New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-03

IN those who were present and al that Z, 49,,
now TO suggest 10 us. he 0verestirnatA,
power e the picture He himself elyas a.
clew TO the source Of its inadequacy H.,
poet Is so striking, he says that il seems ,, T. |
copied from life. That is just why we and 81.
Descent from the Cross" remarkable AZ f.
a far less impressive picture than some e..
liar composition by an Italian master say - /
half so brilliant a painter as Rubens A ,s.-
Of this sort we may be sure. Is not treated 49,
the highest possible art when the first tho,z.
that it inspires is that it was studied from h,
We want first to be impressed by the subIn,
Of the motive, and sublmity with Rubens con-
last, If it comes at all.
We can say as much of qualities even less y
acting in their claims upon the deeper resour,s
OF the artist. Poetry and charm both eva.
Rubens, or steal into his work as though in sba,
Of him, as though by the sheer force Of the 81.
ject he has attempted 10 treat. Perhaps d,
most interesting confirmation Of this statens-
is TO be found in The Dance" that study II
bucOic gayety which Is one Of the gems 0, Il,
gallery at Madrid. Beneath the thick fo4a
Of a spreading oak a party Of peasants are G.,
might have been drawn from some village "ks.
messe" in Flanders, but one does not think b
much Of the types represented as u the joy.u|
movement which controls them all. Moyemg-
is itself an element Of poetry when it is not u
violent. when in other words, * is graceful a..
because with his realistic power Rubens Eu
able TO put in this picture rhythmic moyensi
Il is the one work in all the long list Bh!a
seems to have been executed On a higher lev.
and in a purer air Perhaps Rubens was SIS
ceptible to the subter beauties Of the scens
We doubt IT, II is more likely that he va
struck by the combination Of forms, and =,
out. not 10 interpret but to visualize the scehs
Charm. as we have indicated, crept into Il
work without his knowing il.
or course We must not forget that mar !
to be tested by the spirit Of his time and !"
are not dealing here with Rubens's coaTsenea
as an ethical matter. We simply contend thai
a man who could paint idealstc subjects L
an earthly fashion was not man OF imaghA'
ton; Imagination is inseparable from the 'SI
highest art, and what We wish To demonsl'ss
is that Rubens was not one OF the rarer spl'sa
in the history of painting but simply ana so'eI
q fecund designer and a magnificent 'echhiC'~A
By a process Of elimination We arrive az Us
essential qualities. the qualities when give ha
his renown We admire him, with All due r.
spect to NJ Michers eulogistic narrative as
man who made brilliant pictures, who pants.
radiant pageants. who was sumpluous coo'
list and a great realist- 1t has been said "
NM. Charcot and Richer with reference
The Miracles Of Saint Ignatius Loyola,' ina
among the madmen and convulsed persons
the picture all the characteristics assigned ~
the most recent scientific researches TO neuros;
and hysteria are TO be found" In the Head
of Medusa," the picture now in the Vienna Ga.'
lery. upon which Rubens collaborated with
Brueghel. it is merely the head OF dead woman
that we see not the terrible and haunting thing
which Leonardo gave US in his study OF the
same theme. II is interesting 10 see how all
the little touches that go TO nil out his portrait
contribute to the conception Of Rubens as al
accomplished craftsman. as a man Of paints and
brushes in the strictest sense Of the word as
delneator of the facts Of life.
Under these conditions Rubens showed q.
talent for organization that he inYarlaeQ