New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-09

paintr SIS are reproduced by photogravure could
not then have been made If such collections
were published the pictures were engraved BY
masters, and the original work was done in the
same way, artlsts and cngravers alike being
imbued with the spirit Of tho jeweller or enamel
Ter Mr.. Levine makes reference to this
point, and we regret it, because il is no dis
respect to compare the eighteenth century edI-
tons Of Dorat La Fontaine. Rabelais Boccaccio
and Longus TO the watches, chairs, tables and
plate OF the eighteenth century They were all
created in the same style and have tie same
charm. One proof OF this lies in the exquists
corresE ondence between French illustration and
French binding, zach having its own notC) bN
each contributing to the same effect. book,
like q clock, may have had useful purpose,
but it was also ornament. There
bound to be however, a distinguishing clement
in the book illustration Of the century. some
thine to be found nowhere else save in paint
ings, and upon this Mr. Levine puts his finger
n stating that while Vatican never occupied
himself in book illustration, it must have been
by him that this delightful branch Of art
suggested to his pupils and followers. Boucher
was trained in the studio OF Vatican, and, ~
Mr.. Levine observes BouCher's illustrations 10
the Moliere Of 1874 made an epoch The genius
OF Vatican was consummatcy representative d
his time The quality that he raised to tho
highest plane is visible more or less in the IL
Illustrations of most OF the French books
braCod in this catalogue. He being man ~
unique gifts. painted a kind Of fairy land,
realm Of romance. With all the rest it was a
fairyland penetrated 10y worldliness romance
intensely artful. But while Boucher, Moreau.
nnumerable lesser men, were as we have sug
gcsted above designers who turned books into
baskets. into decorations, they all shared, 10
some extent in the poetic sentiment which vas
so powerful IL the work Of Wattcau and they
are justly erourcd with him. Not even the
worst cvnicism 81 the tire fostcred by Nine.
Pompadour and the Du Barry, could quite
quench the lghtness the elasticity, the fragile
and enchanting tone Of men who were. after
all, veritabe artists Those drawings by Wat
teau and Portaii which we reproduce are both
marked by a softer huency a broader freedom,
than was possible in tn engravinss Of the last
century but their cache, is the caohet Of The
best Illustration Of the Ieriod.
A number Of interesting fragments ~ infor-
nation are embedded in this book We learn
for example, that ~ England more than IN
France but to IA considerable extent neverthe-
less IN the latter country, books Of engravinGs
after the old paintings in historic houses We're
very popular, a Procurement OF modern
taste. Also this book reminds us of the great
quantity of scurrilous pamphlets which were
directed against Marie Antofnette in the Rev
olutonary period Many of these Infamous
libels were illustrated with plates which to-day
give the text a standing in the auction-room
which il would never obtain anywhere else.
Les Amours de Chariot ct Tonette. in which
the Comte dArtois was represented by Chariot
and the Queen by TOinette, a collection OF
shabby verses s described by Mr.. Levine az
an Ignoble publication, but IL contains two
plates 10y Desrais, and fetches accordingly from
r. to E3 There is one copy In existence with
the plates colored. but the edition from which