New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-23
THE WOLFF COLLECTIONS.
A TREASURY OF ENGRAVINGS AT SYRACUSE
UNIVERSITY.
MRS LEAvEYwoRTH's GIFT IN MEMORY OF HER
HUSBAND-SOME ACCOUNT OF THE COLI
LECTION AND ITS CONTENTS.

as follows:
If is the presentation TO the syracuse University
Of one of the most important collections OF ehsraN
incs that has evey been made by private person
that calls us together today. the history Oh u'e
,roscntaton NAV be briefly rccounted follows :
General Elias ". Lcavcnworth. IL D., one OF the
founders of syracuse the first superintendent OF Pub
lie schools in the state OF York for thirty years
Regent of the University Of the state OF Newly 0rk
for four years the Representative OF TINS dis
trc in the National Congress- and who was invested
et various times with other Offices OF pnblc trust
| left by his will large portion of his property to 20
ultimately TO founding in this city school OF IN
duStrial art for women. Tpnn close examination T"
the will flaw appeared which rendered it lmpossbi"
TO carry out this intention expressed IN the Will
The widow Of General Leavenworth Mrs Harriet
Townly Leavenworth. found It in her heart 10 carry
out general spirit. what olld not be done III eN
act detail the expressed wishes Of her deceased huS
bard. The College of Fine Arts Of the syracuse I'm
vcrsy is an institution fully organized and in com
pctc working opcraton large majority of its
students are young women. 1t is housed IN thS
magnificent building which was erected by lifelong
acquaintance and feow-ctizcn with General Leaven
WORTH a cofoundcr with him of the city OF syracuse
With the thought above expressed. Mrs. Leaven
worth decided TO purchase and TO present TO the Col
| lego of Fine Arts the Wolf collection of cngravlngS
This collection stands unsurpassed nd unrivacd III
its peculiar line among those that have been gathered
| by a single private person. 1t is confined almost eN
clusvcy to portraits and TO portraits "i particular
! classes of persons These are especially dis
tinguishcd physicians of all countries and all periods
II includes. however portraits of very large number
of those persons have been most famous in every
branch of natural science rs chemists biologists.
mncrnog,ts botanists, gcocIaphcrs, explorers. navi
gators inventors: with also liberal representation
! OF mathematician, philosophers, lineuists theolo
gans. iurStS. statesmen, poets painters, sculpt"rN
and architects not excluding astrolorstS, alcheml>t'
! clarlatans and other quaint characters who have
contributed in their crratc way 10 the Advancement
| Of human knowledge, or have enjoyed temporary
notoriety by "a false assumption Of scientific attain
ment skill.
Dr. Wolff while yet a stldent. began to collect
| portrait cngravinGS OF distinguished men Of science
As is usual In this and other matters. he found hi'
appetite TO grow by eating The work increased
upon his hands and developed into loving. lifelong
passion For fifty years. until his death at the
venerable age Of eightythrec he continued 10 add 10
this priceless treasure sparing neither time labor nor
expense to bring the work 10 completion. NothlnS
in the vast literature upon the history OF engraving
escaped his eagle eve. He made himself acquainted
with the collections in the great museums a. we'll as
with those belonging to private persons In prose
cutting his made frequent and repeated visits
10 the chief centres OF learning and Of the book and
art trade Of Europe. London, Paris, Amsterdam
| Berlin, L"ipsig and Vienna. AZ different times Dr
Wolf nprchased FIVE extensive collections in the
line chief among which were that Of Or. Diamond IN
| London that Of the German Natural History society
the Loopodina Carolina and The chief part OF that Of
Dr. Sachse in SChwcrIn In the hal! century tlat ne
devoted to gathering these cngravinss he hccamc an
ACCOMPLISHED connoi,~cur in TN, branch 81 art and In
gratifying hi, taste De also made collateral COLLECTION
Of engavings in general. including many proof copc'
Of the best work Of the greatest masters Of the burr"
and the ctchngnee This second collection ~
sold that he might make more complete the collection
Of portraits II Is not necessary TO mention mere inc
! amount Of money Dr. Wolf expended la gathering
these portraits further than to say tina. would be-
a handsome fortune. BY car full, and saeacOu,ly
watching for favorable opportunities 70? purchase. upon
An INTELLIGENT plan, through half century, hc was
able to multiply by many times the purchasing power
Of the money expended above what IL would nave been
| had he gone into the market and bought The same
| cngraving- in limited time.
