New-York tribune., 1900-11-10
ENGRAvINGS BY GAILLARD AT THE
IROLIER.

The late Ferdinand Gaillard a unique figure
in the history Of modern French engrav wing. To
exhibition of his engravings at the Grolier Club
there have been added a shear of drawings and ons
work in oils. 'L'Homme Guitare." This paint
ing Is a bold piece OF coloring and brushwork; ir
has brio that makes think. for moment,
of Halls II nothing else Of Gaillard's had
vived IT would proclaimed him TO the world
as an artist thoroughly broad in style. Bur the
engravings tell another story There is nothing
like them in modern art To judge from Gaillards
comparatively few original designs one would say
that he had small invention The Saint SebaS-
tian.'' of which he made painting as well as an
engraving is obviously the child OF his feeling FOR
the early Italians But in the reproductive plates
which make his fame he was. nevertheless. as
original a craftsman France has to show. The
GrolIer exhibition brings his works together IN
many states. and in impressions often o. superb
quality. II shows him practically at full length.
1t shows style impeccable in its refinement and
disting nguished by miraculous precision.
Other men have shown in their engravings the
beauty Of hard surfaces-the quality OF fine bronze.
for example. But one has equalled Gaillards
plate the 'Ciattameata'' OF DonateIo. or his
engraving OF the bronze bust OF Dante in the Wal
lace collection He not only expressed difficult
contours with consummate subtety. but he in
terpreted with the rarest sympathy and taste, as
we'll as the most exquisite accuracy. the play OF
light on modelled surfaces. His plates after
Michael Angeles twilight and the head in
the museum Lille attributed to Raphael. are his
best works in this field. His method one OF
almost incredible huesse. Before the perfection in
minutise Of line which characterizes his MASTER
piece the engraving after Van Eyck's Man with
the Pink" and his original portraits. especially
the Pope Leo XIII" and the SISTER Rosalie.
wonder as TO how the artist achieved such frail
and vet such strong results leaves the spectator
wenigh breathless This supersensitiveness or
his line had its drawbacks The frosty bril!ancy
which it gives the portrait OF the Pope was
gained at the of valuable qualities The large
plate after Rembrandt's Disciples at Emraus"
and the unfinished engraving after T1tians
Venus in the Uffizi tell only plainly OF his
limitations when dealing with triumphs OF color
His genius for lucidity, refinement. purity
despite the evidence that the oil painting men
toned above to offer to the contrary Titan
and Rembrandt the last masters in the
world for him reproduce But luckily he sell
dom ventured outside his natural sphere He was
content deal with the suave simplicity OF
Raphaels saint George IN the Louvre. with the
linear grace and spiritual charm OF Botuceins
great Madonna" in the same gallery. with works
by Van Eyck. Giovanni Belini. AntonellO da Mes
sina and Ingres, which we'll within the scope
of his in the Interpretation of color. and were
especially adapted to the character OF his linear
habit. He worked with wonderful 1rmness; his
line has the quality OF tempered steel. His en-
cravings have the brilance OF the diamond. but
OF its hardness. He was a great artist and
who cares for such things should on any
account neglect this exhibition