New-York tribune., 1890-01-11
}enjamin Altman and 7. B. Clarke, who have made

benjamin Altman and T. B. Clarke, who have made
this remarkable exhibition possible
Equally remarkable in its way Is the superb eN-
Liition Of the work of the GrecA ceramst~. In one
sense this is more conspicuous dcmonelIatlon Tor
40 less than nifty nine vases are shown and we have
certainly had no loan exhibition Of equal consequence
If we have given more attention To the figuring, % has
figures are almost unlnown TO Us while there Is a
v0mminOus literature regarding Greek ceramic art
which has been pOpuarlzcd i'm the catalogues OF
museums and in various periodicals.. The first case
Of these oilers noble Illustration OF beauty
and perfection of form. These graceful, SYmmctrcd
shapes remain the standards OF ceramic art today
approached only by the Chinese. Without enumerdt M
10 indicate their reccptaclcs for wnc Oh ana
honey, for holding or pouring water, for mixing "ll9
and water, for holding perfumes ana oihmenlS' I na
as drinking vessels. The earliest vase N the COZ
lection is an amphora from Asia Minor which IS A.
and 12 in this may be cited among the lIlitd
tons of beauty of form. IN No. the figures pti.i i
,arly period in No. an early Aslatic example. ths
movements of the naively drawn animals ny m"
purest examples Of Grecan ceramic ueoo. 80 coft9
the which show figures IN fcd OF d ui Scurcj
the sketch made with me me d Drisd uScd
with black paint, and the artist % H,,c Nth - bold
heavier brush to surround the outlines VIII VII tracai
Uniform tint The details Of tho figures were u4tcE
with fine pencil in delicate IL H"t' & ciav rives the
figured vases the natural color OF lhe Cl"n ~ .nd
red ground for the painting ana tne lt ltu ~r vith
like black silhouette WerC an , nanrii color Of
the clay This was the archaic method. ina Ge tGe
n5Te.t and best period, are assigned 10 the ioIt1
century B. c., period WeI ~, ,N"i(' ~
~ his collection. The hnc crater, No. ~.
belongS TO the close OF the best time and an expert
mighf detect a sign of weaker design IN the id'h OF
Grnness shown in the drawing OF the lower border;
Tnf fhe convenient indication Of the period OF
decsdence is the use OF white paint, Whei NAV be
observed in many Of the third and second century
vases notably the very large and really very Mne
example which towers above the group ia thc smarter
room No Is aviShly decorated piece. III thN room
belongs 10 the beginning Of the decadcncc Wlhch j.
illu.tratcd 50 fully in Of the very large NaNo9
of thc Naples Museum. No Il. crater WIN NoIutc
b,ndlcs and elaborate ornumcutafiou cNcnllul'> inc
decsdcpce Of the second century. Another vase ~
described a. a copy of bronze Greek vase maze III
Italy and there are examples of The nuied vases: IL
is hardly necessary to dwell upon the dignity "i form
and the purity and nobility of linear dcN IN shown I'D
the decoration. d" MI specimens OF creek pottery are
mo-. beautiful as the catalogue informs us hu1 I'D lhc
collection made for this exhibition TIE uppcrmo>t lGcl
IN, been 10 bring together Vcritalc things tlat
csnecally cNcrpIfv hcaulV of form H. this. We
NAV add the cN H. tou ha~ been p~-cnlnc Il sue e.
ful. such a splendid demonstration OF the, Nalu' n
Greek ceramic art has value not 10 DE clNlN
estimated. The Lender, OF these vases are Mr. /. IT,
(larke who contributes >iNty-on and Nob7> War
qnand Lawrence, Ellsworth Russell sturgi,. Graves
and Altman. o.,
one more point is worth noting i'm connection win
this exhibition The descriptions ot objects are frank
and lust When repairs have been made tl"V are
acknow lcdccd. and retoaclnns If any kind Is .H\
plicitly SET forth II is perfectly obvious that uu9
Is the only fair and scientific method OF dcscIpuoh'