New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-22
THE HOWELL PAINTINGS.
pAUBIGNY BoNvN- DIAZ : CHASE VAN
BOSKERCK.


BOSKERCK
IN. ns,rt,ngs COLLECTED by Mr. Thomas A. Howell,
OF BROOKLYN have been placed upon exhloiuon al
tho Fifth Avenue Art Galleries previous I'd an suc.'on
sale There are sixty-ive oil paintings, watsr coiorS
and pastels which, with a few exceptions, rep
resent tho usual preferences Of welliniormed Anen
can collectors in recent years. All or nearly all
these pictures were purchased since the passing OK
the dusseldorf school, but few Of the figure paint
incs arr by artists whose popularity has hardly been
sustained For the most part these paintings arc
of cabinet size, few are 10 be cassed as sketches,
and there is possibly nothing which can BIO described
as of the first importance unless we except an OK
annie OF Daubdgny, No. SO. Nevertheless, the col
lection as whole is one Of interest and merit. and
Il win DO found to be credtable to tho collector and
much superior the usual exhibitions OF the sales
rooms.
The Evening" by Daubigny TO which we have
referred is accompanied by excellent Morning."
but the former is preferable on account Of the deli
racy of observation tact and truth OF expression
and the purity of the col0ring. The subject Is enc
of tho familiar stretches Of placid water with the
ueen sedgy bank accented by redcapped figures and
the trees of the middle distance relieved against
family flushed sky of great tenderness and beauty
The companion picture, which is darker, less complete
IN composition and less thorough In ex-
eutfon, exhibits the characteristic breadth
ana freedom of Daublgny's dangerously beguilng
brshwor, but there is some lack OF Transparency and
the painters sensbility is less acutey felt. Nearly
opposite these landscapes hangs small figure paint
ing OF artistic quality, to borrow the current
,lang which is not equalled by any other figure paint
ing OF the collection. This is the Woman Knitting
by Francois Bonvin, an artist not to be confounded
with Leon Benvsn, whose charming studies of flowers
have been by visitors to the galleries OF Mr..
w. T. Walters. The Life Of Francois Bonvin was
humble and unsuccessful from worldly point OF view,
and his pictures have received little attention from
our dealers although In the year since his death there
has been strenuous effort in Paris to awaken inter
est In his work. One of his paintings was in the
collection of the late Mrs. NJ. J. Morgan, but since
that sale 10 Is doubtful whether any examples have
been publicly exhibited. The present picture is an
Illustration OF the homely familiar genre which
Bonvin usually essayed painting that which he knew
best like his predecessors the old Dutch masters OF
genre. The subject Is a woman In white cap ana
kerchief black dress and blue apron who Is
knitting beside table which bears an earthenware
pitcher and brown loaf The various tones OF these
rolors are combined In stngularly rich and satS-
wing harmony and moreover, the rendering Of form,
the delightful painting Of tho right hand, and tho
treatment of the still life all of most distinguished
merit Another picture of unusual merit Is Daz's
large sunlt glade in the FontaineDleau Forest
picture of uncommon dignity and beauty. There
is something TO be said Of BIeton's Peasant Girl
Watching the Cows" picture of much seriousness
and force although even in 1872 the artist showed
Sgns of a tendency TO idealize his subjects
The visitor who begins his round of the galleries
1e right of the entrance encounters example Of
Pokesonow little master" OF the infinitely little |
IN landscape, which is followed by Of Defreggers
earlier genres a Michel, and thoroughly clever |
though formal picture by Detaille painted in 1877.
which represents French officers windmill sweep
fne the country with their glasses One of the larger
pic res. Jacquet's Reverie' is excellent example
of tile prettihed and temporarily popular genre
produced By artist of great facility and dexterty
An older school Of genre is illustrated In the example
of willems, which is followed by picture of the
Franco-Spanish school Domngos Slesta" an attempt
at an effective color scheme which is much below
certain of our examples of the painter. A study by
Dupre and a landscape which does scant Justice TO
Cazin'g sympathetic art precede Becker's vulgarly
snowy Riyals,' painting Of aggressively splendid
stufs and still life. which overpower the figures
In their effort TO tell hackneyed story. The
large Diaz is followed by another vigorous sketch
by Dupre, a careful painting OF fields near
the sea by Mr. Van Boskefck, and study at Fonaine-
beau by Rousseau, which is interesting illustration
of the mutual influence occasionally exerted by Diaz
and other members Of that company. Amateurs have
become familiar with the rich. subdued coorsng Of
Dupro's dull green and gray marines painted accord
Ing TO formula bequeathed by old Dutch art and
need only say that the present example is one OF
much merit, Tho two admirable Dsubgny's have an
unsympathetic companion in Fr1nin- Girards large
painting The Godmother's Garden composition OF
muCn-cnDo<iiSucu
sral display Of sharply accented flowers. All this
has been executed with much cleverness, although
with little appreciation OF good color. But the
picture IS exhausted at glance. and his super
fetal prettiness Will tempt amateur to linger.
The paintings In the second gallery begin with two
brilliant pastel sketches by Mr. W. NJ Chase,
and very clever though slight study
in the Champs Elysee by Duez. much
blackened sketch by Daubigny, fairly smoth-
cred In varnish, and excellent examples two Of
own landscape painters, Messrs. wyant and C. H.
Miller. arc followed by a Corot more forcble than
usual in its contrasts and very charming in its ex
preston Of atmosphere There is large landscape
by Mr. Harvey Young which represents the exercise |
OF much In the realization Of a wholly bleak and
Hninteresting result and there two landscapes by
Jacque, one Of Rico's Venetian scenes and ono OF |
Mr. Chase's larger paintings Of a studio interior with
single figure and the usual paraphernalia rendered
with great adroitness. Regarding the Corot, No So
there may well be two opinions, but IL is enough TO
that the picture is rough study Of foliage quite
devoid of consequence. Another example of brilliant |
American work in pastel is furnished by Mr. Blum, |
whose Sewing SCHOOL, will DO remembered repre-
been more effective" In his coloring I'm other pct-
ures. landscape by De Cock, and Verhass alb |
surdly silted treatment of figures like still life como
next upon the wall The excellent Low Tide"
painted by tie late Arthur Quartley robust cattle
piece by J. II. L. De Haas, and good example Of
Mr.. Van Boskercks landscape work conclude our
round Of the galleries. These pictures will be sold
at Chickerng Hal On the evening of Wednesday, Feb
ruary "a.