New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-16
ART EXHIBITIONS.
THE COLLECTION OF MASTERPIECES.

Tho Barge exhibition occupies the snteroom. ~
IT were, to the collection Of masterpieces BY ths
group OF great painters who shared tho sculptor.
aims, and in several cases, his friendship ThroysA
the generosity Of collectors, the public has !.
opportunity never approached before In this counts,
ana PROBABLY never to be repeated. Every one hs.
known something OF the zeal Of Americans in a.
pursuit OF paintings by the men OF 1902 I'm,
few have been able to measure their success r,
this exhibition VIC have the best results OF Amer..
copnoisseursbip IL Is evident enough that few "a
these pictures are masterpieces only by cour,.,v
and the absence Of the Vanderbilt Sewer. shows A.,
all our masterpieces" have not been collected 4.
these galleries. But this Is really as tmr,,ey,., -
discussion Of the claim that the exhibition ,o,,,-
not be equalled In Paris IL is the quality ~ -
art actually before us which is OF immediate csp,.-
and this exhibition has the quality which the o..
amateur seeks. II would be possible N M.
slIperatives on superatives In describing this r,
fcent illustration Of great art, but we NAV s,,..
leave superatives to the visitors. There is oee,s,..
for their use.
The setting Of these paintings IS most cr.s,.,,.
to the American Art Association, whose b.,.,.
galleries have been draped with rfch deep red k,A
ings These are simple and not obtrlsive say. y
the case Of the "Angcus,7 in the upper gsI,,
which floats tike tiny island upon a sea OF rsS
Those who have never noted the dimensions NJ IA.
picture will be surprised at its small size Otb.,,
IL would appear. have conceived a certain preudso.
due to the sensational part which the picture Ia.
played, and possibly due in TO reac,io,
against the IaudatiOn OF Met which has been a.
constant for many years. Nothing could be mora
unfair. II ought not to be necessary al this Ian.
day 10 say that the price OF picture or the M.
which IS made Of it has nothing whatever To do With IN,
merit OF the picture expression Of the painter.
art More candid observers, believe, are pr,
disposed to find in the "Anselus7 all that bm
ductons Of the picture, from proofs "a
Waltners etching down to the shabbiest photograph,
prints are known TO all men, and It IS perfectly eyi
dent that the design Of the picture has received n.
stamp of popular approval And It IS the design
which makes the picture. The lines OF these roughly
clad, awkward peasants show tho drawing which mads
Millet master of design. These lines might have
been more suave and pleasing, but Mllet drew nj,
peasants in their native ungainliness. IL Is
true that the long, rigid line of the mans leg
IS not beautiful In ITSELF but 1t has been painted as
the artist saw it. This IS the work Of truth teller
not OF an engaging romancer and such We mus,
accept II. Behind the figures the perspective "a
rendered thOughtfulIy and accurately. The churh
spire is less distinct than many have been led think
by the reproductio So far the design goes,
therefore, we have expressive composition and
truthful drawing All this, II will be urged, might
be said of black and white study, or Of proof OF
Waltner's etching This is perfectly true. When We
20 beyond linear design the -Angelus' becomes
disappointment. The picture IS thin and cold.
lacks the richness of half dozen Millets 10 this
exhibition.
In the large gallery Corots stately ST. Sebastian
holds one place of honor and Dupre's Great OAK
another while the latters vigorous naturalism, which
finds fairly monumental expression is set against the
poetry Of Corot whose luminous Lake Nemi' and su-
perb Faun and Nymphs7 guard the exit TO the upper
stairway. In The Tribune of sunday last we reviewed
many of these pictures, and full list with the names
of the contributors, has been already published
would be hard to give the precedence 70 any Of tssss
masters and yet it seemed at yesterday opening nat
Oilers the tender and tranquil sheepfold by Noon
light the beautiful Potato Planters with rs
coortn,: and fine distance. study for the BucEwheat
Threshers," me shore view at GIevile, me lulsr!
He DER with its suggestive figures touches OF os
landscape of fine quality. dominated by singulsriy
luminous sky the sheep shearngo picture % q Tas
MAKING I've the Iow-toned. rich Potato Harvest
the CRATER. another superb example, the st%as
sower painted beneath the landscape large study o.
The sower,' After the Bath waiting sketch
for Srs1 1h9 ma men The s includes several pSnss q
the finest quality which Mr., Quincy shaw lends 70,
the thd as Sau Time the aef psAeIs and
important crayon sketches, and we have group who9
Turning to peacroix. the master coorist q his
groIp we meet his wonderful scene of the Crcihxhn
we'll named The Great Crime with the Jesus "a
Galilee- and a small tIdy Of the subject different IN
composition. the ConvulsiOnsts,' the " columbus AZ
Court which appears in good time; the brilliant it'
GiaOur and Pacha,' the "Rebecca" and few Ok
amples OF Delacroixs delight in the color and rHi
of beasts of prey The three remarkable Coros sace
we have named accompanied by The r. eniho
mans Cottage the Evening and panulE OF
road lined with willows. ROusseau's varying "a.
ners are directly contrasted in the magnificent hoa
Frost and the polished summer AfernoOnS Anu
again in the landscape of 1888. painted under tns
Constable influence. and the Morning on the Ose,
rare union of exact science and delcacy OF toch IN
like manner the versatility OF DauOigny Is lhus;;
trated in the group near the Jesus on GaiIee,
a group containing his spacious sea view, WIN Us
luminous sky Twilight, and fresh strong study
of grass and trees waving In the wind beside nver
swollen and turbid. TrOyOn's solidly modelled
:. Hunting Dogs the fine Cattle Drinking with
its far reaching distance. the Going 10 the Fair and
:. Cows and Sheep at Pasture among the CRATE
FIJI memories of the exhibition. Dia's uncertain
figure painting is is best in pictures like
8 The Assumption and Coronation OF Love- while
his Landscape art finds expression in The storm
10 go no further There is one of the best examples
of Duprc's gray green marines, picture noteworthy
for lis action This is accompanied by The Great
oak and c7ner landscapes, by Decampss slngulaiV
impressive "Suicde7 and the beautiful "Buicher
Shopp and by the strong rich lion OF Gercault, the
first leader of the romanticists.