New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-21
MODERN FRENCH ART.
THE OSBORN. CHAPLIN AND TIIORNE COL
LE(TIONS

,ess charm. is dependent solely upon Vie potency
,be Individuality OF the artist himself The develop
ment OF this kind OF art received immense impetus in
ynope In the first quarter of the century, with the
formal triumph in letters OF the band led by Hugo
and In pictorial art of that led by GeIicault The
force OF the wave OF 1880 IS not yet spent and II is
fairly assured that the art 10y which the France OF the
nineteenth century Will be remembered is her 10
mantle art But the essence OF that antitn"-is OF
pesonal romantic art the ar which is either academic
r n not strictly academic, yet subscrvient 10 certain
traditions Of the schools and ateers 10 tho tradition
NJ fire vrai,' for example. the young lhrisialls
NIT IT, Is the OF velaGty. Such art ire
o,en,Iy makes for great many inestimabie qualities
for intelligence. for the preservation OF right relations
and whenever 1t does make for these qualities without
stagnanC into conventions IL Is bound TO have vitality
Thus there are painters in France whose works take
rank below the first in ne modern art OF that nation
and which yet deserve the popularity which they nave
long enjoyed and enjoy day, as an auction sale TO
take place next Friday evening at ChlchcinS Hall
will In all likelihood demonstrate.
The auction sale to which We refer Is to
scatter three collections, those of the late Charles
J. Osborn the late Edwin Thornc and Mr.
Z. 5 Chaplin, which until then may be seen
a. the American Art Galleries. What places the col
lection Of paIntinssiOr IL can most conveniently be
considered as one collection nOwiS that, despite the
presence OF not vcsy characteristic or interesting
Daz and Of Troyon on which judgment few shades
The revolutionary hamarks which have been 80 much
in demand among American collectors for many
wars past IL j. mixed collection. decidedly
mixed and OF the pcturcs In II are trash but the
best works in II, which not contemplate In mum
Der, excellent specimens of the arr which orucd
ever us before the days OF the Erb!zon fever. tho art
OF NM. Uougliereau, LcGcbvre. Geromc. De MELVILLE
Detaille and Munkacsy. These men, as We nave III
dcated above still their vogue though MunkacSy
Is perhaps decidedly less plausible name to conIure
with now than he was in the first flush of mis- rehetO
artistic descent upon the public. The marvellous
bravura of the Hungarian painter couh not long re
tain the which II attracted 10 Itself at the start
Moreover his very record is changing. lie has never
heitated to load his with bitumcn. and the
bic portrait OF himself and his wife in his studio, which
was one OF the late Mr.. Osboms chief pictures, Is
rapidly becoming O monochrome under the incXorable
chemical laws which govern that pernicions pigment
Whatever briliancy Of color IL may have had when IL
was painted in ls70--and Munkecsy is an effective
though barbaric colorst-has vanished, and We are
left derive pleasure from the nervous force in ihe
handling, the one trait which IS his in degree that
commands unqualified praise, and OF which, happily
time cannot rob his productions.
Lefebvre affords less pleasure than Munkacsy does,
for It seems impossible for him really jet hms I'll
60; he is Enthusiastically an academlc!an unbending In
the vivacious movement OF his nude figure In No.
9e, Dawn and II Is Just plain that the relaAa
ton Is not natural TO him. the other hand. he
inspires large amount OF admiration. The contour
Of this figure HAWKES. 1t Is study Of nudity
and nothing more, a familiarity with the rules OF
perspective and with the appearance OF matter IN
motion, sympathy fCr poetic idea, enabled the
painter TO this spectacle the canvas at Just
TIE moment when II was most alive with the feeling
Of aerial Ighness and grace. But how pure the draw
Ing how exact the modelling of the supple form
II is a finished example of scholarly at. At the
same time II Is not cold crystazation. Tie rose
tinted vap0rous background warns the whole canvas
and heightens the beauty OF tie effect. The large
canvas by Bouguereau evidently bought rs companion
for this work OF Leicbvre wears uneasy the tile OF
Aurora the figure bending lily as She paises
In her course through the air Is not messenger OF
light but In the lower tones OF the later hours
This however, is immatcral. For BOuguercau, IKE
Iefebvre does not fulfil Lis mission In symbozhe the
spirit OF dawn "a OF dusk but In posing coihely
woman gracefully and thinning the beauties Of her
rglre without Interference OF sngl" liregnafiy
to spoil their correct. classic effect The flesh painting
CT 5ouguereau IS not strong, neither IL 1t original
II g. even more than Lefebvre's, which has no great
charm, cold and, may venture to add, ihsipiu'
But II has kind Of realism that Is acceptable ana
granting the painters method, he Is certainly eo'
summae master OF II.
Gerome is as vigorously on the side Of the Academy
a. either OF the two painters 10 whom we nave iiSt
Referred but he escapes The GOODNESS which inhcres III
their work, primarily because he has a more pro
bounced taste for color and then, almost as much De-
cause he paints rule on IA smaller scale Uses
figures and breaks up the surface OF MS canvas
into greater variety. The principal picture IN TINS
collection from the 1hOrne estate is The OflrhIai
Carpet Merchant by Gerome strong work as nnY
from his hand In this country excepting, possibly
"L'Emincnte Grlsc7 lie has put into the attitudes.
the facial expressions and the gestures OF the depe
eating merchant and his patrons quite as anuch
animation the mmObe East would have permitted
even to an artist more elastic IN style than hiiseI
and he has invested each figure with character The
group Is balanced well and Is yet casual local. ex-
,remely suggestive OF uie Each figure strikes n
telling note OF color and the gorgeous fabric which
sbsorbs the attention Of the figures Is Itself cum
nln.ly considered factor In the scheme This picture
shows Gerome at his best working out an Interesting
composition in a complicated arrangement OF coIis'
His tones have the fantest suggestion oil Vi
brntng quality, he is a mOsacist II ever there was one.
Blu, at least his mosaics harmonies. lie Is not
hall Us Interesting with combination OF lew broad
effects. The small threading out Wheat IN Egypt
whl,h belongs 10 Mr.. Chaplin, Is painted Nei' Du' II -
monoonous beside the larger picture DE NcuV'le
aud Deallle stand not for the Academy Dut lor 'ic
studio. Both Join 10 natural Gis 'he "u
vaniaees OF that understanding OF acuoh ana
Of thoroughness and cleverness In drawing
which is sssima,ed IN the company vi
experimental intelligent realsts. Dc,allle sluui.u
under Messonier and he shows IL In the souhd ar0f
t0 Of his dramatic scenes, In his close ntteh'loh W
the mnutiae OF costume and military accou'c'h'i''
There are pictures by him In this collection anu
all are strong the most important. large STUDY vi
an attack upon a proviSon train. especially so. nc
most dellcatey artistic of the three Is No 90 Jus.
ON Duly small sketch OF a cavarynan cNec"''u
on wood. DE Neuvile, the senior and friendly rival
now dead. Of De,aile strove for much breadth u,
De could get without sacrificing his INSTINCT LOT u ..
In minor details. lie achieved free STYLE q NIUE
Rot'y perhaps, but with the 60 and suggeSuec"s 20
ttat are invaluable IN hattie pictures NO. o.
Transport OF Prisoners" Is OF his iniry success
iui Efforts. lie did and he did better IE
Messonier himself, the painter in little OF certain
gospel Of military art De Melville aud Detailic are
with differences. painters Of II In large, there Is one
charming cabinet piece, this time IN a not particularly
MllllaIY Il A l,aXullr.e III less