In this collection Of portraits we have the crystal
uzation Of the lifelong activity Of Dr. Wolf lie wa.
indeed An eminent member Of the medical profession
He wa, an ornament to the highest social circle In
Bonn the centre Of education, culture and refinement
in Western Germany. lie Wa peculiarly gentle.
aTcctionate and beloved in his large and Interesting
family circle Yet Or. Wolf will be known in history
and in all coming time through this collection OF en-
craving, which i, the crystazatlon OF the most Ina
! nortsnt activities of his long and vigorous life.
To whom however will this collection De Of special
| or Of the greatest value
In the first place to artists and students oi art
Here are found in abundance examples OF every 'Nc
and variety Of engraving, and works by every impor-
tant master. Here works fresh from the hama Of
| Albert Durer. Rembrandt Audran. Mandel Edelmch.
the Knians. Raphael Morrhcn, sharp and countless
| others. Here are found what may be called triple
works OF art. interpretations Of classic bust ana
statues (as Of IIppocraes Socrates. Plato Aristotle
through drawing from the vigorous pencil Of Eubeh''
engraved by Pontius, Yorstcrmann ard others here
an. many engraving, after painting, by the great
masters Of portriturc, as Rembrandt. Van pF'"'
Gain.borough sr Joshua Reynolds. Sir Thomas Law
renee Flandrin and Richter. Here are examples IN
| abundance Of the delcacy, the accuracy ana th'
strength Of treatment Of which lhosraphy me]/ouh'
and stpple are capable-processes which have not
usually been held in high esteem IN America o"lnE
10 the fact that these forms OF enrravhg' nave u'"
heen pracised with Us In rather rude and imperfect
manner. Here are found Impressions taheh Ho"
plates in every stage Of their progress towards co"
melton as well as original drawings after wh'h a.
companying engIavings have beer made. ID snort
every technical process, IN etching and cneraVS; ~
I any Of their forms. Is richly hIi'tr"''u w "'"
As portrait whether scuIptgred painted or en-
gravcd i representation Of the character VI |,'
person portrayed. and is analogous TO D"taPi,
skctch OF the person. hence 70 have several vi
In his life or career is like having several or many
biographical sketches Of the person "n,n va 80,
] Al a.,
uhcr- In either case the parsonage Is presented 10y
Xarous observers and from various standpoint az,
| we thereby get a more complete unhcI9ltnuiE WIZ
! If. dominant and permanent dnd It's a''ucltI an
t..r.t.ut rIaractcri,tic.. than il view were con
Gncd 10 one single portrait or biogfnphcr; In UNI
r,'nnct the Wolff Lcavcnworth collection IS exceed
n,oiv rich We find ia il frequently TWO tiIcc
four-cven ten twenty or thirty or NOR che.2y'n
~ the same pcrSon--ln some cases, indeed, al wv
rnrtrats Of d person that are known to nave bc.l
published Pas,lng by the large nnnhGr o. Gup
t,,. ,,,ultItudo Irrtraii- that j.. all from dlncril
pjatrs and usually all by different cngTaVcr' vm
70 Aunrtus Nagnus. five each Of Aristotle, 'hil'l"
nbor Cnlurnln, Kcpcr. Copcrnicns, CrlSiophcr wren
William Hcr-chc, Jane. watt volta SlrPnc, ,
/ No. Oliver Goldsmith and Emmanuel Kant sever
each Of John cook. Francis Bacon ard Warren last
irg. cirhf each Of Nesaius, Cnvlcr, SpinOha ah'
Issqc watt nine each Of Calico laryey rric,iIey
p,i,nf,rd and Ron scau. ten ~ CaenD-tr0. eleven D
! Ihm IocIc twelve Of Albert Durcr, thirteen cacl
Of Rabclais and Goethe, fifteen each Of I'aac newton
benjamin Franklin aud Alexander llumDnln sA da,
each Of Des Csrte- Jcnner aud Bnnon seventeen cl'