New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
"A BOOK ABOUT vELAZoUEz.

up by critics and historians, but their industry,
especially within the last twenty years, has fur
uished us with library considerable, and yet un-
equal to the prestige OF the greatest Spanish
masters. The truth is that in the case of We
azquez and Murillo the supply of biographical
matter is singularly limited. In the course Of his
lifetime Murillo was mentioned in only two
printed books, those Of Ortiz de Zunga and the
enthusiastic Tore Farfan, and velazQuez's name
appeared only in one volume, that Of his father
n-lsw Pscheco Contemporary documents, off,
rial and religious papers are very limited in num-
Der. and yield scant supply of information. In
large measure, therefore, we are compelled to OBJ
tain our knowledge Of Spanish art at second
hand, and the sources which have supplied most
succeeding writers the works of Palomino,
POM and Cean Bermudez. These authors re
appear served up with English sauce" in the
Stirling Maxwell's familiar Annals of the Artists
of Span," which, despite its limitations, has
taken rank as a classic. Ford's Handbook Of
Spain" preceded the Annals" by q few years, and
we find Professor JUST eulogzing it in some
what surprising terms. These two books have
hghtened the abors of the later English writer's
like w. b. Scott, Gerard Smith and Edwin
Stowe, authors of works more or less summary
and popular in character. So far as French dis
cussion of Spanish art is concerned, there has
writings of Charles Blanc, Gautier and Lefort
have been helpful additions TO critical literature
America has the distinction of furnishing one
valuable contribution TO the literature of Spanish
art Mr.. Charles B. Curtis's Catalogue
Raisonnee of Velazquez and Murillo' is character
lied by PrOfes sOr JUST as remarkable DOCK,
and one which relieves the present work from
the necessity of supplying detailed inventory OF
Velazquez's productions" Strangely enough the
Germans have occupied themselves but little with
Spanish art, notwiths standing the opportunity for
the exercise of their usual indefatigable industry.
Passavant and Waagen studied the Spanish gal
leries, but they produced but little, and the
biography of Professor JUST is easily the most
important study Of Velazquez undertaken by Ger
man scholarship.
Professor Justs work belongs TO the class COM
monty termed monumental. The author has the
national love OF thoroug hness and of the OK
haustive consideration of all correlative details
and often of details which are by no means es-
sential II cannot be said that the preparation
of tbs biography is based upon any discovery
of new material. In any biography of Velazquez
we are obliged to hear much of Pacheco and of
Palomino but il is true that within the last
twenty years a more careful study Of national
archives has added appreciate amount to our
knowledge of the painter. This study has been
conducted by few Spanish collectors and critics,
notably the late Don Gregorio Villaaml who
died four years since, after publishing the docu-
ments relating to Velazquez's patent of nobility,
repubEshing the books of Carducho and Pacheco.
and beginning life of the painter based upon
original documents. Professor JUST, we need
hardly saw has acquainted himself with all the
results of Spanish research lie has endeavore
TO examine all the known paintings by Velazquez,
but half-uncOnsciol sly he lays more stress upon
the copying OF inventories of royal palaces and
the consultation Of Spanish correspondence IN the
archives of Venice, Naples Florence, Modena and
other Italian cities Contemporary diaries, dis
matches and comedies have been studied in order
TO recreate the character of the epoch, and we
are told of the necessity for a bographers ac>
ouaintance with the Spanards of the provinces,
where types are best preserved. Nothing could
be more laborious, nothing more conscientious
than the characterlsticaly Germln me hod adopted
in this bulky volume.
The result is a biography which may safely be
called more exhaustive than any that we have
had. although it must be remembered that there
is no catalogue of the artists works Our author
clears the way by considering the general con-
ditiops of Spanish art the Vclazquez photography
the distribution of the paintings, life IN Seville,
which is deliberately described the literary circles
medieval art and the contemporary spanish
schools All this preliminary effort occupies an
entire book The second book deals with the
birth family and student years the earliest work
of the artist and his appointment at court lnvolv-
jng conscientious studies Of the Oh iracter oil Phnp
". and Olivares the Italian court painters and
the influence of Rubens The third book tells US
Of the first Journey to Rome; the fourth of the
retreat at Buen Retro planned by
Olivares for his King, where s. ma y
ut ned collected.
and the fifth leads from consideration of battle
and hunting pieces, and the first appearance
of Murillo to the study of Velazquez d portrait
nainter a chapter of great interest and i'm
portance, Dr. Justi renews the familiar discussion
of Velazquezs naturalism, but his classification
of Velazquez with the Venetlans, especially
Tintoretto, differs from that OF many other critics
Not content with CANCELLATIONS such as the
first of modern artists for characterlzatlon' and
a master penetrating the heart Of his subjects,
DR. JUST enters upon an elaborate technical
analysis of Velazquez's merits. This is also
Interesting in ITSELF but artists will be likely
10 regard it as susceptible of condensation and
of Improvement as regards deinitenesS The
sixth book, which is of less Importance deals
with the second journey to Rome, and the seventh
and eighth books treat of the incidents and
works of the artists third and last period.
Here Professor Justi has grouped the royal
portrait in the third style, the dwarfS and
bufroons, and the religious and NEUROLOGICAL
paintings
Such is the general character of singularly
exhaustive work, a history rather than
biography, if VIC are 10 understand by biography
the graphic delineaton Of a personality. For
we cannot agree with the translator in calling
this vivid picture of the great central figure
OF Velazquez's personal characteristics we gain
little more knowledge than we had before. 1t
is true that personal material is limited, but
we are forced TO feel that the authors endless
side excursions, the minute discussions
of things really extraneous, have had
an injurious effect in obscuring the
IN no oil hon