New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-12
THE CHRONICLE OF ARTS.
EXHIBITIONS AND OTHER TOPICS.
TINE SUCCESS OF MIR. pARsONs-A NEW OLD
MASTER - THE REMBRANDT DE Prco-
AMERICAN PICTURES Al TIE UNION
LEAGUE CUBA PORTRAIT OF

~, h oL ,,,opc tho art galleries. and the principal
attraction will remain the loan exhibition Of the rune
Arts Society. a minor collection OF paintings COL
lection representing than one owner, was placer
on exhibition yesterday at tie Fifth Avenue All
Galleries. where It Will be followed. probably before
tho end Of the week BY Mr. Samuel Colmans paintings
and curios The exhibition OF Evrrt Van Muyden's
etchIngs and drawings continues nj heppe'S'
that Of Mr.. william Keiths landscapes
at Macbcth's may be seen until next oa'ur'
day. and Mr.. Eatons exhibition at Avcry'S Will also
remain open during the week. After Mr.. Ea,onS
cturcs have been removed their place will be filed
by some works ny Mr.. Pcknell, Eugene Jettel-who
had an exhibition at this gallery n short 'me
ago-and Karl HeHner the landscaplst whom Mr.
Avery introtmced to NewYork two or three years
since. At the American Art Galleries the Parsohs anu
Applied Arts exhibitiOn-whlch Is open, by me way
from until 6 this afternoon-closes tomorrow
night 1t has had added to II n Rcmbrnndt which
Will be found discussed below. The collection OF
Oriental rugs referred to last Sunday will be offered
at these galleries before Saturday ms was expected
but the exhibition and sale OF Mr.. Bng's porceiaihs
which announced at the same tim" have been
deferred. Mr.. Parsons only feel delighted at
having shown his water colors OF Japan here before
taking them to London At least thirty seven OF
them have been sold since the opening reception,
the sum received for them amounting to Tl411o ana
By the time tho exhibition has closed the figures VIII
doubtless be increased Thus far the record Is one
best, II not the very BEST ever made In New
York.
Early in the yenr 1900 there much ex-
element occasioned in Paris by the announcement
that NJ. stephen Bourgeois had purchased ut nnction
picture representing Abraham Entertaining the
Angels" which had been caalOgued and sold to him
as work OF the school 81 Rembrandt" but which
he had decided was genuine production Of Rem
brandt himself. Two factions were formed one
doubling and one accepting VI. BOurgeOis's views as
to the authorship OF his acquisition. Echoes OF the
controversy will be remembered as having sounded
across the sea 70 America. Now the bone Of con-
tenon Is actually here. 1t was lent by NJ Bourgeois
to Mr. Ycrkes of Chicago for exhibition at the Art
Institute and on II, way hack to Paris 1t has been
hung at the American Art Galleries for few days IL
will be there until tomorrow night. Its owner
has fortified 1t with pamphlet quoting
some OF the favorable judgments which have been
passed upon II In Paris, the judgments OF such
authorities as NM. Paul Mann and Louis Gonse.
and giving his own naive declaration as follows
a. . stephen Bourgeois, do by this present declare
on my honor and conscience that the picture repre-
scnting Abraham Entertaining the Angels bought by
me Madam Legrand', auction. at Pccq. Is an
original and genuine work OF Paul Rembrandt van
Ryn. Ny long experience and the numerous pic
lures Of the master / have owned constitute"
SO think. sufficient guarantee for my assertion and
for my competence in the matter Any contradictions
ma"vol"ncc and Incompetence on the part OF their
authors This decisive announcement, with It's
cheerful assumption OF infalibly, does not weigh
much when It Is perscd before the picture IN qlies
ton Possibly the latter Is u genuine Rembrandt;
whether II Is or not Is matter which has nothing
TO do with It's owners honor or conscience
hut must be- settled. II 1t can b. settled
AT all by positive evidence. OF external evidence
there /, conspicuous lack the records containing
reference TO this picture. Internally the work
APPEARS TO TO contain insufficient proof that KEN
brandt executed II. II II Is from Ids hand II Is the
memorial Of a time when that hand had lost It's
power. and yet curiOusy the style OF the picture,
free and broad, would seem TO claim for II date
not far from that Of many canvas bearing the I'M
mistakabr Imprint Of the artists best period. In
the course Of his notes on the picture NJ Gonse
says: This scene does not present the least ana
lrcue the Pilgrims OF EmmauS,' the celebrated
painting In the Louvre, and he might nave adoed
that neither does the execution OF the Rembrandt dc
pccq' furnish parallel TO that Of the better known
work Certainly no better tombstone could be ap-
piled TO NJ. Bourgeos's picture than the
masterpiece Of Tho Louvre. There Is an
analogy to be drawn between the TWO
palntings for not only are the compositions some
what similar but the purely artistic aim Is the same
in cach-thc concentration OF the interest In be-
nlcn1nt central figure whose character would permit
the ne Of single strong radiance TO emphasize 1t
and TO light up the canvas. In the Louvre picture
we are sensible above all things OF the effulgence
about the principal figure In the Rembrandt de
pcco" Il Is the glow In which the patriarch Is painted
that gives the painting rs value. This Is re-
scmbanor, however, which need not he reckoneo
with too seriously 1t Is important as showing SIM
ilary Of aim But In case Ike this f" Is '"e
achievement that counts. And while on the side OF
the Pilgrims OF Emmaus' have impeccabe work
manship color that is beautiful In every deaii,
transparent pigment. work Of transcendeht
fnencss in Short the side OF the Nor"n"h
Entertaining the Angels" have workmanship
OF the most uneven qualify. there being passages rs
In the outlining OF Abfah:ms head. the foreshor'ehhs
Of hl, hands and the modelling OF the anger on MS
left which are distinctly weak color that Is beautiful
in one place lin the centre of the canvas and nowhere
elsc) pigment that Is sometimes Impure and less ire
qucntly transparent, and. In short WORK mat ~ u.
no means transcendently fine. In work by the real
Eembra the figures are detached from the pacH'
ground with consummate skill. In this picture the
figures ARE given relief but not with the effect that
might be- expected. It may be- averred that tme'
with the rcouchings which It so often Involves may
he responsible for the ugly painting just around the
head OF the central figure and for the un embrandush
treatment Of the face OF the angel to when We nave
REFERRED But Is there any OF Rembrandts magic in
the high lights the dish and jug, lights when III
work 10y him Ike gems thrown on the canvas
Time takes much from n picture. and adds much but
II also leaves much that was put into II at the be-
ginning leaves the note OF authority, the incommu-
pIcable seal OF the masters grasp OF problem III us
entirety As far as see, that note, that seal,
Is missing from the Rembrandt de Pecq.'
owing TO Unforeseen circumstances the March exni-
bition Of The Union league Club was not ready lot
inspection az usual on the second Thursday after
noon Of the month, and notice OF 1t has been neces'
sary deferred. 1t may now be given. end IN Inc
warmcst terms. The fory-seven American pictures |
hung were brought to the house ut short notice out
they form one OF the best and most symmetrical ex-
hibtions the club has held and one that II Is to be
regretted will close tonight The exhibition Is what
Il is Because 1t represents what one collector. Mr.
Thomas g. Clarke has carefully selected from his pos
sessions TO add 10 the exhibit OF American art at the
Chicago Fair. The collection rs 1t stands Will 20