The Portland daily press., 1895-07-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

AolO II OIL VI Diu0 UySS drOuSeu ClS-
atlantic curiosity, before ''The Return of
the Native assured his fame-and long
before "Tess" became the target for criti-
cisms. 1t is doubtful if the story has
been widely read this side the water-it
is story of the Corn-Law agitation-and
therefore most of us will be glad that the
Harpers have put it forth in a handsome
edition within reach of slim purse and
close to every mans hand This indi-
Gates a complete edition of Hardy 's-the
best stories. some folks think, uttered
by the English tongue since Charles
Reade died-to be published at the fam
GUS old printing house whose headquar-
tiers were so long in Franklin Square
Hardy is a 'realist''. He pictures life as
it is-not altogether happy though ON the
Whole worth living He does not shirk
questions which concern relations be-
tween men and women, about which we
all whisper; but he treats them decor
ously, as George Eliot" did, so decently
that to read his stories after looking at
the stuff exposed on the news stands is
like passing by bagnio to reach dis
secting room. The dissecting room is not
pleasant, but it is pure; and it teaches
something worth remembering. (For
sale at Loring, Short & Harmon.)
Lorenzo Lotto. An Essay in Con-
structive Art Criticism by Bernhard Ber-
enson, author of "The Venetian Painters
volume is a handsome quarto, in perfect
ly plain covers, of delightful print and
paper with wide margins, and illustrated
by reproductions in heliotype of paintings
by Lotto and Alvise. 1t is pleasure to
cut the leaves of a book of such sterling
make up Perhaps art critics would
hardly have given Bernhard Berenson a
place SO high in the scale of careful analy-
sis as these recent writings of his show
him to have merited. But men candid
in the realm of art as in letters are glad
to enlarge their views and take q new
authority in and approving things have
been said of Mr.. Berenson's books by
''The Outlook which represents Mr..
Hamilton Mabie. Berensons study is a
good one whether one agrees with all it's
conclusions or not. 1t is fair, broad and
thoughtful and neither vague nor fanci-
full, qualities the author wishes to avoid.
The result is that Lorenzo Lotto rises in
the esteem of those capable of judging
his powers after perusal of this estimate
of the artist and his works. Incidentally
a good deal is CLEANED concerning his
companion painters. We have here a
monograph intended for students of tech
nical points and not popular presenta-
tion. The author has built up his theories
too of meagre material except that the
process of minute observation on his part
has enabled him to verify probable truths.
He says 'Given few documentary notic-
es and a number of pictures, to recon
struct the history of an artists education,
and of the early years of his career-such,
at the beginning of our task, is the prob
lem before us. How shall we solve it? In
one way only, and that is by discovering
what habits have become so rooted in the
artist as to be unconscious, and under
what influences he formed them, the
training of the painter being altogether a
training in habits of attention, visualisa-
ton and execution. land with
the further word of warning that the ar
tist is not a botanical but psychological
problem - the trader is invited to ex-
anime the data upon which he rests his
theory of Lottos origin and development.
Of this last suggestion he says further on
"A few years ago. when poetical SMILES
borrowed from popular botany seemed
amply to explain all the casualties of ar
tistic development it would have sufficed
to say that in such and such year Lotto,
who had hitherto remained shut up like
a bud, bIossomed and ripened into the
Lotto of the Bergamask r. period. The
trouble with the vegetable analogy is the
fact that a man has much larger num-
ber of possible moves than a plant" etc.
Opening with Lotto's least mature
piece, Collection of Prof. Conway, Lon
don, Danae, 'lother early works of his are
briefly outlined and described. His an
tecedents in art are then considered and
the statement is made that Alvise
Vivarini and not Giovanni Bellini was
Lottos master. In this opinion as in
some others Berenson differs from Crave
and Cavalcaselle, with how much ac-
curacy it rests with specialists to decide.
Then follow "The Transition, The Ber-
gamask Period. Maturity, "''Old Age, 4"
Last Tears Lotto's Following and In
fiuence" and Resulting Impression. 1.-THE
indices cover photograph, drawings etc,
not by Lotto but referred to in the text,
as well as names and places in general.
The illustrations are remarkably inter-
esting. We specially note the St Giusti-
ma del Borromei of Alvise, at Milan Lot
to's Recanati Altar-piece Central Panel,
and his 5. Bernardino Altar piece. New
York and London: G. p Putnam S
Sons; Portland: Loring. Short & Har-
mon.)