The record-union., 1898-02-27


This is 'L'Eschole de Salerne' of 1861,
we'll bound in red morocco, 131 milli-
meters in hight, and the price asked for
1t is only II guineas. A copy of this
book, which is in the library of Robert
Hoe, holds the record for Elzevirs. 1t
is 147 millimeters in hight and, al
though it consists of only 139 pages.
yet at the sale of the de Behague Ii
brary it fetched 16,100f The differ
ence between the two books is merely
fraction of an inch, but as the lat
ter happens to be the talleSt copy in
existence an otherwise insignificant
quantity of blank paper rises to such
Importance that it's value can only be
measured in hundreds of pounds.
New York Tribune: Arthur Balfour,
in an address on literature finds fault
with the contemporary novelist be-
cause he treats character as something
changeless instead of revealing the de
velopment of character which extends
throughout the life of the individual. "
The criticism provokes surprise. Has
not Mr.. Hardy, for example, done just
the thing that Mr.. Balfour says is still
waiting to be done? And il neither
Mr.. Hardy nor Mr.. Meredith nor Mr..
Gissing-to mention only living writer's
seems to Mr.. Balfour to have shown
the development Of character" about
which he is so anxious is it not be-
cause he fails to see the great fact of
human nature upon which they have
built their profoundly veracious novels,
the fact that no matter how character
may develop it is invariably true to it
self, invariably illustrates just that
fixity which he deplores? Character
changes in some respects as the years
pass, but its roots never change, and
the novelist of genius. like Mr.. Hardy,
selecting those moments in his subjects
career which are crucial, never loses
sight of the roots.
Franz Hanfstaengl of New York will
soon publish in twelve parts work
entitled Pictures in the National Gal
lery, London" The entire work will
contain 100 full-page photographers.
printed on the finest plate paper, with
50 text illustrations, and Charles L.
Eastlake, Curator of the National Cal
lery, will furnish a full descriptive,
critical and historic text. The paint
ings selected for illustration are of
special merit. The prints have been
taken by the direct process by the di-
rect process of photogravure and in
this particular form of process repro
duction the publishers are considered
to have no rivals. By the aid of 1.-The
Pictures in the National Gallery, Lon
don," a complete study may be made
Of the art work of the Renaissance.
On the west front of the Doge's Pal
ace, in Venice, there was a gap. ORR
ginalfy there stood here a monument
consisting of the figure of the Doge
Gritti, with the winged lion. When the
Venetian Republic was declared a CEN
fury ago there was rioting and the
monument was destroyed. In 1856 the
Italian Government opened a COMPETE
ton among native artists and offered
a prize for the best reproduction of the
missing monument. The award was
given to young Venetian sculptor
Urbano Bottasso. His work is now
finished. and will be put in position
some time toward the close of March,
and with certain jubilee festivities
commemorating the revolution which
gave freedom to Venice.
a*
The Art Institute, of Chicago presents
a varied programme for this year. Up
to April Goth there win be four exhi-
bitions: Annual exhibition of works of
artists of Chicago and vicinity; annual
exhibition of the Society of Western
Artists, a collection exhibited success
sively at Cincinnati, st. Louis De-
troit, Chicago and Indianapolis; annual
exhibition of the Chicago Architec-
tural Club: annual exhibition of Amer
lean water colors.
New York Times: The death of Will
lam J. Linton, the we'll known engraver,
brings to mind the ardent discussions
that prevailed over old and new methods
of illustration a couple of decades ago,
says The Art Interchange" When po-
litical affairs became too warm in Eng
land and Linton took up his abode here,
book and magazine illustration was at a
pretty low ebb., Few artists were en-
gagged in illustrating, and the engravers
were rigidly bound by Journalism. Lin
toms fame had preceded him, and his
arrival was hailed with enthusiasm, and
dinner given in his honor. Our pub
fishers soon flooded him with orders,
and he had many imitators. Some of
the best examples of his work at that
time will be found In Picturesque
America" and The Aldine," published
in the seventies. In spite of his multi
tudinous labors, he accepted the position
of instructor in engraving at the Cooper
Union School for Women, opening a field
OF womans work hitherto wholly I'M
tried. But he found his time so well
filled that he was obliged TO abandon
teaching. However. three of his pupils
at that time have since won reputation
Jessie c. Curtis, Mary Hallock Foote
and Caroline a. Powell.
When the original "Scribners Month
ly," now THE Century" started under
DIR. Holland, much was made of the de-
partment of illustration, but many art
lists were unwilling to allow their pic
lures to be reproduced If the distinctive
character was to be eliminated by the
eBgraver. and several particularly speci-
fed that under no consideration would
thy allow Linton to engrave for them.
for Linton reserved to himself the privi-
lege of making such changes in the art
lists drawing as in his opinion might
improve the work The new group OF
engravers. headed by Timothy Cole, held
that it was the engraver's sole province
to reproduce faithfully the picture put
before him. Mr.. Linton. through the
medium of The Atlantic" attacked in
a bitter article the new school of en-
gravers and Mr.. Coles work in particu-
lar and DIR. Holland made defense in his
own magazine. Other periodicals had
much to say, and Mr.. Linton was happy
over the row he had stirred up. But
it is curious that while maintaining his
own right TO make such changes as he
saw fit in Others work. he fired some