New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-09
SIR JOSEPH ARCHER GROVE.
WAR CORRESPONDENT WHO TURNED
ART HISTORIAN

Anropos Of the death of Sir Joseph Archer Grove
In was announced by cable from London yester-
49, roorning a homily might be written on the sub
-. of national racial sympathy. Whoever
,shes TO know something about the distinguished
SCOTSMAN "A winner of celebrity In several UNI
,Is,ed fields would turn naturally to the standard
soks of biographical reference. If II happened that
=. could not get at Sir Josephs own "Rcminis
.,ces" In the English encyclopedia the inquirer
r,ould find half page enumerating the various cx-
Units and offices of the subject including his
rds as a correspondent. a diplomat and a
orsular representative OF his nation on the Con-
,,reut At the end mere mention Of Sir Joseph
caves work an historian of art would be found
Let the same reader Vapereau, the
,rsst biogra phica compendium Of France. There
-here French taste has been at work. In contra
distinction TO English the relative Importance or
Nnlonacy and criticism. war correspondence and
art history il clearly recognized at least in so far
az the particular writer In question is concerned
us countrymen thought Sir Joseph Grove was
.smciently appraised when they had recognized
Ne contributions to English papers from the
crmea from the Indian Mutiny. from the Franco
AUSTRIAN War. when they had told how useful he
had been in more than one negotiation between the
Victorian Government and the Powers OF Europe
nui 10 "A critical mind ii is apparent at once
that both correspondent and diplomat. as
man Of Affairs and as Consul. there was nothing in
this cenilemans character which could not have
hesn suppicd by some else of about the same
average gifts on the other hand. as an art critic
the discerning Frenchman sees what the discerning
Ensishman ought long ago to have seen. that Sir
Joseph Grove stood apart
Without having any of the personal traits which
distinguished Stendhal he nevertheless recalls the
,a,,er very strongly Like Stendhal. he was
,rsmored of stirring scenes and he went far ahead
Of the dilettante Frenchmdn in gaining his i'm
,ressions Of such scenes At first hand. His volume
of recollections shows that he enjoyed the travels
and labors as a war correspondent-enjoyed them
10 the full But Ike Stendhal he had an aesthetic
mind. and when he fell in with Giovanni Caval-
caselle in the early hftes they threw themselves
into n task Of collaboration which gave the world
Of art criticism an invaluable book the history
Of Early Flemish Painting brought OUT in LoHuop
,r ,s,7 From that time On Sir Joseph developed his
enthusiasm for criticism and. thoughwe near OF ann
for wears after as engaged upon this piece OF dpo-
macy or the other his real work in the world was TO
uri,e hooks about art. always In collaboration with
his Nrst literary partner. There would be something
nathe;ic IL there were not something ludi'rouS' III
the Indifference Of his bicgraphors TO those DOCKS.
M course he has been valued IN England. as else
where for the History Of Painting in Italy. ioT
the "tIjstory of Painting in North Italy for the
lives OF Titan and Raphael. for his editions OF
Rurckhardt and Wsagen. but there has never neeh
any sign that his countrymen placed toSo "olh9
where they belong IN the perspective OF ms me-
IL will be interesting to II Trey repair 'h'1I
error without much delay.
SIR Joseph Grove was one of the nrsl OF the MOI
ern art critics who also systematic historians
ne has defects The ideal historian OF art l. not
70 he drawn from the ranks Of such busy men as
those with whom ne was accustomed to ioresather.
md among whom ne belonged ny temperament
a.'r os brouqh the force Of circumstance. But
II will be long before his volumes are inNahdated
He and Signor Cavalcasele had crotchels. bu'
knew how TO keep them within reason they were in
accurate but every historian OF a subject
which abounds in enigmas in ambushes. IN the pro-
foundest mysteries. and while ii may prove neces-
sarv az time goes 10 bring out a new ccluoh Oh
each one of The famous histories every rev years
II l. undcni4 Bile that in new editions or Oh they
have A permanent value They are comprehensive
and they are minute: they rich in true scholar
shin and they are. on the whole. sound in taste
TIE pusnacious Morclh often alluded 20 them Win
wrath and with contempt. hui II IL douIlul II
Norcli himself could have done without thein ti-
,snlv his yourC followers. who love 10 on NCielH
NorelN i'm their criticisms Of writers earlier IMAM
themselves must all admit that they could no more
Burckhardi himself. Moreln. their master. That
/. Sir Joseph Groves chief claim 10 renoWn that
he and his colleague took upon themselves the
classification OF early schools of painting the close
Investigation Of old European masters at um"
when such Investigation and afranEein"nt "ei,
sorely needed They did their work with arucr ana
with thCrOughness. 1t is not often mat tn"H an
he rerroached with having left man or Schoo2I
untouched Al the most they may he charged WIN
an error of Judgment here and there. II they nav"
left IL has teen because hl- lnpOlldWr
was ~ the time unknown to any one. ana Wn"n All
sqsad and done the student will give them lasting