New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-16
TEE DURoAL PAINTINGS.

Tho experiment made by the Like Of salanancs
several years ago Is repeated by I'll Duke de Durca
who offers to the public collectio Of paintings ard
drawings BY q old masters" which my be seen at thu
American Art Galleries. There &c seventys seven
paintings assigned to old masters few which hsys
been left nameless, few modern plntings, and 2se
drawings The upper gallery ccssins drawing,
which, for the part are either sight in design os
purely academic and devoid Of person. quality Thes
are exceptions, and some rcd crsyot studies and :
head assigned TO Van Dyck ia the lowr gallery, have
merit, although the latter win not ! accepted Is
mastery. The modern paintings episent, in many
cases, continuance Of academic tfaditns which 70.
qulre no special notice.
Tho claims put forth In behalf Of It's collection
rest upon the cod masters and wetrust these
paintings may be examined without pseigice Many
Of the subjects, alterations, entombments, fucifxons
and maryrdoms, are foreign to modern taos, but n
wOnld be puerie to cite subject the inst serious
reason for objections. AS we have often ptuted out
there Is expert In this country whose Onion Of
these or other "old masters would be accepted az
final at the Hotel Drouot Either there at Cristies
the value Of genuine old masters is fully recsnzed
It must be said that paintings Like Rembsndts
Glider" or Van Dyck's Duke Of Richmons are
not unappreciated in this country, but we have ound
nothing Of this quality in the present collection Acss
who are Influenced by the glory of great names 1ay
find Inspiration in the Durcal collection, but otegs
Will regard It illustrating for the most part 70
work Of schools rather than the individual powers
greet matesrs. There appear to US TO be many ope
questions Of authenticity regarding pictures, for In
stance, like the ford head assigned to Rembrandt
Several Of the paintings seem TO have been reouched
like the Rembrandt the interesting Evan der Wey
den" and Evan Eyck' The last is undoubtedly
very old painting and an example of early Flemish
art We fear the ascnption will not be accepted bus
We might take the work starting point, renempeE>
ing Van Eycks visit to Portugal In the fifteenth cent
uary. The Van der Weyden Is an undoubted antique.
and It's execution also illustrates tho panstanng,
honest realistic Flemish art Of that century, although
the picture Is now in woeful condition We shau nos
ATTEMPT detailed discussion Of these pictures but there
"a somethine 10 be SAID Of certain prominent works
snyders Boar Hunt" in the first gallery Is mastery
paInting, mastery in the expression OF life and
action and by no means deficient In the reserved
harmony OF the coloring. In the large gallery
b,,tlo,s Virgin Of the Carmeltes' which Is offered
az the masterpiece" of the collection. There are
some admirable features notably, perhaps, the ex-
preston and painting of the chefubs oeneatn' ou'
the picture II accepted must be regarded as an ex'
ample of MuriIlo's more constrained and heavier
manner and tho coloring is comparatively OPAQUE ana
heavy Nevertheless there Is much which is Deaa-
titl hut II this picture Is masterpiece the special
Of appreciation We have been unable 70 identify the
nainting In Stirling In Curtiss catalogue rsisonnes
Of M,rillo, It will be found recorded In small type
among the works classed lost or dubious.
In the fist gallery two large equestrian
ro-.,a,ts "a the Duke Of Olivares and Philip ii,
which are described as rephcas OF the panuhss
by velpsquez and Rubens The olivsres shows mucn
beautiful painting, and the Victory at least 10 sne
other picture IS characteristic But nenhncauon :"
the former seems difficult. 1t was about io4o 'as'
ysasouez painted his equestrian portrait OF the Dks
A. o,vsrcs. the first minister OF Philip ", who fell
t,oro nower in 1913 The original is In the Museum
NJ the Prado sketches for the picture are owned os
,h, u,,ta, Dc Montpensier aud SIR Richard Wanase,
and \ repliea with white heFse Is owned pS mo
Earl OF Elgin. Tho Moutpensier sketch Is soous
oneeiahth the size OF the original. Stirring aiter
describing the original mentions Lord Eisns rope
tition, three standing portraits OF oivafes' han'
Iontb bust and head but there is mention OF this
reni,ea and VIC have not learned that the replica
ow,ed by Lord Elgln was ever purchased for tins
coraetIon Nevertheless as have said there
"a admirable painting in this picture, and some
delightful work of another kind viii 90 round
IN A modest little genre by Mioris hidden away IN
one OF the smaller galleries. Of the large psahuns
assigned TO TenIers. only say that IL
, school adequately enough. The paintings ascrioeo
n Durer and Metsys undoubtedly go back to. or very
n.oIv 70 the time OF those masters and they viii DO
found worthy of consideration since we cannot dope
zee cauta examples Of undoubed authenticity Inere
4 strong acaasmtc work IN the painting Of Gueryo,
and here and there throughout the galleries sono.hs
will be discovered which arrests c onsmerson - The
Teminder OF a masters manner, memeh,o y. .no
simpler days Of art, an attempt % repes. Trnrs
work IN a manner already become conyention' Ihee
are few really important old masters pue inc coo'
lion is of interest IN the studious.- ~. e.A..,,.n
MANY OF the pictures IN the gallery OF DOB neOss,
the father Of the Duke who offers US ms an aS.
collections are mentioned in Mr.. Curtss notcs. a.
nears that some Of these pictures aro
not included. since mention is maze Ws,asS on
Which Is not to DO found in the present col aTR.
The COLLECTION seems TO have been rich In inc In
~ The nupIls and imitators OF Veasquez and NO.
for We find illusions to portraits OF Pnsp ~, pns
I'm of Austria and others by Carreno, pslnuns
Of the Virgin q Contemplation, 6y TSosr ysr famous s
ISS 20 rohsr although the Duke died many years
before the artists birth The COLLECTION. soscton
boeousathod by Don sebastian to his heirs polns
hcb e. OF Interest since It Is as family oonevton
Trmed I'm large part by Don sebastian, mat tnes'
naintings are offered to U.S.