The sun., 1897-03-21
A LOAN EXHIBITION AT BosroN.

"Ono Hundred Masterpieces" Is the name
given to n loan exhibition of pictures now open
at Copley Hall in Boston. committee of la
dies, OF artists, and OF prominent amateurs has
worked assiduously and with enthusiasm to
make the collection and its success as an at
traction among the places of interest In tho city,
rs place OF meeting for all who compose tho
art world OF Boston, and as venture involving
the expenditure of considerable sum ofmoncy,
Is uncquivocal. The motive of the committee,
IL appears, in getting up the exhibition was
purely an artistic one. 1t was felt that Boston
ought to have at least one suprcmely good oxhi-
btion each winter, and that the success OF tho
portrait shows held In previous seasons might
he repeated on other lines. The name given to
the exhibition, "One Hundred Masterpieces"
was suggested and adopted before 1t was
known just what pictures would be in the
show. II has most attractive sound
and raises great expectations. 1t is well
known that there are many fine pictures in prl-
vate collections in and near Boston. The very
cream OF these, 1t might be supposed, would
have been secured for the exhibition. In that
out OF the one hundred pictures quite
number might be properly termed masterpieces,
but ii would have been difficult to get up loan
exhibition including nothing but masterpieces
unless complete list OF the pictures to make 1t
were first settled upon and each particular
picture secured. To do this 1t would be
necessary to go outside OF Boston. 1t
would be necessary to ask collectors there and
elsewhere for the loan Of certain works only, and
to neither leave choice to the owners judg-
ment nor accept any substitutes. Such plan
requires good, stiff-necked management, and ad-
mits of no courtesy to such amateurs as are
known to have important works but who often
desire to send one or two more than those
asked for because they are fond OF them.
1t also precludes anything like general re-
quest to u collector to contribute to the
good cause from his treasures OF art,
leaving to him the choice Of which works shall
lie sent. For variety OF reasons the Boston
committee did not proceed on these lines, and
the result is that there is a considerable number
OF pictures in the show that are not only not
masterpieces but are not even worthy to DO
brought into good company. Again although
the members OF the committee were given carte
blanche 10 take anything they wanted from
several valuable collections in Boston, they
failed to bring TO the exhibition such
capital works Millets "Buckwheat
Threshers' which belongs to Mr.. Quincy A.
Shaw, and the very fine picture OF u black dog
by Troyon. which belongs to Mrs. F. l.. Ames.
On the other hand. in one end OF the gallery
group OF eight nine portraits of the early Eng
lish school hung, only two OF which are OF value
or interest. lEeSe were OUJalntu lTOul w cStcTT
collector. and being hung in row, as they are all
about of size, the effect is monotonous and
quite disturbs the artistic balance OF the hanging
in that part OF the gallery. The hanging in gen.
eral it may be Justly remarked, is not very well
done. There are some jarrinS contrasts that
might have been avoided, and the wall space at
reasonable height for masterpieces gave out
before some of the best pictures were placed, so
that Millet's Goose Girl" No. 81. is skied.
and several small but apparently very good
landscapes by DaubiSny, Diaz, and Corot,
not to look for other instances, are in
/ like unfortunate positions. While the beautiful
Goose Girl is thus relegated to the upper re-
gons, an affected, untruthful, and entirely
nsincere "Squall on the Clyde" No. so. by a
modern Scottish painter. Roche takes up good
space on the line in one place. and tiresome,
impossible Landscape with Bull" No. II,
by Cuyp, holds three or four feet in another.
These not the only instances OF inju-
dicious hanging as regards the comparative
merit OF the pictures, and one regrets, too.
that little better balance in making panels -
was not attained. and that the line was not kept
vigorously to n fixed height from the floor.
Several pictures are placed with the bottoms OF
the frames below the general line, and the effect
is somewhat ragged. The catalogue is well got
up containing short biographical notices OF the
painters whose works are in the exhibition.
which have evidently been prepared with
care. 1t proves to be somewhat confusing,
however. when put to use because the names OF
the painters are printed in comparatively small
type, and are not placed on a separate line. The
titles OF the pictures following each biographical
notice are in large type, and the confusion
comes from the spacing not making plain at
glance to which artist the titles belong.
Several schools OF painting are represented in
ba he Parhizon with "a al
lies, Corot and Raubigny, and the early English
painters being the most prominent. The COM
mttee very properly included American painters
in their list and succeeded in getting several
notable pictures. Some Of our painters who
quite as well known those whose works
are in the show are unreprosented. There
Ia no Inness, no Winslow Homer, no
Wyant, and no Chase, but the canvases
by Brush, Thayer. La Fargo, Tryon Dew!ng and
Sargent make the quota OF the native school
worthy and to a considerable degree satisfy
ing. OF the later French school there is but
little, a Cazin, Lhermitte, Henner. and one
or two others being all that represent the lead
ing school of art OF to-day. In the ancient schools
the selections are rather haphazard, and range
from Van Dyke to Francois Clouet. An
exhibition OF one hundred pictures if hsty were
masterpieces and the rest merely excellent
works would be worth going long way to see
II even twenty-five were masterpieces and the
rest worthy examples OF great painters, II would
be a very notable exhibition. Ten masterpieces
and ninety very good pictures would make
an exhibition to bc proud of. But in
| such a case lie Givre" or Les Gorges
d'Apremont" for Rousseau, "Biblls" for Corot
and turning to the ancient schools, The
Glider for Rembrandt, would be the sort Of
pictures owned In the United States that we
should expect to fnd among the ten. We shall