Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-18
SOME OLD MASTERS.
An Exhibition Mt the Union League
Club.
CNew York Tribune)


The art exhibitions at the Union League
Club have had a rather difficult time in
getting themselves organized his year
but with the last one Of the season the
Art Committee concludes its labors in
Daze of glory. Twenty-seven old mas
tiers adorn the walls-Dutch, Flemish
Italian, and Engllsh-and there IS hard
iy a panei which could well be spared
from the collection. 1t Is composed
chiefly of portraits. with a group OF
landscapes, "A good piece of genre by Jan
Steen, and another equally characteristic
by George Morland a beautiful still-life
study by William Kalff "A seventeenth
century Dutchman, who combined great
naturainess with peculiarly brilliant
polish-and free. yaporous. mythology
cal sketch attributed to Vandyke. There
is also a spirited Marine by Jan van
Goven, done in monotone. and interest
ing as typical Of an unfamiliar phase OF
his art. Van Goven is usually placid in
motive, and pe8rly In tone. In this eX-
ample there j. considerable movement,
and the sepia tones are at once turbid
and attractive, suggesting a greater
spontaneity than the painter commonly
shows
The most important Of the portraits Is
a large study OF Rembrandt, painted by
himself IN 1895. when he was in mid
career. IT is not one OF his great can
vases. the modelling Of the face being
below the level of his best work in deli
cacy and precision, but there is much
rugged truth and rich. oily brushwork'
and IN the animation Of the eyes. the
vitality OF the flesh this production Is
distinctly impressive. Later I'm life Rem
brandt would have made his tones cooler
than In this canvas, cooler and more mel
low but we have here the accustomed
vigor and mastery of his art 1t Is tho
roughly representative for its period.
The smaller and much earlier Portrait
of a Young Man" is a smoothly-painted
work OF moderate interest. on the op-
posite wall hang two portraits b. Paulus
Noreelse. who Is not especially eminent
i'm the history of painting. but who shows
i'm these panels his best qualities In their
hest estate. The head Of Lyman van
Volbergen" Is beautifully painted. the
carnations ripe and glowing, the model
ling a little hard, yet adequate and ar
tisiic. In both these portraits the
treatment OF the rufus Of the sttters Is
noticeable for a delightful breadth, Tor a
synthetic touch. in curious contrast 10
the close handling Of the faces fof
minute elaboration the large Pourpus
the end of the gallery carries or IN
palm; IL is rich. archaic decoration
more decorative. in fact. than pictorial.
but very engaging in its ford, Je"elieu
surfaces. -,
These PORTRAITS. and we had almost
said the larger Rembrandt, too, pale INTO
insignidcance for sheer loveiness ana
sensuous charm beside the sketchy SI y
Campbell" by Sir Henry Raeburh' ne
is an artist rarely seen In American COZ
lections. and not often encountered aDIoad
I'm so good a picture as the present ne
never quite attained the power OF MS
eighteenth-century contemporaries nor
their fame. but like most of the good
British painters Of that time ne had
Taste elegance. a feeling for grace and
sentiment. and he painted this portrait
I'm a mood Of bewitching ease and suavi-
~. The pigments are thinly laid on, and
the delicate fabrics Of the sitter's cos
tune are handled with the utmost soft
ness. The brushing Is a little reckless,
and there are passages which seem not
only sketchy, but incomplete. Neyerthe-
less. II IS a beautiful portrait, with the
hand OF a master visible in its execution
and the temperament Of a gentleman dis
closed in its spirit.
The small sepia Of "Andreas Colyns &c
Mole" is one OF Vandyke's brilliant mono
tones, free, energetic, and full OF his dis
tinction Of style. The Portrait Of Burg
omaster," by Cornelius de VOs, is a rich,
unctiously painted work that just stops
short of being a brilliant, hrst-rate per-
Torrance. Romney, Hopper, and Lawrence
are represented IN good examples, and
there are two of Sir Peter Leiy's shallow
but plausible canvases. Among the land
scapes. there is one glorious work OF Jacob
van Ruysdael The deep forest scene Is
studied with the analysis peculiar 10 the
man. and at the same time is handled IN
such noble masses, and with 50 subtle a
graduation Of the thick foliage that II
seems as II IL might have been painted
by Rousseau. The silhouette OF the trees
against the vivid, open sky is singulariy
modern and lovely. The landscape by
Saloman van Ruysdael is not so good. II
Is characteristic, and therefore historical
Nv interesting, but il is intrinsically too
drv and formal 10 leave a very favorable
impression. A frameful of sketches by
Constable gives some suggestive gimpses
of his art, and there is pretty Turner
esaue coast scene by Bennington. Finally
one OF the three tiny panels by Francesca
C;uardi stands as perhaps the best frag
ment of his artificial yet fascinating work
that has ever been seen In this country
7, is No Is I'm the catalogue. where II Is
called. rather ambiguously. a View o.
Venice +" IL does not matter that the title
a inaccurate. The color In this Is Guardi $
brightest end sweetest. the style Is MS
liveIiest. and most artistic. A passage
more exhilarating and sparkling than the
TURQUOISE middle distance In this sketch
has not been seen at the Union League IN
many a long day. Altogether the snow Is
remarkably even and good. The list Oh