New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-29
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND d1TER TOPICS.
AMERICAN NOTE---A PORTRAIT OF DUSs sooIo"-
NEWS FROM ENGLAND, FRANCE AND ITALY
DISCOVERY OF PAINTING BY 7


week: "Indian Summer in New-Jerscy,' by C. Harry
Eaton, 1900: "on Guard" by A. +. Tait, 300
q Misty Morning Nantucket" by George H. Mccoru'
5000 "a sOu'wester," by Charles 5. Hopkinson' ESQ
GLOW Tido-Annsquan River by James klnseila' Too
study of q Calf" by NJ. Vanderveer go; "The oid
Violin. Maker by T. W. Wood $3.50; "Low Ife az
Manomets by A. T.. Bncber. 5000; CHERRIES by
MAS. A. T.. Burt. sis Luxembourg Gariens Paris
by earle J. Ienner, $50: "a Fancy-At the Opera
By benjamin Eggleston, 1856; F." Autumnal Twilight,
By G. Austin Necdham, $40; o. Cherries by ~ l.
Morchead, $75.
Saturday evening, December s, ut the sharp nIt
School IA broadway, Mr.. ". Lewis Fraser, oi 'he
"Centuryss art department will deliver lecture On
drawing for reproduction. Ills remarks VIII DC iu
tratcd By drawings by J.. A. Abbey, II. Bum %
penncll, W. NJ Chase, A. l.. Brennan, f. H. smi''i
r. b. Birch, and other wellknown illustrators.
Mr.. Schneider. at the Fifth Avenue Hotel is exhibiting
picture said TO be by Gerard Terburg genre painter
whose works arc reckoned by European conhoisSe"is
among the rarest and most precious proo"'' u
seventeenth century Dutch art The picture Represents
a scene often painted by Terburg, FANNY pi'y
gathered about q table In the dinngroom OF an ars'o
cratic mansion singing and playing. 1t Is cro"oeu
with figures and with the points OF picturesqueness
I'm costumes musical instruments and furniture Which
engrossed much OF the attention OF the carry Dun
painters The picture is. from the collection OF OK
Mayor Kingsand, and is to be sold. -
1t has been known for time past that MI sohh
Sargent and Mr.. f. A. Abbey were to PAM some
large decorations for the new pubic library In bos'oh'
and there has been much curiosity abroad as 10 the
kind of work likely to be done by men whose work
has been so far removed from the field OF mural paint
ing but nothing as to the character Of the designs
has come out until quite lately. Now II appears that
the subjects and their treatment are 10 DC somewhat
archaic in feeling. number Of single figures of the
Prophets are to be included In the scheme aho IL Is
stated that they will be conceived In an orlgihat man
ner, which, under the circumstances, Is hafu'S sur
prsing The presence OF the Prophets dives n hlht as
TO the nature OF one part OF the work. at least Dut
are these figures to be Mr. Abbeys or Mr. sargents IL
Is impossible to believe that the two men are 10 cop'
forces, as one English Journal suggests.
Mr. Sargent went to Egypt to make studies ior HIS
part OF the work. lie returned the other day. pu'
his sketches arc guarded from the public eye Two
independent subjects done In EGYPT however Il
dancer and Hfesize nude win be sent by him to the
New English Art Club this winter
According 10 an Old legend one OF the miracles
performed by Dlns Scotuis the medieval missionary
and scholar was the translation OF the Holy SCRIPT
ures without tasting food lie died, ii saId JUST rs
he finished the last chapter OF Revelations. l"o
hundred years later the SpaDslItalan artist RlDefa
commonly called Lo spagnoletto, painted picture Oh
the translator engaged in his task This picture mas
extent but very probably based on authentic docu-
ments In the shape of Illuminated misSalS which have
since disappeared. -Four copies OF 1t are mentioned
I'm history. OF these three have been preserved In
England for years.. one az WINDSOR one al the
BOdlean Library, and one at Merton College Inc
fourth has long been object Of fTuitless search
Two OF the three known copies have each meanwhile
claimed to be the original work. In brochure
printed at the Riverside Press, Mr.. George Shea argues
that not one Of the three English pictures Is the
original but that the genuine Spagnoletto which ne
considers the elusive fourth copy, may be found in
a picture given by him to the General Theological
Seminary of the United States, IN New-York City,
Mr.. Shea purchased his picture from a Mr.. John
Chaundy, OF oxford, In whose shop he accidentally
discovered &c In 1889 or 1890. Mr.. 'chirnuy told
him that IL had been left with him by private
gentleman that it had been DO iGht many years ago
by an ancestor OF that gentleman who understood it
had been brought into England from the South Of
France and that 1t believed by the family to be
q genuine SpagnOletto and the original OF his Dnns
SCOUTS" Mr.. She. odds to these statements three
others, as follows First three Ot the pctures) are
known to be copies, and by other painters. Second,
the existence OF this Spagnoetto being discovered II
fills the only place in Changers history OF the
picture: as it is unquestOnably original painting
and as Ii answers the traditional description of the
extraordinary portrait. Third the painting Is rec
ognzed by connoiSseurS genuine Rlbera. 1t Is one
OF the best of his works All OF which, when cOoly
examined provokes the opinion TINT Mr.. shea has
made out a plausible but unconvincing case and that
the OF the four pictures remains in the position
of being compelled TO decide for himself which he
occupied at the beginning, ...,.
current Nineteenth Century" on "Spuri6us Works OF
ART Among many curious exposures he mentions
that i'm which four turner's" and two "Constables"
were concerned In London fifteen years ago. The
pictures prodigally advertised extraordinary
examples, and such sensation was created that
the auction room was packed on the day of the sale
Sir Charles Robinson came, saw, and SO to say,
conquered An Italian dealer had tod him once that
the best way to detect the fasity of an old master
was to stick pin into that part Of 1t where tne
paint lay thlckest. II the pin went IN the paint
was new. "Try it, on the other hand,' he said
"on an old picture, and you might as well try 10
drive pin into china plate" Sir Charles tool
pin, drove 1t into of the "Constabes" without
the slightest difficulty and Quashed the sale. Oddly
enough the owner Of these pictures, who had paid
100000 for them thinking they genuine, re-
covered every shilling he had laid out on them. lie
them from the auction room to the Pantechncon
insuring them for what they had cost him. The
building burned down before long, and he obtained
full damages The Italian dealers trick is well
known and widely used among Partisan dealers now
adays, with the difference that they use the thumb
nail instead Of pin Yet there are cases where
even this apparently mfallble method Of discovery
avails nothing. Contemporary forgeres of old masters
possess the same hardness that the authentic works
In connection with Sir Charles RobinsOns article
the report OF the Archaeological Commission organized
at Berlin to esgate the Egyptian antiquities bought
for the Royal Museum at cost of 100000 may be
mentioned Seventeen mumme, have been adjudged
| Of recent Alcxandrian manufacture
Mr. Herbert schmalz, of Londor, has painted a
great religious picture called "The Return from
Calvary which may, in the course Of events, reach
Now-Yor, for II Is being exploited ms sensation at
shilling head and like Munkacsys pictures. is fated
TO fill the public eye to as an extent as man
agerial enterprise compass six thousand clergy
men were invited 10 inspect II Lord Mayors Day.
Each clergyman was handed certificate from The
nhnn In Jerusalem testifYlng the correctness OF all