New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-10
A SOCIETY OF AMATEURS.
PAINTINGS-ORIENTAL PORCELAINS.
GLIB OF THE CHIEF AMERICAN ART COA
LECToRs-wHAT MAY BE EXPECTED
At THE EXHIBITIONS.

society of amateurs which Will include Ill i'S n'0'i
hersbip the chief American collectors OF pai'i'iIsS'
Oriental porcelaBs and examples of other ar's' i'o
idea of this society existed before the brilliant ser
NJ exhibitions at Nle Union League Club winch ooSa'
in February ls69 but these exhibitions aideu .i'e uo
yelopment of the plan and helped 10 si'e ~ ~
form At present this society can be iesarucu 40 a..
established fact. although many oil inc oet'i ~ 20,
unsettled The names of many OF uie ic"iV w., VIZ
be found in list Of contributors 10 'he
AZ the Union League Club The purpose VI '''0 80 i ~
NAV be Illustrated by extract from inc oon'''uIo
~ the purlin r,on Fine Arts Club in LonooH' VIII"
aims TO hiring together amateurs, collectors anu o'eS
interested in art: afford ready means lo' '
between persons Of special knowleoee anu 80
IN art: provide accommodation Tor co'hp"'+"s i"'0
works provide periodicals. books anu cd'''os NV
inr reference 10 art arrange ior "a
.t,,.,n-. "a render the club centre where
corvorsa7ioni NAV be held Of an art character
o.c Many Of the members of the society are mem
hers of the Grolicr Club, which mas rc.Cn'N ',
into possession Of new house ana Minimum SUI"
and there has been some discussion Tsdulhs 'io
a,,sahil,v Of conference with the Groier Ouo con
conoo, nsc Of the latter's gallery and rooms.
Although this might give a home without ueI"y' ,"ero
ar oh,ious objections II the society IS 10 reach us
fulI measure Of usefulness IL Will IT,
irs an (, ,ndcnt home with ample accommo-
dations for 90 library well as Tor eAhlDiuohs TO
ouirng considerable space and continuing for some
tfp On
character Of It's own and it is probable that many
y, the members would he unwilling to incur the risk
~ any sacrifice Of the special interests represented In
the Climb II is probable that the Society OF Amateurs
will prefer an Independent home TO any combination
with another club to any plan for a gallery ana
rooms in the building designed for various associa-
lions of artists by the Fine Arts Society," The
burlington aims to provide the accommodations OF
London club With the purely social side of club
life the Society Of Amateurs will not concern ltse1
but the importance Of the organization. the serious
ness of its purpose. and the need OF ample ana III
dependent accommodations are likely to induce the
members to home OF their own. But uus,
like many other questions remains 10 be settleo. Az
present the plan of tho society has been roughly
sketclled, and Endorsed by sufficiently large number
Of amateurs 10 make the society a certainty.
The work which can be done by this society in
the way Of exhibitions alone may be indicHed by
recalling the exhibitions held at the Union League
Club in the last year and half. These exhibitions
have given better idea Of the results of American
collecting than any exhibitions Which We have had
They have indicated the richness of our private col
lections and they have proved that the amateurs
represented are appTeciauyc and studious collectors
and not tasteless and cxtravagant accumulators.
II is unnecessary to emphasize the advantages TO be
derived from special exhibitions made mp Of the finest
objects in American private collections. When the
Union League Club began its series Of exhibitions
Oriental porceains placed before the visitors 10
the club. 1t has been said that The superb group
Of bullock's blood and winecolor vases has not
been eQualled at any exhibition abroad, and the i'm
possibility of surprising that group. or, indeed, tho
groups Of other singlccolor pieces, may readily be
conceded. Each piece. whether it represented bull
locks blood" or the so-called peachbow," some
delicate shade of blue or green. had been carefully
chosen account Of its perfection and the result
was a collection Of unmpeachabe quality. The same
plan was followed the next month. when the paint
inss accompanied by "a beautiful array OF blue
and white porceiaEs which included rare examples
Of soft paste and eggshen of powder blue, Hawthorn
and various shades called by the poetic names of the
orient. 1t would not be easy to exaggerate the
beauty and merit of these two exhibitions The
paintings shown included examples OF American
artists like Inness, Martin Eastman Johnson, Wyani
Fuller many younger painters and foreign artists
like the members of the Darbizon school, academic
masters like Gerome, and newer fdvOres like Cain.
Al The end Of the clubs season in April Japan and
wsier-color work rdled the gallery which exhibited
the choicest specimens of pottery, lacquers. metal
work and carvings selected with admirable d!scrlmi
nation.
When the time of exhibitions came again last
autumn the Union League Club opened the season
with a remarkable exhibition OF old and modern
masters decorated oriental porcclans and enamel-
ReInbrandt's Portrait Of a Man. fine example OF
his first period was lent by Mr. J. W. Ellsworth, Of
Chicago and Rembrandt was accompanied by Teniers.
Van Ostade Mas and De Hoosh, and among tho
modern masters Delacroix represented by the
" Amende Honorable TrOyOn and Daubisny, whose
last salon picture shown. The p0rccliins eX-
hbited the finest decorative wor, Of the Lind which
we possess, and tie japanese cnames were ii sur
plfsing nlu.t5,' ion Of perfect technical SKILL Infinite
pains.alrg and fine appreciation OF decorative eject
The December exhibition OF old and modern masters
and Oriental jade iacludcd Piudhon's distinguished
Andromache' the finest example IN this country :;
Lawrence's admirable portrait group which has peen
renamed Nature examples Of Tcnicrs and Van
Ostadc DclacrolX's Columbia" Mlllet's unfinished
sower,7 and paintings by swan ana boh'ih
Messonier ana Puvis de Chayanncs, IN addition 10
example, Of Inne,s. Tryon and Wyant and other
Americans Visitors. who were acquainted Win
the peculiar obdurdcy Of jade ana )aHelte
were prepared to accompany the pFcci'ioH'
delicacy and comparative freedom of the carving III
examples like the double gourd in vases uIpou jar
and cylinders, while the beauty Of the material was
exhibited in the white curOusly splashcd jadcte jar
in incense burners. goufds and other pieces green
black yellow and white. These were accompanied by
carved crystal and chry sOphrase. by Mr. Garland ;
collection OF carved snuff bottles, boxes ana charHS'
and Mr.. Kunz's collection Of aboriginal carvings III
Jade jadeite and pcctoe. II has been the custom 10
organize exhibition Of special distinction ior inc
annual meeting Of the club, and last January's ex
hbition OF Greek figures and vases and American
landscapes was a memorable one. With the cXcep
ton Of DR. Innesss fine Delaware Valley" painted IN
1863 nearly all the landscapes represented the work
Of Inc Ias; few years, and with the exception OF the
notable pictures of McsSrs. Inness. Wyant and Nc
Entee and "a few OtheS, the paintings were by the
younger landscape painters and their admirable quality
WAS therefore full OF promise. The exhibition OF
Greek vases and lgurnes stands By itself among club
or other American exhibitions. II presented sixty
nine painted vases Of periods ranging from the eighth
century b. c. to the second century
4. D.. and this noble collection was &C
companied by group Of tho lately discovered
Myfrna fsureines and another Of Tanagra statucttcs
Most amateurs have been familiar with the delight
full studies from real lie and the NEUROLOGICAL figures
known ranagra statuctcs, but none OF the lately
discovered groups from Asia Minor had been shown
before in this city Their beauty, eXpressivcness and
scuiptuTesque charm the best proofs of their origin
This might well be called the most Of the club