New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-09
HOLIDAY BOOKS.
r,Rsr PUBLICATIONS OF THE SEASON.

thy frequently manfesting Itself In points vi
method and style, exists between the TWO
schools A distinction is to be noted however,
IN connection with them In America we have
illustrators who paint In France there are
na,nt.rs who illustrate. The remark is borne
mt by the exquisite folio. French llustra-
tors (Charles Scribner's sons, by NJ. Louis
Norm which appears as a companion volume
TO the american Illustrators" by Mr.. F. Hop
kinson Smith, issued year ago from the same
house. Mr.. Smith discoursed Of men whose
talents had been discerned and developed py
our great magazines. NJ Morins types are
drawn from a circle which owes much TO the
publishers but which has, nevertheless, peeh
made as familiar in the Salon and related CEN
tres as in the books and papers of the day. Inc
very first of the celebrities approached In thls
publication NJ. Detaille. is quoted as Replying
to his interlocutor after the following iasiio"'
"But am not an illustrator. gentlemen. plo.
test energetcally against that designations NV
that have the least contempt in the WORTH ioi
illustration and illustrators, but every ohe "
his trade am a painter and nothing but a
painter People abuse me by lntercaia'ihs
photographers Of my paintings, my water COZ
ors and my drawings in books made AFTER
ward, but you will own that 'his 10 a''N WV
opposite of illustration
A
occun,ed bv other men whom NJ. NORM dis
cusses, by Flameng, Besnard and Rochesrosse'
They have ALL including Detaille, made illustra-
tions with malice aforethought but they inquire
principally as painters in the atmosphere OF
pors With others it is different. Albert
Lynch, Marchetti, Jeanniot and Vierge-espe-
ciolIv the latter-make illustrations and are H.
,ustrators in the strictest sense of the word. TO
a specialist II would have seemed more accepta-
BILE had NJ NORM disengaged those VINO are
purely illustrators from their contemporaries,
made a careful analysis of the illustrative work
of those artists who use the publishers as
crutch, and presented survey OF french Illus
tration in all its bearings. He has chosen 10 give
gossiping account of series or VISITS 10
the men selected for representation in MS ga
lery Putting aside the bad taste OF his references
to the wealth of the American gentleman IN
whose company these visits were raid. his ac-
compartment to the remarkable illustrations
is of a substance fitting for holiday BOOK HIS
text is gay to degree, he has happy khach
OF hitting off the personalities of his friends ana
he has touched upon Frenchmen in very
French, and therefore entertaining, way. "hat
more could be desired in a picture book?
picture book Is what this is best called, ana,
considered as such, it is of the very finest
Lynch has designed the cover of the portfolio
in which the five parts Of the work, each In
specially designed cover are incosed. Ga
comelli. Verge Marchett Kaemmerer and 9TH
ers equally noted furnish fu-page plates, which
have been reproduced in colors by the best
processes and the text is crowded with por-
traits drawings and views of studios AS
niece of holiday book-makng 1t Is well nigh per-
feet, for the utmost pains have been lavished
upon its details The edition Is limited TO
little over a thousand copies. and, II 1t meets
with the success it should have. there Will not
be one left by Christmas
To the good quality of his illustrations to the
catholicity Of his taste and to feeling for senti-
ment that escapes falling into sentimentality,
the Rev. Henry van Dyke will be indebted for
whatever success his holiday book on THE
Christ Child in Art CHarper and Brothers) may
meet. He writes neither history nor art criti-
cism simply, but introduces little OF both into
what may be described as popular narrative
of the Christ Child's passage through the his
tory of pictorial art. Before modern ma
terialistic and scientific influences, sacred art
has degenerated so far as the painters them
selves have been concerned and no doubt their
apathy has been to a great extent the refiec-
ton of indifference among laymen. But
there always remains an immense audience
quick to sympathize with religious ideals In art,
and to this audience modern reproductive proc
esses render a grateful service in providing 1t
with faithful transcriptions Of early art. 1t
is from the old masters that DIR. van Dyke has
drawn most Of his illustrations and especially
from the old masters of Italy. Religious paint
ing reached its zenith in the South. and by this
is meant not the perfection of technical mastery
which make the essence of sacred art Fra
Angelica, Botticelli, Lppi, Perugino Ghirlandajo
and Raphael interpreted the personality Of the
Infant Jesus with a sweetness and felicity
which have belonged to the painters of no
other nation period OF the works Of all
these artists DR.. Dykes book contains
artistic examples Among the few worthy mod
ern pictures he reproduces it is pleasant to
notice fragments from Mr.. Lafarge's fine deco
ration in the Church of the Incarnation. in this
city.
The only drawback to the handsome volume
on English Cathedrals' which Mrs. Van Rens
selaer published last Christmas that it
was too handsome and too large to make a
convenient companion for travellers. These
defects have been repaired by the republication
Of the essays. with many Of the illustrations
book" by the Century Company. Mr.. Pennelrs
sketches lose by their transition to a smaller
page, and. while still artistic and suggestive
are not quite so brilliant in effect they were
formerly. Mrs. Van Rensselaer's text gains in
its new form, for it now be studied
the ground, and serve the best purpose Of
such matter. that Of a practical guide. Mrs
Van Rensselaer, Is very practical writer. and
her book deserves wide circulation among
lovers of some of the most beautiful archi-
tectural monuments in the world. The Century
Company has issued several other reprints
1.-THE Thumb Nail Sketches of Mr. George
Wharton Edwards, in which half dozen enter
tanning episodes of artistic travel described
and illustrated by the good-humored observer
who experienced them. have emerged from
back numbers of THE Century into prettily
bound booklet, which will while away a half
hour agreeably on the railroad. ITO Gypsy
nd tbo afrat cd her froI