New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-16

posing against a background of summer land
| scape and sky. The character Of Mr.. Reid ai'
| is determined partly by his sympathy for wha'
| 20 annealine on the surface OF beautiful hgures
| and scenes and partly by an imaginative FORCE
| which lends TO all his pictures signincahce
bevond that of their externals. The hgures III
this volume are graceful, their environment ID
brave with vines and flowers in bloom, but ther
charm is due to the felicity with which the alliSt
has placed them in compositions at ohce Spo"
taneous. natural and full of originality anu ar
Ainging over them finally a glamour whlch only
emotion and imagination could produce Inc e
productions are admirably made. "ioe fharsi
COT off the mates to advantage, and the DOCK Is
handsomely bound.
Tho collections in the Metropolitan Museum OF
Art are described in various ofhclal cata-
| ,ogres dedicated each TO some special Depart
mont but there has hitherto been no general
guide which would enable the visitor TO go
swiftly 10 the important things. with some
knowledge of their artistic significance. Such d
guide has been provided by Mr. Arthur Hoeoer'
whose little illustrated volume should prove IN
,.oI,,bla 70 the public He has judciousy re-
Trained from attempting to do TOO much' Inc
htaot % his CHAPTERS is not to rival the cata-
,ocues but TO give us a sitting of the latter
when picture or art object is mentioned, 1t Is
because is has some real value. The comments
show good taste and should be instructive Inc
MANY illustrations are we'll reproduced and the
hook is attractively bound. To many 1t VIII De
not only guide but an acceptable souvenir
Last Christmas we referred favorably to MISS
Singleton's "Turrets. Towers and Iempies'
volume in which some Of the FAMOUS archi-
tectural monuments of the world were Illus
trated in good Photographic reproductions WIN
text drawn from noted writers The author mas
been encouraged by the success OF this book 10
prepare another, this time devoted 10 "GredI
Pictures" but made up as to its text ike us
PREDECESSOR from the works OF various Wrlters'
This book ought to be even more popular IMAM
the first one. for. we suppose that more people
are interested In pictures than In buildings III
the selection of both her pictures and her text
Miss Singleton shows discrimination. bringing
together an uncommony representative body
of work We regret one or two points OF eullihs'
If two authors could be quoted apropos OF
Guido's aurora" and If several other paintings
seem to the compiler to Justify the inclusion
Of more than one description for each, we think
that she should have given more space to Bot
ticellis "Judith" We could not spare the chap
ter on this picture borrowed from Mr.. Maurice
Hewlett. but we wish that had also In this
volume Ruskin's splendid passage on the WORK.
one of the noblest he ever wrote Let us not.
however be captious. We have in this volume
Walter Pater on Leonardo's Mona Lisa, Fro
nentin on Rembrandt's Might Watch" Gautier
on the "i3reda" Of Velasquez, Ruskin on Car
paccio's Dream OF Saint Ursula and on varl-
Gus other masterpieces, and there are numerous
other chapters equally valuable The reproduc-
lions Of the pictures are first rate half tones
and the book is between handsome covers. AL
together. this is useful compendium.
A good idea is embodied in the little volume
nv Mr. Gilbert Hubbard. The Journeys" are
really biographies of the various painters
selected written in a free and unconventional
manner The author gives idea Of the his
torical position Of the artist, glances rapidly at
his life and work, and laying especial stress
upon the personality Of the man. weaves the
whole into a lively narrative. In book about
artists one does not expect to find chapter
opening thus: "Once upon day there was
sWart, stubby boy by the name of Mariana For
tuny," but Mr.. Hubbard does well to eschew
formal solemnities. We would not go TO him
for learning or criticism, but for friendly talks
about great men who have interested him.
Among them. in this volume. we notice the most
diverse NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Angelo and Sir
Edwin Landseer, Rubens and Fortuny, Rem
brandt and Meissonier, Van Dyke and Dore.
THE Madonna in Legend and History" is
charming little book. II contains good repro
ductions OF ten paintings among them some Of
the loveliest old italian masters The introduce
ton gives a sketch of the legends which have
grown up around the Mother Of Our Lord. and
the text also conveys great deal Of opposite
information. The book is Of general and devo-
tional interest. Produced with the utmost rev.
erence and in faultless taste, ii Is In the fullest
sense OF the word a Christmas publication.