New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-11
ART EXHIBITIONS.
BRONZEs AT THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB
SOME LANDSCAPES AND CATTLE
PICTURES BY Mr. WIGGINS

ton differing from the usual one Of American OR
foreign pictures. The latest Of these unconyen.
tional displays has especially striking character
II consists OF about hundred castings brought to
this country by Signor Angelo del Nero In llustra.
ton OF the kind OF work he is doing at Rome In the
rer reduction Of ancient masterpieces in bronze. II
Il TO exaSgeration 10 say that mis- productions
stand in the highest rank, and that as modern
equivalents for the statuettes and ornaments q
Ponpe, ancient Rome and still more ancient
Etruria they have extraordinary significance. Sig.
nor del Nero has had two objects In view in the
casting OF these reproductons-to preserve the form
OF the originals and 10 reproduce with equal accu-
race their unrivalled patnas In respect to the
first he has employed the cire perdue process with
great success. Any who has studied, for ex.
ample. the small bronzos In the museum at Naples
will recognize in the reproduction here exhibited
unusual artistic qualities We need not traverse
the intricate system whereby signor del Nero
evolves his copies 1t IL technical matter. for the
student OF me chanics to examine and enjoy. IL Il
sufficient TO state here tina, through an exquisteiy
minute process this Italian craftsman mas dup-
Gated IL would seem, the very last and most subtle
moduatons IN the sculptures ne has 50, out 10 re-
produce. When they have borne any Of those In
crustations which 10 50 far toward making tho
surfaces on antique bronZcs radiant In modern
eyes he has buried his castings ia the earth Tor
three or four months, and on lifting tnem from
their beds has gone over them with acids. remoy-
ing the accrctio1S where tney were NOT "afEahted
by the originals, leaving them IN their proper
places with admirable tact and skill That Sgnc-
del Nero does this work with artistic dscernmeat
and rot with merely mechanical precision may be
gathered from examination OF that large hsuTs
Venus Of the Esquine." which stands az the head
of hi, collection. The original OF this Is ~ marble.
It was dug UP the Esquine Hi Ia 30 Max
ing. in company with other archaologists, shrewd
guess at the era OF the statue. Sgnor del Nero
concluded that an Etruscan patina would be The
host TO use on his bronze reproduction. He took as
a guiding motive IN preparing the bath OF acid FOR
the bronze that small Vase Handle numbered 10
IN the catalogue which is an ncuSitaoe relic OF
Etruscan workmanship His statue matches the
handle in color and then. give IT the last touch
Of antiquity Slgnor del Nero secured. by ouFylng
the bronze some OF the incrustations TO the charm
Of which we have already referred The result Is
that this piece IL one Of amazing richness and
beauty in it's color and texture
We have alluded to the bath Of acids into which
the bronzes are plunged for their pdlaas The
latter are sometimes obtainabe by otner processes
The habit Of many founders is 10 open the porss
of the bronze BY heat and then rub in their co,og-
ing with hard brushes. Sgnor del Nero adheres 10
the ancient practice OF the acid bath' ana "heIo
his methods peculiarly interesting - ~ 'hs''
ingenious emulation Of what the founder himself
considers TO have been the recipes, so 10 SPEAK, OF
the antique artists. He has melted fragments OF
analysed the compound Of metals left IN his cruel
bic Having separated the compound into us Varl-
Gus parts and learned the proportion o, one 70 the
other he has sought to combine modern materials
on the same basis. He has thus achieved notao.e
things We may point out tho group 0: four repro
auctions made from the celebrated 'NarcissuS n
the Neapoitan Museum. In the first OF these copies
no aO the patina Of tho original is copied Theh
in successive reproductions Signor del Nero mas
essayed the patinaS OF Herculaneum Rome anu
Florence respectively. In each case he mas sal!ed
q convincing result. Taken together. these fouf
CASTINGS leave a profound impression. Tor they
show how the ancient patinas are almost who.y
within the control Of modern bronze founders. We
saw almost The originals Of these castings. -
they recur 10 the memory. bring with them sense
OF possibly more subtly exquisite tints than sgnos
del Nero's copies bear But this may be only
question Of the effect OF time. In so far as human
calculation cover the matter the reprou"ceion'
equal the originals, and doubtless will wear IN
years 10 come the last bloom OF color WHICH 10 30
enchanting in the first priceless statGettes' "tA
view 10 testing this point by the way, sisnor &C!
Nero has treated four castings OF the Narcissus
(Nos a. @ 25 and 20 with alloys calculated 70
be modified in the best possible way oy the as'nos-
nhere of New-York. How long they will have to be
srbn,itted TO exposure climate before reveal
ing radical changes OF color "e do not know" but
az two of them are TO be left In the hands OF MI
French and Mr. Saint-Gaudens, 1t is not unlikely
that the public Will az some Iulure uay near VI wv
outcome OF the experiment
II remains 10 be said that in tho merely oecora-
tive ASPECT OF his exhibition Signor del Nero has
provided a rare experience for the art lovers OF
New-York The bronz4s are beautifully arranged
and they include some OF the finest subjects IN
Italy In addition 10 the statuettes, Ike the Nea-
poltan Nike" and the chief companions OF tha'
incompa rabe work. there are some silver Vesse.s
very beautiful in design and divers other relics o,
ancient industrial art. With the reproductions OF
ANTIQUES Signor del Nero shows some MODERN
bronzes among them a charming classical compo
s,tion suggestive OF Alma-Tadema in It's scnehhe
by Professor Adolfo Apollonji The grace ana pic'-
uresqueness OF this poetic design make IL III naf
moniousy among the older types. Altogether TINS
is delightful exhibition OF plastic art, fanila1 IN
that IL presents chiefly classics Of sculpture known
TO every traveller. but novel, too. However wen
these pieces may be known to this observer OF
that the general public will find much tnat - nc"
and refreshing within the limits OF the CLUBS h'.is
gallery 1t is pity that the exhibition lasts ohS
through to-day and tomorrow, and that II Is On"
accessible to visitors bringing CARDS ssneo !"
members.
Mr.. Carleton Virgins has at the Fifth Avenue
Art Galleries a collection OF one hundreo ana III"
landscapes and cattle pictures painted In EuIops
and America They have excellent qualities "h'.N
would appear TO better advantage perhaps '''
collection were split in halves, or even Qua''"''
and exhibited piecemeaL This is one way OF say
that, because OF his limitations as a co'of'S' a1
because OF his lack OF invention In matters VI w
sign Mr. Virgins leaves an impression OF NM.
onv when the fruits OF his art set forth on sucH
a vast scale At times he will hit upon inc "a"
est arrangement Of line. upon the dettest Pa. -
light and shade. Witness No. 3. Harrow.
Cornwall" with its broad sky. or No 10 49,,
Ing from the Fields" which suggests lro'oI, -
IN such a manly. natural way that no one - -.
m Again.
and wards OF canvas. Mr. Virgins will paint cows
or landscape with the same trite results nc se'
Hes the eye In conscientious way ou' i1s
touch tho sympathies that lie deeper down So
ing. however this duh level TO which MT "'se
allows himself to slip too often. We may pay -