New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-16
ART BOOKS.
pEMRRANDT SOME BRITISH PAINTERS
AND OTHER INTERESTING THEMES.


BRITISH CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS I BY Cos me
Monkhouse Illustrated. Imperial octave PP'
xxi 267 Charles Scribners sons
IN SUMMERTIME: PICTURES BY ROBERT
tisso1 Folio r, II. Russell.
THE TREAsU RI A OF T cF De,
scribed by Arthur Heeber Tosether win Rns Many
Illustrations. octave PIP. IL H. H. hus'e"'
GREAT PICTURES AS SEEN AND DE ESQ HIsEI
lated by Esther Singleton With Numerous 8
Illustrations. Octave PIP. XVI 81 Douu' "edu
LITTLE JOURNEYS TO THE HOMES OF E TiI.I
" NFNT PAINTERS. BY Ebert Hubbard Illus
trated Octave. PIP vii. 497. G. p. Putnam >
Sons.
THE E. M EIa 6SiS u nce3 NTH A an
by the Right Reverend Boyd Vincent, S r.
PIP 1O4 Thomas Whitaker
Mr.. Bells book on Rembrandt originally
projected as one Of a series Of small mono
graphs on the Great Masters He found. how
ever as he proceeded with his task that he
could not avoid exceeding the scale first con-
templated. and accordingly he gives us stout
volume really comprehensive IN scope. or his
text we may say that IT discloses good judgment
and is interesting in its presentation of the facts
This text divided into three sections, occupies
something over a hundred pages. II gives full
biographical notes touching upon the painters
earlier years his art education. his manhood'
his days OF prosperity and decline and the clos
ing decade Of his career Having thus sketched
Rembrandt the man. Mr.. Bell turns his atten-
ton to the painter. pure and simple, and sur
vevs the works with rapidity and with plausible
criticism. The last Of the three sections Is de-
voted 10 the history and criticism Of the etch-
ings with some account Of the authentic plates,
dated and undated and those which are dis
puted The matter we have indicated might,
perhaps have been compressed into one OF the
small volumes Of the Great Masters Series
but 1t only forms part of Mr. Bells scheme
Early in the volume he prints an admirable
photography; this is followed by chronological
table of Rembrandt's life, and after the text we
find most serviceable catalogue of the works,
arranged according to the countries In which
the pictures are preserved. There is. moreover,
list Of dated pictures, list OF the etchings'
and full index The illustrations include eight
fine photographers and no less than threescore
and ten excellent half tones. We lay stress upon
what might be called the machinery of Mr.. Bells
volume, because his special aim has been to
prepare, not philosophical study of his subject
but a convenient work for the general student
book to which the latter can conveniently turn
for practical data. The plan has been tactfully
and thoroughly carried out. The information
packed within the covers of this book is neither
too scant nor too voluminous. Mr.. Bell is not
particularly brilliant critic or writer but in his
busnesslike way he cuts to the bone. and his
book seems to US about as reasonable and SER
viceable a manual on the subject Of Rembrandt
as exists In English
The seven biographical and critical papers
collected in the volume by Mr.. Monkhouse, on
British contemporary artists, were originally
published in "Scribners Magazine" They have
the elements which particularly fitted to
periodical literature; they ere brief discursive
and not too weighty 7But Tpy well deserved
TO be put into permanent form, If for no other
reason than that they render justice to men
whose achievements, in these days Of extreme
"modernity," are often ignored or underesti-
mated. The men treated are Watts, Millais,
Leighton, Burne- Jones, Orchardson, Alma
Tadema and Poynter. The celebrity of these
names would seem perhaps 10 contradict what
has Just been said touching the Indifference
with which they are regarded in some quarters
but II is nevertheless true that the present great
vogue Of men like " hstler and Sargent to say
nothing OF the French impTessionists and their
followers, has caused some curious divagations
among the critics Of those English veterans who
have just been named. There has been some
Justice in the challenging of their fame Watts
man OF genius and great colorist. with noble
ideas has rarely proved himself a thoroughly
satisfactory technican. The dsappointments
encountered in a study Of Mnlais we'll
known. Leighton combined great merits with
some sadly commonplace qualities. Ama-Tad-
ema and Poynter, brilliant they in
ways, are almost mediocre in others. Orchard
son alone In Mr.. Monkhouse's list ranks with
the really advanced painters Of his time. and
10 falls short sometimes Of the highest
standard But. the other hand, there is not
q man in this group who has not counted enor-
mously in giving dignity and true fame to mod
ern British art.
Mr. Monkhouse refers to them as "conserva-
tives" well chosen epithet He wisely says
of them that none Of them have been afraid Of
the modern bugbears, sentiment and the lit
erary idea They have viewed the limits of art
as conterminous with those of human nature,
and at the same time have preserved high
artistic level Of execution. . . Though so
different III many respects they alike in
one-their subject is mankind, and their works
are all more less rich in those human ele-
, ments which the very life OF all great art,
whether II be music or poetry or painting" Mr.
Monkhouse is hardly exact when he says that
they have all reached high level Of execu-
ton, and think he is mistaken in regarding
the work OF Burne-Jones containing anything
related to human nature. But the general drift
of his contention is right, and of signal impor-
lance. We may. perhaps, further enforce his
view Of the matter by stating that the art he
discusses is pre-eminently thoughtful art and
therefore precious. We know that this is not a
popular view. The "modernity" to which we
have alluded seems to mean, to a great many
contemporary painters and writer's complete
absence Of anything but self Cons ciousness tech
meal aptitude and decorative effect. Two of
these things good, sometimes good that
we can spare all else; but intellect and imagi-
nation never did any artist any harm, and If
Watts Leighton and Poynter have given promi-
nence in their work to the idea, they have there
by added TO the weight Of the English school
II ia all very we'll TO talk magnihcently ahout