New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-03
TIE METROPOLIIAN MUSEUM.
TREASURES SHOWN AT THE SPRING OPEN


Not since the day Of the formal dedication OF the
Catherine Wolfe Gallery has the metropolitan Museum
Of Art had opening approaching I'm importance
that which took place yesterday. one room Is en-
tlrcly filled With tho collection OF antique ART ooecS
bequcatlcd By The late Edward G. Moore Elsewhere
arc the tapestries paintings vases and specimens OF
Capo di Monte brqucathcd BY the late MIS-.
Elizabeth A. Coles collection OF antique fragments
presented by Mr.. Henry G.. Marquand: a porphSry
and gilt vase OF the time OF Louis Ky. presented by
Miss Sarah Lazarus In memory OF her parents Moses
and Esther Lazarus: n portrait Of Mr.. william e.
Prime first vice president Of the Museum paileu os
Daniel huntington and presented by the trustees
the landscape entitled "The RAIN painted by v" a.
Coffin. which won the Webb prize at the exhionoh
OF tho Society OF American Artists last year pr'seen
by a. several gentlemen the pictures by MesSrN
Homer Martin and C. Y. Turner which Mr. Wiili""
T. Evans lent Inst November, but has now HVc"
outright 10 the Museum: bust OF Hcrodotns pr''
scented by Mr.. George F. Baker, large b''"'''o
tapestry lent by Mrs. Mary d. Winslow paintings ion.
BY Mr. Edward ~ Cameron, Mrs. Joseph iowhhu
and Mr. william r. Evans; and golden sword OF 'he
late General sherman, lent by his son.
The Moore collection has not been ca'hiogneo' p"o Z"
has been arranged very Systematically. and even gen
oral survey Of It's contents sufces to give an idca OF
the taste and wisdom with which IL was 'or"''" III"
81 the immense advantages which II cohterS "Po" no
museum The most obvious thing about il Is mat IL
made by man who never pcrml''co Ii'H'.' "
collect simply for the sake OF collecting Inc forhs
Of art II comprphends the IFcial characteristics II rep
rescns. many in number yet no one dep'''"eh -
crowded on the contrary. each department contains
reasonable number OF objects. and tho'c hic Vi ''
highest quality. The group OF Ianagra hgunhe' IS
The most striking in point. 1t STANDS by iSeh
in the centre OF the gallery an evenly beautfui ~pe
sentaon Of Of tho most beautiful phases o h"'c"
plastic art some Of these little terra Gotta sa'uccS
iortc IA N IIermcS Irlng
ing n Feminine Figue 10 CharOnr: there Is an Mi
odne- and there is Rape OF Europa some OF
them touch those scenes, nearer TO human sympathy
which the Greeks knew how TO treat win such ahi'"
llon a quaric;te Of youths and maldens FOOTING
Bacchlc measure. n widow mourning bcsld" her nus
bands s,clc. woman come TO draw water rom
fountain In all the pieces there is the same delicate
temper the same dainty modelling. the sam" gTac"iu
plant mode OF treating drapery. The cherry pit mira
ccs Of Chinese carving not held In high cstinaton
and was long before the world would accept nrycS
"papcrweighs' rs works OF art. These Innagra hg
urlncs proyc the sanity Of the Greeks In the matter Of
scale There was demand for small groups or single
figures and how well this demand wns metl Thes"
,npcrbly modelled miniatures are as scupturcSqrc rs
works n dozen times their inches might be. The
rurincs arc the only objects In the Moore collection
which belong strictly speaking 10 initiative art. The
body OF the collection Is composed Of Greek. Roman
Egyptian, Persian. Arabian. Spanish, German ana
vcnctInn glnsS: japanese and Chinese poTelainS'
In pancse swords sword guaris. lncGucrs, worries.
baskets and suas: jewclry from the East Indies from
Bulgaria Hungary Rumania Portugal and Turkey
straw boxes from italy md France metal armor and
utensils from Persian and Arabic workshops Saracenic.
Arabic ard iIspano Morcsque uSircS Malay. Cngalcc
and Persian weapons. The handsome cases are filled
with capricious shapes ard coors In the glass
and ceramic productions Of the East with endless
motives Of dccoutivc design rs in the Persian and
them In detail after n bric; examination. would lie
futile
Tho Coles b"qucSt J. ~ present in the hands ~ Tho
lawyers and although II Is shown at the Museum II
is Ia be understood that II has not yet passed irrcvo
cably into the hands ol the trustees It's most prccoS
features nre the tapestries which have been mentioned
abovc. Five 81 these. huge Flemish works 10y Jan
van fcchlael. describe In m" lives 81 Mark
Antony and Cleopatra. They chiefly remarkable
for bold. painter like treatment Of the Figures, and FOR
broad ci!ccts of color Fpnr Others Roman. were
executed By +. FcrloH early In Tho eighteenth century,
md Illustrate passages IN the Jerusalem Delivered
II Tsso There Is early tapestry which shows with
god deal 81 spirit what fight of wild anmns
in "A Roman amphhcnre was Hike and which
formerly owned by one ~ hc Barbcrlni family in
Rome, but Of which the authorship + unknown There
bly Of Flemish orlen. ihcrc is a fine example 4
neamyas and there I, Cocn Portrait Of Catherine
All tr TAPESTRIES are In fine stat" IT preservation.
and they give tho Museum status In respect To
textile art that has Ions needed The paintings lcf
by Mrs. Cole, cannot all bc rrgnri'd with equal 'ntl'
faction. Two Of them gems Man Reading by
Mcs,Onnicr Is marvclri-y strong In color. and a
small interior with figure By Matthew Morls Is As
good in rs subdued misty way. The sketch by Dupc
l. god also. the forest scene hI Dilz Is fair. the
Corot though II il dirty in color Tor first rntc Corot.
ha, the Interest which attaches to new mOtivc-thc
scanc pond TINT washes rho walls OF old French
bnlldlng. !, unlike anything he wa in The habit IT
painting: there Is happily caught note Of domcNtIHlty
In Arts carefully painted pic,ur" Of Dutch Interior
that II n merely technical value. ana
he plcur, Of The spinner" hy Merle is plcas intlv
sentimental work, respectfully done From This point on
the character 81 the collection is lowered rapidly.
The large picture bv Carl I;rcter n The Emperor
Mayim!an Receiving tho Venetian Embassy after the
apiurc u Verona" Is vnigar IN color the Queen
Vhsht ~ Cabancl Is hard. dry performance without
beauty of any sort. and there Is nothing 10 bc said
In favor Of tho WORKS by DeScofe Mali Rosa lOuhcur.
Knars. Dcfaux. Book and RObc. Mr. M1rpu,nfS casa
II antique fragments II a welcome acquisition. II
contains a few very Interesting specimens II wall
stucco figure work md piece u old glass dish. VIII.
animals raised In low relief besides ODDS and
ends ~ s'niuarv and mosaic that have curious valnc
~ the other gift have mentioned the landscapes
by Mr.. Coffin and Mr.. Merin most to be indUScd.