New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-08
LONDON ART.
THE NEW GALLERY AND wATER-coIORj
sHows-A MASTERPIECE OF MIS-
sAL-PAINTING-MR. sHANNONS
PORTRAITS AND Mr.. MEL
VILLE'S BLOTCHEs. -

LONDON. Aprfl ID
The spring art shows offer one or two slimpses
Of the art Of the past do not refer TO the
| GuildhalI exhibition, with it's Turner'S Gains
| boroughs end Ronneys. but 10 the New GAL
| lery where two modern artists are distinctly
medieval In spirit and method. In the south
room, on either side Of one of Mr.. George wether-
bees graceful idyls. are two little pictures which
might have been painted in Flanders four hun
| bred years ago. One is entitled "Jehan de-
| Bruges" and is as quaint In costume and medi-
| sval In style as any picturesque corner OF that
| faded Old World town. and the other 70 the
| head of a weird and withered crone painted
| with the painstaking precision and hard realism
| of an age when there was leisure for intense
| earnestness and patient drudgery in art, and
| nothing was done merely for effect. These pct-
| ures come from the studio OF Mr.. Edmond Van
| Hove. In Bruges. and, unpretentious and grim
| as they are they distinctly suggest the art
| methods OF a forgotten age. when Memling
| was at work on the legend of st. Ursula and her
company OF virgins.
| These are crude sketches. In the place OF
honor In the west room is masterpiece Of
mssa-work on canvas by the veteran founder
| OF the Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood. This is Mr..
| Holman Hunts Miracle Of Sacred Fire In the
| Church OF the Sepulchre Jerusalem" II is a
| picture without atmosphere. but crowded with
| figures and conspicuous for glazing contrasts
OF color and hardness Of technique. AS the
spectator concentrates his attention upon II, It
| is easy for him to fancy that he is In some an
| tioue church in Italy turning the leaves Of an
| illuminated book Of the Gospels. which Is pre-
served as one Of the chief treasures Of the
sacristy The art method is distinctly medieval,
| not only in Its garsh coloring and carefully
Arfafr otfltr H. ~.
| evidences OF patient labor expended upon minute
details The medieval painters never spared
themselves but applied themselves with In
tense earnestness to the task OF impartng real
| and definite significance to every detail OF
| preston costume and symbolism. The same
| conscientious thoroughness is apparent In the
| composition OF Mr.. Holman Hunts picture. upon
| which he has been laboring for years In Pales-
| tine.
EASTER AT THE HOLY sEPULCHRE.
The whrling scene OF fanaticism and dissen-
sion which he portrays is enacted around the
| traditional Holy Sepuchre at Easter when tho
| church is crowded with pilgrims from Russia,
| Albania and Armenia and Mahometan Pacha
with files of soldiers is present to keep the
peace between warning Christians While
awaiting the miracle Of the fire from the altar
| the pilgrims, excited by their two days vigil.
| are enactirg without irrcverence scenes from
an improvised passion play. The Crucifxion Is
rehearsed by devotee hanging on the wall; a
dead Christ is In frenzied swoon on the shoul-
ders of excited companions. and risen Christ
has conquered death The Turkish soldiers are
arresting dstu-bers OF the peace. and half
naked boy is breaking away from them. Greek
ecclesastics are at the door to attest the truth
OF the miracle and as the flame flares from the
side Of the altar spectators in the galleries
reach down to light their tapers and the mob Of
pilgrims on the pavement is beside itself with
| religious excitement. 1t Is weird and highly
dramatic scene. Characteristic of the frenzy and
fanaticism of the changeless East 1t is repro
duced with vivid realism and lurid glow OF
bright color.
Fifty years ago Mr.. Holman Hunt was work.
ing on his "Rienzi" Rossetti was painting the
| "Girlhood Of the Virgin" and Millais was dream
| ing over Lorenzo and Isabella" The Pre-
| Raphaete Brotherhood had risen in revolt
| against the conventional art OF the time, with
| its accepted methods and system. and was ex-
| citing the admiration and sympathy Of Mr..
! Ruskin by its loyalty to truth, realism and
| nature Only one OF the three founders Of that
fraternity Of enthusiasts remains. and he has
never swerved from its principles. Year after
year until Ave decades are now numbered. he
has persevered through good and Ill repute In
his own methods OF careful elaboration and un-
ceasing study from nature and life. never adapt
ing himself with Millaiss fexibility to the ca
prices Of fashion or the requirements OF public
taste, but retaining to the end his distinction
as the last Of the Pre- Raphaelites. This nnal
example. which he has completed In his seventy
third year. reveals the strength and merits OF
the original movement along with some OF MS
own mannerisms and limitatcrs II is deeply
interesting work, which is entirely out OF touch
with current English art
Every detail OF this picture bears witness to
the labor which has been expended III the ih'
terest Of uncompromising truth. The Pre-ha-
phaelites contended that work OF the imasina-
ton must not be conventional. but intensely
real and that nature must be followed IN
closest detail. The faces. GESTURES. coloring and
movement Of this motley crowd are REPRODUCED
from life with unremitting fidelity. II Is mad
dening revel of fanaticsm, pulsating with en-
ergy, passion AMI excitement; yet II mas as
little atmosphere as an illuminated missai, anu
with all the mastery grouping and COMPOSE
ton It has no centre for the eye, but must o.
examined bit by bit. like the works OF Ford
MADDOX Brown. 1t has vividness and variety
without harmony or charm OF color, and pro-
duces the effect Of medieval painting ana group
ing with narrowness OF range. as an onset !"
earnestness and strength Of style.
CONVENTIONAL ART OF TO-DAY.
With these three pictures reserved as examples
of the art OF the past the New Gallery enters
into full competition with Burlington hous.
in the conventional art OF to-day. Sir Ed"aiu
Burne-Jones's mantle has not fallen uroh any
disciple. and, while Mr.. Watts has two parao'.'
in Venetian color his really important Worn
a strong portrait OF Lord Roberts. sciioly' taln'
| than brilliantly. painted. There Is only one sos
gent portrait of Colonel Ian hami'on'
which the keenness and alertness or resou'os
full face are emphasized by the tension anu 81.