characterfi
zatiou OF the expression may seem trine overa
wrought for the face hardly represents spiritual
type, nor Is ft remarkable for beauty Yet the ex-
preston is winning and the execution 1t need hardly
be said. most interesting. All the forms and contours
are indicated In line and the modelling ia singulary
complete Tho shadows. done In India ink, arc coarse
as in tho study Of feet but It is to be remembered
that these drawings are 4 masters memoranda. not
his complete work. The second drawing "A Lime
Tree on a Bastion' was executed In water
colors, after Durers return from italy, and
perhaps the decisive colorng Of tho foliage may Be
connected with bis recent study Of the Venetian color
fists. But Thausng simply regards this and othec
studies of trees which probably formed part Of Durer
travelling sketchbook IS highly characteristic Of
Duer's eye for color As an example, there Is the
tall lime tree projecting bastion, the parspet OF
which slopes of TO the left but is out OF drawing In
the background the stone bench, parallel with the
WALL is the figure Of dressed IN black. perhaps
scholar Another stands beneath the tree, tho foliage
of which is blush green with gray shadows This
fne tempera painting on parchment Is in the posses
sion Of Herr Won Franck at Graft. companion TO IL
with three similar trees In the Kunsthale at Bro
men, is executed In exactly the same manner Tho
foliage Is executed almost like study Of stu lie, and
the result Is loss Of softness. But here again
It Is unreasonable TO mako too Jealous scrutiny INTO
leaf of travelling sketch book although everything
which Durer did has the value impaired by masters
touch
After his return from Venice, where he had found
better opportunities for studying models, Thausmg
tells us that began again to occupy himself with
| anatomy. There are many studies OF the inquire OF
Eve In the British Museum done in chisroscuro ana
also with pen in the years 1905 and 1907. There u
n full length sketch Of Eve done with the brush on
bluo paper This sold some years since a.
| Vienna "The left arm with the apple was repeated
several times by Dwer. One Of the sketches, thrce
quarter life size Venetian paper, dated 1907 De-
longs to Herr Franck' This is now exhibited pI
Mr.. Meder and it Will DO found most interesting en-
| ample of economy OF means The rounded contoT
aDoe is indicated simply By Syps w anSos Sef b ia
usual shadows beneath slightly graaasted upsau..
The upper merely saggesed which aeP S 70 oss,
arm f. shown instead Of the inner side OF the left ~
tho hand indicates One finger which Is ~ shs SS has
y d5aW is e essS Of ss sssss
%h,s tne ono Of tweDty-one drawings made as preli
mary studies for Durers painting Of an, Inc ooss
aThe ASSUMPTION which in the series Of i @
Life Of Tho Virgin This S ,b mastery Of emotion
| iSroush subject seemingly narrowly nmliea ,,rss
Intense feeling indicated by the action s ssSn mere nsS sc
Oh sne so Again we ind the shadow hardly an 81.
don. for It is summsrly rendered BY waso "mca
FsoS aro three drawings of the sword and rsgas
Chacmagne made Ia aS1S s ,Sd King sigsmanS
t nrsye9 BY the city Of Nurembsg An these draw
ings save the first were MADE u o instead Of 70
NAMING hina @eni,,s was recognized rom Antwerp
Romss when Raphael gladly ss veS upon terms q
Intimacy me With the Emperor with statesmen and
formers The portrait @ ne sp1 which
lastsS Seyond The date Of tho portrait OF woman
this collection which g ASSIGNED 70 ,oiS 40 Woman
Tween thirty and forty years OF age who wears
Sesddess Of quaint design phis Ss g. u the
Utmost SD ,s' value because 4 illustrates great sr's
patient labor and his suSnesS q nsna ana ose