New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-29
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
JAPANESE ART.


BrentAno's. .re
Tho publication Of which the FIRST six numbers al.
before us will DO welcomed heartily py uo s 800
ancreasng number Of art amateurs VIM Nc" ,arcse
learned to appreciate the admirable worn y, cots
artists II has been planned, as the cohuu''oa
so~th On h,s nrosnectus with the object OK ci"'
-. r,h,. IN tho real art Of thai country h's'' W
,.rroauct,ons Of examples which the 'as'o y. ,,n,'
,yor,d has stamped as the purest an" oe'' ou,re
.pu, he selected for their adap'%'oh " n ..a,,scs
.r.rts NJ every class of society anu me- ~ ,h,oc,
-, ,hoso who have made Japanese n'' ~ ,hor
~ stndy. and who are quaincu " y, ,hs enterprise
y. ..".,H on the subject, The Plan Oh mo .on
s'~uvo" ,h.ral Each number VIII coh'ai" ''
90 .,n,cd colorcd plates, Desiocs o." -,
'0P' S~.rch or feature Of Japanese ai'' i'N' nv
.-.,.a nv woodcuts in the teA', anu a..h Number
-. .rt,c,cs also illustrated Ias''! ,.A.o,o
.,oscd in tinted cover, which se Is Means the
Of colored illustrations All"
-. he.utif,l and striking. ,oo for the
soass O $3.50 ~ NJ Ring is itself fuara'.' 49,, Ton
Inc nan 80 a high artistic standard anu ".S
:. .ortrsbu1ors embraces the 1oi'o~ , .derson NJ
-. .rd men of letters MI "'i' - poherts-
80 Conse Mr. Franks. F. h. - 1'yho od,,s the
I"uiso y 8 Mr. Marcus Hush WIN VIM poad
Austen +. ~ Nv Ernest Hart, Mr. IN No.
'fngnsi' -, NJ Victor Champicr' VI S,,v
N M " Eugene Gullaumc, NJ I"", ,asM
~s pncsr Marx NJ. Antoine Pro"s.' w. cat george
~ ,et,,s Ranckmann. Professor 0'A ,Sur Pabot
III protessor DR.. julius Lcssihs a,,,c,na,ed,
.,.n sucb staff the best WORK may ~ civ numbers
A. Simultaneous issue OF 'ho " A.. General
ana inc o,n,tv TO test the merit OF 'io ten
sanous m 20 cauce the quality OF 'ho .uo,,ons
lsche"o, careful examination OF 'no Nv ocards
ro,s . verdict Of unquallheo app noauty of
A.. renroductivo processes 49, oarinal spec
no n,or grouping and drawing III, 80. 90 that
.ens present, is here 1ai'hiuii' ,,on the expert
VIZ al nurposes of study ana e"u'" hos thus far
aor a Po.sstl The selection also 10" ,ro nro-
mem -o,.r,zed by good judgment 49,, granhic
80, ~ the figure pieces are copy" 49, Itocarth Of
e. ~. ,er<atile pencil OF HohuS"' tho marks Of
whose highest sketches oo'' IN whom a
..aortestabe genius and orshsn w., 70 nature are
',N., humor and rare hdenN -, 90 great
delightiui NUM-" -, cmo, indeed, is entiteu "
comoihe ~, management of these repiouu 1
Pr@oo ~ ,rondcrfully fresh and spii'''u' "
W., or,g,nas This is best seen III wv a. tho
5000 mates OF which man! a'o - rossos
s,..uttfu japanese studies OF pi"' t,,or these ap-
80 e,c II would be difficult 10 o'VD, w.. mink
..,,,v .mple studies. An ms 'ah'e .aa'soe CON
pareh"S e'lp bunch Of waving grasses con-
- choi'' ,,cct and in every instance inc p"o'o
s"u xa,ht,Iness of detail ana inc ,
,r., employmcnt of curves anu e""' =, orca NJ
.rants and attitudes, give s',ao D,hor CATS
s..dom and grace and compc'e"'''
tying. u,o.,- &, the examples of japanese
1hoio - - Architecture textile art leial WIN"
s'. 'or ar,ra drawing. landscape ana ahiniai p
- Carrying outline stretching. are III tuin 49,, NO,
80 ,.ranv by striking specimens W. e =,
t,a,sd 10 include several illustrations VI W. ,a
.,,o,ess school Of japanese ART Haho'' '" rA,n,or
-, or,,,s imitation Of Chinese art "no"o
livery scr" ,o,tions have obtained a hold upon
ch"' ,,sts the work OF the latter Is spon'''
' not only in the drawing from the HAT Su'i''O
.hat this Is shown, but especially III hsui0 w.
