New-York tribune., 1896-12-02

with plates small In scale but adequate to their
purpose Of facilitating the verbal descrip-
ton. That description leaves. despite its abrupt
separation Of one set Of frescoes from the other'
an impression OF unity which Is Itself testimony
TO the authors close identification win MS
theme. The walls Of the Campo Santo are sus-
certible Of division into very distinct paris.
But the decorators who adorned them "ofkeu
In that spirit Of good taste which Is so adnhrao'e
In the history OF Italian art. and the quadrangle
is one OF the great organic structures in Southern
decoration. far less symmetrical thah monte
Oliveto for example. but still coherent and
wonderfully we'll balanced piece or WORK. "ishoi
supino has gone up one side Of the quiet court
and down the other with indefatigable patience.
His book is obviously labor of love Al the
Same tine u Is not the work OF dilettante put
Of a writer who grasps his subject with the hrfn-
est authority.
A strictly technical conception or the massive
volume in which NJ. Bourgeois has sketched the
aspects OF the time of Louis NV "ouiu nut
perhaps, allow the inclusion OF the oook a"'ons
new art publications. but the essential signifi-
canoe of the work Is artistic. Indeed NJ bou'
eeois disca,ms all pretence to historical aims
and while he offers more or less cohse'u''e
narrative Of events even touching at length
history. he can never blind the reader 10 the
FOR, that the "arts' and ideas Of lie grand
steele" met and were fused In curious KIM
q, artiAce II was artifice touched by passion
ana vben q man like La Bruyere Is remem-
harod m name only one Of a remarkable num-
hsr ~ ,ntellects. It is plain that Louis reigneo
over something more than a nation OF coA-
corubs His wars are sufficient answer 70 those
,vbo 400 in him a decorative monarch alone
Yet II passion crept into the artihce II was ui-
timately smothered thereby. and nothihs III 'ne
career of the King ever took away from MN
the decorative touch That remained re"ane'
and persisted through every phase OF HIS ,'ie
and the life that went on around hi'"' ''a.
communicated It's temper 70 the ""o'
France. What NJ. Bourgeois does IN assei'oi'ne
q multitude Of pictures to go with his text is
70 confirm the belief that the very Souls Oh ''a'
era were as rococo as the bodies. Moreo'ei'
though he reveals the former TO the reaoer WIFI
certain amount OF insight certain amount
Of anecdote II is as picture OF SUPER" "
manners as a panorama OF costume anu '"''
.vro thot tbis hook will last Where II Is neces-
sary to render justice TO Nj. Bourgeois VII" pc
ou,,a- care Is in the consideration OF the HE
which separates souls from bodies IN MS ne'u'
,h. arts from the ideas. AS has been said oo'h
whore the thoughts of men left or ana were
,,,orcod in blind adoption of whatever had re-
ceived tho seal of the Kings approval IN 1ash-
ton IN architecture in sculpture. in pantins' i'
aar,ng In literature in dramatic art
T. ,s q fayorite habit Of some essayists 10 re-
or, 20 Jous XIV as to a man whose eieeahce
sa IN tho level OF grandeur. He was so daZ-
zlne that it has seemed sometimes as ne
must az a matter Of course. have peen 'has""'-
cont The truth Is that the distinction Vi
style like his fades quickly from most vi vi.
works in which 1t is typihed Ihe arch''eo'"'"'
and plastic ideas of the great reign hau 'o'
thing antiseptic in them and stano 'o-uas "
rayaged by time But the pictorial ART. '"e ue0o
rative art stately and grace'ui as 'he' ''
..,r,.s no do not wear we'll and they survive
% delight the curious rather than TO minister
IN taste in general. The King Leaned 10 EXCESS
and in that word lies disntegration. NJ poui
eeojs Is vastly amusing. his pictures iorm an "o-
sorbing gallery, and both text ana ILLUSTRATIONS
.uo orsbrined in a volume of which the pub
fishers may we'll be proud But 'here Is oil o''
,.ck of deem human interest in the contempla-
t,on Of such a work this. The towering "'eS
sao,r 70 hurry all manlir ess out of sight, the
women are animated images. the very an'fna's
nrance with an artificial air. and though some
u.oret,c personalities move through the nara
.,,a thouph La Fontaine Is present. ana fas-
20, and Rossuet. and Bourdaoue. the first and
=, ,.e,inp inspired by contact with the King IL
80 denressing enough that he was a canker
~ tho heart of the civilization he imaeiheo "e
had himself built up and fostered.
=, louis XIV ever had the grandeur with
h;ch some of his historians are rain 10 e"uo"
,,,,,, he had It at Versailles. NM de Nolhac ana
>iIaIo nd
| r,ept on the National museum there ana III
.,,x ,he,r volume with survey Of the cha
teau itself they strike note whose prli'a"o. =.
o,,,d I'm idle TO deny There Is something 'ha'
| ,.ar,es on the heroic In that immense cohs'ruc-
,,or When the place is grasped In its spectacu-
| ,ar totality. when Mansart Is recaheo' anu
Covsevox and the whole army Oh cra''''''
| ,vho made the palace and gardens "ha' '"os
ore to this DAY. then 1t Is hard TO refuse acqui-
| escence in rather enthusiastic estimate vi '"'
! ling for whom. Carlyle would nave hau IT,
| the upholsterer was undoubtedly pontin suprem~'
| This little volume on the one ha"ies' '
m.nt erected by Louis XIV is brisk ana useiu'
| work Of chastened erudition. The au'hois are
| we'll Informed but they write unafectediy' anu
| No one will blame them for being little minute
| They have to be- In order to convey oe''ili'e
| idea OF what the vast museum contains i"e
| numerous plates are eHceiieh'! p
| r,he heautiful volume on Modern French Mas
tors L" of which the authorship Is to be ATTRIBUTED
| IN twelve or fifteen artists. Is not In the least
harmed by the fragmentary form which th's I'M
niles On the contrary the pages gain IN hVeii-
ness through the constant change IN point OF
view. through the constant Introduction OF new
personal experience. Many OF the papers IN this
collection are based on close acquaintance win
the masters portrayed. and so judiciously have
the writer's been selected that nowhere does this
result in prejudiced or narrow criticism The
ESSAYS are delightfully."- free from the merely
technical or dogmatic qualities which are often
/ oscr,hed IN writer's who also artists. Papers