New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-11
THE KING COLLECTION.
A STRONG GALLERY OF OLD AND MOD
ERN PAINTERS.

Art Galleries Is one which indicates concisey the
difference between one decade and another in mat
tiers of taste the distance which one group Of
amateurs can travel from another Only a few
years ago a gathering Of paintings as considerable
as Mr. Kings would have shown more less OF
devotion on the owners part to the French school
OF 1890 1t would have been Barbizon first and the
rest nowhere. But Mr.. King has apparently brought
together his possessions since the claims OF earlier
English portraiture were revived in European auc-
ton rooms and while he has paid attention 10 the
painters of Fon.ainebleau as we'll as to men Of
other Continental schools. they all seem the French
men and the other Latins, TO be auxiliar!es In Q
scheme controlled by English ideas Old and new,
Mr.. Kings pictures are interesting, but the we'll
filled galleries owe their distinction primarily to
the examples OF Reynolds, Lawrence. Romney and
their contemporaries which adorn the walls. Mr.
King has been fortunate In his purchases. He has
no bad pictures Some are less valuable than Others.
In not every is 1t possible to feel the enhu-
sasm which the mere name In the catalogue is
calculated to produce. There specimens of great
men which are not great which Illustrate the paint
ers inadequatey, but when all deductions are made
this collection remains a notable one, from which
the most fastidious connoisseurs will be glad TO
secure strong additions to their art galleries.
Before touching upon the English works which
Mr. King has in representation Of the last century
IL may be well to traverse the little group OF earlier
masters which is included among his treasures. Its
most delightful member is the large Portrait Of
Isabella OF Austria by the younger Pourbus a
painting that does not pretend 10 so great fame
as some others with which 1t Is associated. but
which is a brilliant piece of sixteenth century work,
nevertheless. in its precise and refined way; por-
trait so arlstocratic In feeling and 50 sufficient in
workmanship that 1t presents the stately Isabelle In
just The atmosphere that her posterity would most
desire. This is a good portrait and one OF which
the authenticity need not be questioned AS
much may be said for the smaller panel Of Mar
gare of Valois" by Pourbus the elder though It Is
not so charming Wort; the other But OF the
Jeanne d. Albret" attributed to Clouet are less
sure. 1t Is a polished work. and one Of some dig
n!ty too. but it is not Characterful as first
rate Clouet. The work lacks force. and the finish,
though fine. is without the jewel-like radiance and
perfection which may be predcated Of portrait by
one of the great family On his worthiest plane. The
portrait ascrlAed to Holbe.n, also, No. i3. Lady
Lister" is a performance less authoritative and
distinguished than Is expected Of the master when he
is thoroughly himself The work in this is excellent,
however. and indeed. IL minds us anew how good
Mr. Kings pictures are. even when they are not all
that one would want them 10 be- The authorship
CT this Lady Lister is wholly obvious. but It
is an admirable production. nevertheless, of Ho
bein's time, and 1t EFFORTS warm admiration The
portrait Of The Burgomasters Wife, given TO
Van der Hest is another painting to be accepted
with reservations. The orsin of the work is not in
doubt bat II IS not brilliant Van der Hest. 1t does
not fairly represent 4 who az his best was very
brilliant indeed. The Rembrandt inspires fewer
qualifications. 1t seems to have suffered from re-
touching there. especially about the collar
and the face IS net purely colorei as might be
desired. but II has the vigor OF the master and as
a Portrait OF John Asselyn. Painter" it possesses
to the full the racy quality. the pungency Of char
actcr.zaton. which only Rembrandt could achieve
in quite this wGy. Concerning the dgnihed por-
trait Of THE Duke Of Alcantara" by Sustermans,
there need be words of reuctan, commentator.
It is IA beautiful canvas The style, the design. the
color. all good. and this is surprising enough
because the artist is notorious in the museums OF
Europe Tor secold-rdtc and hammered works. Hero
he 5 soen very much TO his advantage. and In
gancng AT the portrait Of the Duke Of Alcantara,
with tho noble Pourbus that Mr. King possesses. II
IS difficult 10 avoid the reflection that II is sorne-
times better to own hrst-rate example OF a sec
ond-rate man than a minor production by greater
master Probably the old masters which We have
thus far signazed as especially charming have not
as hieh a market value some OF the others At
the same time would much prefer either the Sus
ternans the pourbus to the Hoben, for instance.
or the portrait given to Droulis. which Is a good
enough Drouas up TO a certain point. but
doubtedly stops short OF that noted Frenchman's
delicately elegant charm. Here pause in the
enumeration OF Mr. Kings older continental p!ct
uros There remain but three to be mentioned
a fair specimen of Van Goyen. an admirable study
by Greuze the latter being Of the best pictures
in the collection for exact Illustration of a masters
style and a moderately typical panel ascribed 10
Lancrot.
1t is pleasant to be able TO speak of practically
all of Mr.. Kings English pictures with cordial ac-
quiescence IN their claims. II there is any dlstlnc-
be drawn to the disadvantage OF any of them
II is trinng one compelled by the character OF tho
various Sir Joshuas. There no less than ten Of
these and an embarrassing number come from the
earlier period OF the painter, when his touch was
less brilliant than It in his prime Note the
deliberate manner of the Countess Hynford," Of
THE Duke OF Devonshire." and the morbid color
which belongs to both. Then turn TO the spirited
portrait OF Lord Rothes" with its healthier tints.
or TO the sketchy head of Mrs. Musters." per-
Torrance which may be muddy in color but is far
and away more characteristic than the countess
Hynford." But when the distinction has been reck-
oned with that these comparisons enforce. there Is
nothing left but enjoyment Of the peculiar high
bred beauty which hangs about every one OF the
portraits here representative OF English taste ana
English skill. Every of the Sir Joshuas is
fascinating picture. fascinating because ii is disn-
gu!shed by much grace much suavity OF feel
ing, much of genuinely artistic style. Reynolds
is himself even when he mods. and though We might
wish that every example of him in this collection
good the Lord Rothes' or the Josiah
Wedgwood' II must be admitted that no one else
could have painted ten pictures uneven in quality
these and yet preserved his authority preserved
his original power. The five Romneys uneven
too. but they all good all interesting, while two
Of them-the Master Pemberton' and the Lady
Smithson'-are thoroughly characteristics and beau
tiful. The portrait OF Mrs. Angerstein," by ROM
ney. will be noticed for its interesting illustration
OF his freest and most flowing vein. There are five
paintings by Sir Thomas Lawrence. and among them
superb canvas. masterpiece in its way We
add the Qualifying words because Lawrence is near
ly always disposed a rather loose method OF work.
manshp. and in the Countess Charlcmont and Her
Som his familiar defect is plainly visible. II is
a serenely composed group. But ignores this
consideration almost instantly out OF regard for the
magnificent brush work. the deep mellow color, the
tender feeling, the supreme elegance of the thing
The brush passed with splendid over this
The handling is as flexible and expressive
Lawrenco's is in his most remarkable works There