New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-03

A USEFUL. ARTISTIC COMPENDioM'

Richard Muther. ILLUSTRATED IA soa 81, sTi
umes. Royal Octave PIP. XII. 0+' Hi' s''' MI ''-
Macmillan & Co.
Herr Muther's history OF modern painting -
one of those encyclopaedia works In whch na"s
are bound to appear almost as matter Oh course
hut whose general value II certain to be great IL
the author adheres to broad yet definite Ideas OF
system, and Is. on the whole competent IN tne
present instance we have an historian VINO Is
really competent though 1t Is easy 10 convict MN
of shortcomings here and there Ihose shor'-
comings might have been avoided II nerr 1iu
Their had been an editor solely. and had assigned
each country included In his scheme TO recos-
nized art writer native to that country But 'his
would have involved a sacrifice in the unity OF
the book, and would especially have spoieo the
narrative quality which Herr Muther has been
enabled 70 import into his text. Considering all
the difficulties he must have had to contend with
he has made an astonishingly good history Nor
has he told too much, as might be suspected from
tho size Of his three volumes. They have been
expanded to a great extent because OF the nu-
n,erous illustrations, and since the reproductive
processes employed for the latter nave peen
good. the reader cannot complain. On the con-
trary, we believe he will be grate1ui 10 herr
Muther and the publishers for work OF reier-
encs which will prove to be extremely ValuaDie
as time goes on
There has been no other book In existence COW
erine the same ground. Scores OF volumes nave
been published to exploit this or that hooei"
man. modern school or modern nation' out no
single publication has heretofore brought inc
na,n,sr. NJ the Continent Great Britain and
America into one comprehensive survey S"o"
tho them Iucidly IN a perspective which carries
conviction with it as being unmistakably nat
ural and right Suppose Herr Muther does sho"
int
art. a disposition to exalt the wrong "e"' anu
onrrec,ste only in the dimmest fashion our pest
nainters and most characteristic merits. Inc
for,, "a grave but cannot destroy the totai Vaiue
~ his work We can see how he mace h's CT
rors Trusting to his acquaintance WIN INV
American art that has been proouceo ia as
and simplifying this knowledge wlth ie" 'eN'
hoors and the casual information picked up
when men like Dewing and weir anu 'o'''o-
have sent work TO the great eHhip'io"s al
Munich he has put together a panorama and an
estimate Of American art which cannot wholly
nlease Americans. Yet it is not "hoiy o''p'o
ing either; it shows Judgment ana s!"pa'"''
and especially does 1t show that III ie'"
the rest of the schools OF the WORTH 10 e'"'p
w. uarr Muther with tolerable accuracy. We
need not be too humble, but neither heeu VIC "
too se,f-satisfed and however proud we may Dc
nf
of the world we must admit that II Is not heoe'
50, for Europe to know every one OF them III
odar 70 ,udee of our general significance. II IS
.ha ceneral drift of things which Herr Mutner
noe essaved TO illustrate; he could not' ihoeeu'
home IN do more in q work aiming TO De prac'''a,'
md that he has had prejudices IN "r''ine Ills
hook IL shown by such an Observation "a ms
the one he makes on Kauibach c"ai ~.
him as mot an artist 20 be taken Sci
q'his from q German, Is as relres"''e
.,.,na Rut Herr Muther accustoms MS
rsoder TO this kind Of thing. He mas ca'"o,io'''
:. e. not of the academic sort. the merely en-
.,o,onoedic sort. either 1t is the catholic!ty Oh
a man who feels the beauty In picture oeS'0e'
understanding it in a critical. technicai way
Thus he writes with admirable warmth" y. wy
French romanticists. speaks Win equa' 's
,.thv of a man like Ingres. whom he says
frankly he very nearly adores, ana passes al ."e
time from one painter to another, the TRANSITION
,v o cornnlete change Of atmosphere. with
dc. the ou,ck and subtle adaptation OF MS
lint NJ view to new conditions which is the
no-k of the true critic He dates the peghh-
n,nrs Of modern English art from the eish'een'"
century. Any writer would do that. pu' ie"
writers would have handled more oei.y '"e
work of Reynolds Gainsborough ana "Hso"
when they reached 1t. Herr Muther ihoioa'e'
the important position Of Goya, man 10 ""oii'
modern art owes much. but whose iniuehee 10
seldom sufficiently recognized and ne tracey tic
DEVELOPMENT Of the German classical anu IT,
mantle schools. the rise OF the Academy III
France. its defeat by the men OF 1884, the grown
Of naturalistic ideals the Continent. the III
IRRESPONSIBLE enthusiasm. the deaiistc reac'o"
OF the last few years the marvellous increase
., tho ,nnortance OF illustrative art, and he
,ng them or firing the reader Few will ever be
mile to read him through from cover 10 COVER
but few will be content to read him IN rag
mcnts He will be studied in chapters at
stretch the skiiful student will pass over the
naces that threaten to do no more than sketch
tho nosition of this unimportant painter or the
other and having taken some such synthetic
,,ev of Herr Muther as Herr Muther has taken
~ modern art. he will find that he has CHARMED
conception Of what modern art amounts TO- Inc
careful text, which has been excellentiy trans
lated, is assisted by pictures which nave oeeh
chosen sagaciously. bringing home 10 the reaoer
exactly the points that he most needs 10 reailze.
The paper on which the book Is printed Is smooth
and pleasant to the sight and touch. The type
is clear and the binding. II plain to the point OF
baroness is also stout. and calculated to stand
inst the wear and tear that such book as this
will get In every library.
LITTLE HOPE FOR GONCOURT ACADEMY
The realization Of the phanthrop.c plans OF the
late Edmond de Goncourt seems to be fraught with
difficulty His scheme for the foundation Of an
academy for the es,a bshment Of which he left his
large fortune In trust 20 the novelist. Alphonse
Daudet and to Leon HenniQue. has from the out
set been regarded as mpracticable and appears
now destined 10 become entirely impossible In
making his Will Edmond de Goncourt expressly
declared that he only bequcathed his fortune In
trust for the foundation Of Goncourt Academy. on
the lines of the French Academy because his near
est relatives were exceedingly well Off and plenti-
fully endowed with the goods Of this world a