and most Extensively In the repios0" aro
.uon form Take for instance ue u'"
nunrn -,s in kakcmono" Here not only are 'he
1.ce and attitude thoroughly ana hope"S>iH
,r, the treatment Of the costume inc 'o">
s.nr..s ~ thc folds the rendering OF pattern al"
all is lifecss hideously arihcial anu s'i'i7
only from the vvidness of the color ana 'io ',
h,yarre and Oriental effect. Compare 'n's
and unrainly work with one OF Huhasais shc'ooS'
cav the simple one in black and white markeo u y
N M. .. There are here two figures, man ana d
rom., standing In a heavy shower few lines
,nd,ca,e the motive and the scenery is merely sug-
c.s,ed but IT is all perfectly natural harmonious
and effective, and every stroke tells Inc .oN
uanion piece, Of crabs fighting is gro'e4ue ou i u
keen observation. Again, the pla'e III NJ" o 1'on
EThe Mirror of Beauties by Shunsho-an eighteenth
century productlon-s Chinese. stiff and conventional
Now compare this with Plate \. ], In the same
number which represents page from hOhusas
Manceya The studies all of birds, ROSTERS duchs
falcons, starks, pheasants. and various small DuS'
Mn all Imaginable attitudes but in not one mar
Us not natural and TO the very lie Whc'nor
4e fcathered creatures are presenting thchiSeNoS' ="
Mating the water. or erecting their plume, pug
nj lously or Growing, preparing for night or
pol Nd in Lair every attitude and curve ana Inc i
than pf lfe The plumasc too Is represented pei1ecV'
with y few strokes. in mere black and white anu $"
dst lily that each species preserves its own charac-
teristts
The textile specimens are not so admirable. The
material evidently inerfcrcd with free development of
artistic conceptions perhaps the desire for spiehdor
was also a hindrance. Occasionally. however really
beautiful dress pattern occurs as for example that IN
Plate G. C., No. 4; quaint and Pleasing arrangement
of butterflies, faint sprgs and geomerica curves. in
subdued tones Among the landscape examples may be
mentioned that from the Bling collection, In NO A. from
Hok,Isai's "Vews Of Fuji Yama7 u820). Here the
perspec tive we'll preserved the effect of distance
produced completely by the simplest means, and the
composition and general treatment marked by breadth
and SKILL The sixth number is mainly occupied with
q description by NJ de Goncourt, of the famous
story Of the Fory-sc Eonins which Is also Illus
trated by woodcuts In the text, and two, plates in
colors after Hrohge one representing winter night
landscape with the conspirators crossing snow
covered bridge on their TO the palace of Kosuke
and the other showing the discovery of KOSuke by the
Ronns I'm the garden of YashM whittier he tried to
escape from the avengers. Both OF these plates are
spirited and striking The studies OF flowers and Of
small animals, insects and birds are extremely inter
are examples Of ceramics, broazcs, wood-cavings,
brocades dancers masks, and several Of the exquisite
sword guards which sought at present so eagerly
BY collectors.
Tho various essays well adapted to their pur
pose and one Of the most instructive is that OF NJ
Faize on some forms OF japanese metal work. 1t IS
fndeed melancholy reflection that Japan has ceased
IN produce tha high-cass art work here admirably
illustrated, a;l that the demands Of the European
market have lad much TO do with tho deterioration.
Possibly the educational influence of such wellnien
toned enterprises this of NJ. Bling may in time ele
vate the the West to the extent of dscrminat
ine between SBrummagem" and the genuine Japanese
and ca crxafe a demand which may react uDon the