New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-03
ALBERT DURER.
THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF HIS EN-.
CRAVINGS AT THE GROLIER CLUB.

opportuny at his disposal In the gallery OF the
Groller Club There remarkable collection OF
Durer's engravlngs has been hung, the most CON-
pete ever displayed In this country, or. for that
matter IN any o: the artistic capitals OF the world
Not only has every known plate been obtained for
the exhibition. but in many cases there are several
prints grouped 10 show how Impressions vary
IN clearness and velvety With the aid OF photo
graphs and other data here assembled the student
may observe in a very tangible way the influence OF
the antique and OF Italian art upon the northern
master; and. finally little sub-colecton OF por.
traits and views illustrates the biography OF D1rer
in reviving the personalities Of himself and his FAM
ny Altogether IT Ia symmetrical gathering OF plc,
uros one OF those exhibitions which reveal an artist
at full LENGTH. 1t is that the absence OF numer
Gus specimens Of Diners drawings, paintings and
woodcuts leaves his full stature un.ustrated IN
any concrete sense but the genius OF the man Is
fully expressed in the engraviDgs study OF those
dscloses all Of the peculiar qualities which range bis
name with the names OF Rembrandt ana Michael
Angelo and Leonardo.
DUrer Ia the peer OF the greatest In the history
OF art vet more than any OF the old masters, he
abdes apart from the rest. There may he INKS
between him and his predecessors. lie was not
lnseneltive TO the Influence or some or MS con.
ternporarics. lie learned from his master. Wolge-
nut from the works Of Schongauer and Cranach
and Lucas van der Leyden and especially did he
profit by the example OF the Italians. Jacopo d.
Barbara ard Mantegna. Yet there Is something
significant Of his fundamental independence In
certain written records which we have on the
subject Of his studies. When Ma1tegna was dying
at Mantua he heard that Ddrer was In ltaly, and
sent for him in order "that he might fortfy his
facility and certainty OF hand with scientific
knowledge and principles" The last words are
eloquent Scientific knowledge and principles
these Durer could and )ud derive from others.
and his enormous industry only equalled by
the humility with which he sat az the feet OF his
slperlors in this point that Of artistic learning
or technique. But you may look In vain Tor any
organic changes In his art indicative OF foreign
pressure. Thus II is interesting TO Follow with the
help of Mr. Koehler's scholarly catalogue FOR this
exhibition the evolution OF Dtrer's Adam and
Eve" plate no. 80. The figure of Adam is readily
traceable through the masters own famous draw
Ing OF Apollo back 10 the Apollo Belvidere. There
are other episodes Of a similar nature IN the MS
tory of Dure-s art. The close student OF MS
drawings will recall one little picture Of a re.
clning infant, which is lifted bodily from crcu-
lar panel by Lorenzo di Creei n the ufizi but TIE
same student needs to be warned against the
allurement Of such hypothesis as spring instantly
from each testimony OF foreign influence in D1rers
work They have curious interest they assist tc
an understanding of the masters growth. but
once rec ,enized they need TO be kept vigorously IN
their proper place Durer may be admitted to have
felt The force of southern precedent, but not al
the evidence on that point that can be accumulated
is sufficient affect the sinGularity Of his art. he
had the sensitiveness OF any great artls'' INK
cathoiclty Of taste the readiness 10 use whatever
came to his hand. Eager to learn as ne was
thirsty to acquire exact knowledge. there are
passages In him which speak OF other inlhos' bu'
they are only passages. and they fade into moth
ingness before his own powerful lndiVlduahy
rirs. nd Ia ST he was content TO be himself,
That Northern self Of his typifes a transitional
s,otc He stands with one foot firmly resting or
the archaic auster4ty of the Middle Ages and the
Gothic tradition. with the other pressing tenta'
lively on into the warmer, more humane world OF
the Renaissance. lie was born in III, he ded 1T
1928 and hence he was the contemporary Vi 80
nootic a painter as Botticelli, Of so MANIFESTED
genius as Raphael But his race and MS crouih'
stances arrested him In the development OF sucn
tastes and impulses as he may have had In COM
mon with those two They buIgeoned out benea,h
the Italian sun and achieved the hover ot ART
beauty His inspiration was concealed amid INC
conditions of his native Germany and through the
passionless contemplation OF his own nature lie
lust missed achieving beauty. lie obtained insteah
an extraordinary psychological quality ana dis'
tinction Of style which might have made him the
envy of the greatest master of pure loneliness IN
| the South. Leonardo himself, with MS innnlleV
more refined ina ginaton, could produce no suotel
work than Durers; nor was the touch OF the MI
lanese master ever more distinguished, more orsi-
nal These two qualities. psychology ana st!e' '"e
mind and the hand. were raised by Ddrer TO plane
NJ suureme authority Sensuous beauty, the beauty
Of naginat,on he never could hope 70 capture out
within his own wide limitations he was lnaghil'
cent ruler wreaking himself upon his themes Win
something near to grandeur. The best illustrations
of his genius are to be found In the Held OF pol'
tra.ture; the best though not. perhaps. the most
suggestive A plate like the "Melancholia IS more
profoundly interesting than such portraits as tae
Erasmus" the "Meancthon," the "Pirkheymer'
or the Albert OF Brandenburg' Ohe plate kno"ha'
the Little Cardnal'). But in the Meianchona .
veil is hung between the artist and the worId-n"
meaning is enigmatc: while in the portraits nc
has the transparency Of the highest art we 'hnA'
indeed. that the portraits named above Win one VI
two others, are all accounts worther OF luis
study than designs upon which Mr. koehler seems
disposed 10 linger. In the Erasmus alone you Sc
far more than in The Great Fortune or any o'''e
OF the alegorical plates-brilliant though the! may
be-the measure OF Durers analytic mihu' wv
flavor of his metaphysical temperament ana genius
When he is categorical he is following a certain ".e
long instinct for mystery Enthusiastically, for tho
| painfully purchased flights OF Northern magma
tion-whlch is too questioning ever TO De al us 80
| among marvels and dreams But when NJ - ~. ~
| presence of character his art has free SV0pe' -
| ne is true 10 himself in the allest as wen @s ia
| the greatest matters and in place OF sFo'eSf"' 20
| ures you get superbly drawn men ana WOMB
| place Of meaningless accessories you get 'he ''''
! and pressure OF the sitters environment IN P''0e
| eyes that do bend on vacancy 'le e''
| strange gods and impossible pE2ntoins' W" -
| the penetrating gaze OF human lnd!NGua'S Wv" -
| mortal souls Durcr was no seer. and his ln'eh'
| lions. Ike the "Melancho2," send the imas'"'"O
| out upon a trackless waste. But he hao rem.
dous grip on character and gift for the VsuH''Aa
| ton of IL which was equally strong. we W ~"
| mean to ignore the quality Of imaginative au1"N.'
| IN him. 1t IS. in fact. deep source oi e', ..ot
| ment. But the point needs 10 be emph'7Ne a,
Mirror found his true level IN por;raiture anu ~
scenes OF domcsticty, OF realism. Ills soarlhsS ~
| his own: no one else produced anything 49,.
| like his death and the Lansquenet. or the w.
| anchoIia or Tho Great Fortune but o'He' ~
| heat him on that line. while no one-no one W.
| even Holbein Northumberland qu'e $50
| him In the Interpretation OF strictly human '"e',
| ~ ,,v his personases with piercing eye. ana 10