New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-20
THE HADEN COLLECTION.
TIE WORK OF A GREAT ETCHER.
AZ Artists PERSONAL COLLECTION - RARE
PROOFS AND FINE IMPRESSIONS.

r,.exhibiton OF Mr.. seymour Haden's private
,oneetn OF modern etchings will be opened
.,t week in the gallery Of MessrS. ii. Wun-
S.rlicl& Co.. who purchased this remarkable col
,ectiorfrom Mr. Haden last spring. The work done
Nv Hen himself with the etching needle Will
r.uriy be placed before public first of ALL and
tier, careful examination of this collection, we
cannc hesitate TO emphasize its quality, compre-
benspness and consequence. Those who appreciate
Dsinr's etching illustrated in seymour Haden
ririltart, will have an opportunity for its study
,,hic has not been oqualled in this country we
tr1lstthat IL may not be impossible to make 'liS
oppGunity permanent by the purchase OF TINS col
lectn for the Metropolitan Museum. Inc coming
exhition will be an event of distinction III Hsen
ondt Will be memorable as conclusive announce
me, of the close OF a great etchers career Sc\e'h
res have passed since Mr. Haden etched plale'
an, the presentaton of his favOrite needle 10 Mr.
Kepel some time since was Htehoed 10 sho" 'naV
hsyork was done. Nevertheless the sale OF NE own
etdpcs by this distinguished etcher is a peculiarly
siofcapt event Many artists, unwilling TO abandon
OCCASIONAL endeavor have continued 10 labor all
M LIST DESPITE the evident waning OF their powers.
M, laden has been wiser IN his care Tor ms lame'
rbe vt plates included in his catalogue were etched
4, 1898 These plates may be held 10 reveal a
certa loss in bodness and vigor OF execution, and
vet ie Lancashire River" will always be ranked
amor the important examples of genuinely character
ist;cgork on the whole Mr.. Haden's etched work
,-nhed remarkable illustration of sustained ability.
Tho nalitv which we call staying power must'be
aupant TO every one who examines these portfolios.
miss more notable in the case of Mr.. Haden than
in I, case OF an artist like Van Gravesande, more
tranll and seif-contaned in spirit and expression.
hecae MIR. TIaden in his early Thames Fishermen
COZ ~ himself standard of swift, vigorous, often
lair impassioned expression, which could be main
,oit only bv an etcher Of rare and rarely enduring
,.te force His REIMBURSEMENT Of the needle has
lehis admirers no for regret His work as he
ns,eft II VIII remain a complete and enduring
moment II he has gained little by his expert
mes in mezzotint engraving of recent years, he has
ce,inly lost nothing, and these experiments have
nobeen failures.
, his forty years Of work as painter etchcr. from
ID TO 1.-3, Nr. Iaden has been the most con
sruous figure among the modern masters OF TINS art.
" are accustomed TO trace the modern renaSceute
nstchng to the ateicr Of Leopold Tlamcne, in l-5o.
4, Haden's earliest etchincs antedate Flamcng's
change Of the Slow laboTious BURN for the needle
" this early work Of slight significance. II
Is not until 1859 that he became really productive
cher and at that time he felt the effects Of the
ovement which began IN Paris. We know that Mr.
aden has been surgeon, IN large practice and that
q occupied himself with etching primarily a rocrea-
on during time Of Ilhealth. lie had used draw
lg as an aid in the study of anatomy, but lie was
practically unframed in art. lie lad formed col
ection Of etchings and MS interest in The art, to
,ether with the influence of the time, and especially
the influence Of Whistler, led him u make some
serious attempts with the needle. He etched because
the art attracted him. working for his own pleasure
without any idea that his results would be placed
before tie public How these etchnes were first
made known 10 the public through Mr.. Burys cata
logue, il l564, is story familiar as the exra0r
binary slccess which attended their publication in
Paris ard London. But il is worth while 10 recall
hese fats, in order to appreciate the spOntancty Of
he artists work, the force OF his natural ability
ard. f. once. the advantages of amateurship. Al
tloughthe amateur. in the vast majority Of cases is
not tobe taken seriously, Nj. Haden has furnished
ar example Of an amateur artist whom professional
either have placed in the first rank. His case may
well called exceptional
II Vuld be superhuous 10 dwell upon the distinctive
oualits Of work familiar 10 all print lovers, but these
oualits have never been so fully illustrated for
benef as IN the beautiful final Impressions and the
intereing trial proofs Of Mr.. adens own collection.
His tchines Of hands, and certain essays IN
porirture, have demonstrated accurate knowledge
Of arOmv which has never been allowed 20 Assert
itselhnduly in the figures Of his landscapes. Yet
this election concludes some preliminary anatomical
drawgs Of these very landscape figures which are
comonly sketched in without a second thought.
Thu it appears TINT the scientific idea the feeling
for rue construction, was not wholly lost sight Of
Butthc manner OF expression is artistic, Lot scieu-
tide as few need . be told For Mr.. Hadcns work
basbeen analysed often that every print lover has
sole understandn, Of the rare vie0r II line, The
,ugment in composition, the pre- eminent abAfy ia
q, drawing of tee forms and foliage, the tactiui
rnderng Of boats, of house and Of river scenes and
within certain limits the truthful delincStOn OF
nimals No sucl work has been done in this century
q true Interpretive landscape etching, and it is
pleasant 10 look back upon record Of American
appreciation. In the manuscript catalogue prepared
Nv Mr. Haden W find Mr.. Avery credited with the
nossessiOn of Nv proofs which the artist himself
did not have andwe also find mention Of Mr.. Howard
Mansfield "a the owner Of certain Of the rarcst i'm
nressions With the exception Of Drake believe
t,eee two mericans arc the only col
lectors referre 10 in this catalogue. Inc
influence of Mr.. Haden's work upon our
OWN etchers an the general appreciation indicated by
the demard forhis etchnGs, warrant prediction Of
universal apprval Of the purchase Of this cOllec-
ton as the ncleus of a print department IN the
Metropolitan Mseum Of Art.
Mr. Haden' personal catalogue contains 200 mum
bers, includiH fifteen plates etched since the last
plate mentiond in Drake, which was etched III l-10
the year befoe the publication Of brakes catalogue.
Mr. Haden's dialogue is that Of d connOisseur prone
to make them Of the differences between trial
proofs and abays ready 10 record new states lhcsc
proofs, man. Of which are not described In Drake
have an Obvus personal and technical interest. ana
as matter they will appeal TO connoisscur7'
But they ar not essential to understanding OF MI
Haden's artand it is a mistake 10 cXagserate value
really depedent upon rarity We are introduced 10
the collectin proper by group OF portraits OF MI
Haden, wbse strongly marked. distinguished iace
appears inthe mezzOtints Of LegrOs and ROBINSON
the plates strang and Lacrctec and the title page
designs byCherbon. The first few ctchings. which
most interesting on account Of their historical
and persoal associations, represent studies IN Itay
in 1884 The first shows the " Tomb Of POrsenna'
decately lrawn the buildings lightly bitten and re
touched Nth pencil. Only proof was taken
from cal OF the next two plates. and these
were notin Mr.. Haden's possession. The House
ON the Der" is represented by the original pencil