The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-12-07

In the brief space allotted me it is i'm
possible TO give even faint idea of this
collection. AS passed from group to
group, wondering, marveling at the ire
mendous labor and study that bad accom-
plished the work before me, my eye fell
on little bronze almost insignificant in
comparison with hundreds around it. 1t
was No. SO, wolf walking. and under
meath inscribed, "a Fame Rousseau son
L. Barge. How fitting
then, that thirteen of his friends most
magnificent works should be here assem-
bled in his honor, and should assist In
rearing a monument to his memory which
shall preserve his fame to future ages
though all of his works should perish.
Notwithstanding the excellence of the
Barye collection, it is in the pictures that
the great interest centres. In addition to
the artists already named there are Della
croix, Troyon, Daubigny, Decamps and
Gericailts, associates and contemporaries
of Barye. For once we have a superb col
lection without a single Messonier, and at
the 1isk of being called blockhead ard
boor, confess 1t was relief. l wish
could dissociate the man from his works
but l confess l cannot. The pompous,
arrogant, oYerbeaIing, egotistical old
Frenchman is ever before me; so as l said
it was really relief to find that for once
he was absent, and that the exhibit was
first-class Notwithstanding. Tie three
upper galleries are given up to the great
painters and all the pictures have been
loaned for the occasion by their lucky
possessors. The upper room is hung with
crimson silk velvet, and it seems eminent
ly fitting that these crowned kings OF ant
should wear the imperial purple. In the
upper gallery the walls are crowded with
the best examples of all the great artists
named. The west end of the gallery is
given up entirely to the ADgelus. Rich
folds of the finest velvet back it and sur
round It.; no other canvas, however great,
is permitted to profane the wall on which
it hangs. Crowds stand and gaze al ii
uncovered, in silent awe, much as the
devout Catholic does before the shriue Of
some holy saint. Already it has been
made the subject of an eloquent sermon,
and as 1 gazed on the canvas myself could
not help praying for part of the minister's
inspiration and appreciation of Millers
great masterpiece.
o1 t0at tlc inn, inl
setting 1t appears almost Insignificant COM
pared with the glorious pictures on either
side. Its size is but 21 1-2x25 1-2, so small
that take the canyas from the frame and a
four year old child could carry it away.
Thare is no striking color about it, moth
ine in the scenery to interest you; all is
neutral, and l had almost said hard. Two
figures occupy the centre of the foreground
not dreamy transfgurations of angelic
beauty, but coarse and commonplace as
the clods beneath theirfeet. The Angelus
has just rung out from the distant village
spire, and the couple have paused in Their
labor to humble in their rude fashion the
evening prayer. For years past, bS almost
universal consent, the art world has trans
| figured the artist in his work. 1t has in
vestedlt with spiritual character claimed
by no other picture of modern time, and
it is this quality and this alone which sent
a half dozen of The foremost nations IN the
world into the arena to battle for its pos
session, and which wrung one hundred and
twelve thousand dollars from as expert
enced man and as practical a man as
James f. Sutton, of the American Art As
sociation. don't know what Mr. Alfred
Corning Clark paid for the "Gleaners," OF
what Mr.. w. Walters, of Baltimore, the
owner of the Peach Blow Vase, paid fol
the "Sowets," but to me either of then
seemed the peer of the Angelus though in
art value the difference is many thousands
of dollars. / asked the question of Mr.
Sutton himself. wherein this immense diff
ference lay in The works of the same artist.
He answered me very briefly. "There are
many fine singers in the world. but only
one Patti" Then it occurred to me that
the difference between Maud S. and sumo
was only second or two, but that second
represented mighty pile of gold.
In thinking the whole matter over
have come to the conclusion thai it is nc
use for any ordinary man, whatever hi:
experience, to attempt to fix a standard OF
art. There is quality about It which
think Herbert Spencer defines as "ThC
Unknowable." On the inside of the
Charmed circle are wizard visions that
pierce the veil-imperYious TO mortal eyes
Looking at it from commercial or artistic
standpoint, II Is utterly impossible thai
the kings of the art world can be mistak
en-. Mons. Secretan, one of the besl
Judges of pictures in Europe, could not erl
in his judgment when such vast amount
of money was at stake. Nor could Mr
Sutton, on behalf of his association, DE
induced on a mere whim or a sentiment tC
nav a sum for such small canvas, wbicl
is unparalleled in art sales since the worlC
began. came away sorrowfully doubtful
of myself doubtful of everybody else, anC
as / wandered half in a dream dowr
Broadway | kept asking myself, Is this en-
thusiasm genuine? is 1t trueP is il real? dc
all these people feel or feign their rever
ence? Who can tell? My advice to N!
friends is, II YOU come to New York g
and see the entire collection. If the Ange
Ius we're taken away there is enough left t.
make it worth journey of many miles Il
see. So If in New York don't miss It.
New York and Brooklyn have been ter
ribly shocked at the daylight assassination
which took place upon our streets OF
Thursday. The reputation OF New Yorl
suffers by these crimes. yet the proportion
Of native New Workers engaged in them 4
exceedingly small. The female assassin
was from Kentucky, and the maR wnon