New-York tribune., 1901-05-11
~
SPANISH ART
A WONDERFUL SHOW AT THE LONDON
GUiLDHALL-NELASQ "
s. THREE PERIODS.
London. Anil -

vainter OF distinction connected with the snan-
ish school is represented. one gallery Is de,,o,as
sxclusively 20 Nelasquez: another has er.,-a,,
nsintings by Murillo. group Of eighteen co,-,.
and examples Of oldtime masters like Fl Cree
Zurburan. Coello. Morales. Cruz. Vieto 10
spagnoletto and Mazo Martinez: a third con
-ains the three masterpieces Of Fortunv The
Selection OF a Model" The Spanish Marriage
and The Garden OF the Poets" with Seventeen
n his minor works ana the fourth exhibits the
art OF living Spanish painters and those who
have died IN recent years among them being
PradiIo. Alvarez. Zamacois. Carboaera. salva
aor. Checa, Domingo Madrazo and Alisal The
director OF the Guildhan gallery. Mr.. 4. C. Tenn
ple. has heen occupied for a year in collecting
these works from ninety-one s,-ivate and public
galleries in Madrid. Seville. Barcelona. Paris
Biarritz. Venice. Berlin, New-York and the great
houses In England. The King the German rrn-
peror. the Queen Regent Of Spain the Duke Of
Wellington. the Duke Of Westminster. the Mar
GUS Of LansdoWne, Lord No-thbrook. the Mar
quise de Carcano. the Comte Heeren. Mr.. J
Pierpont Morgan and Senator ". A Clark ar,
among the contributors. Never has there been
50 complete and representative an exhibition ot
Spanish art in England. Il is indeed a UNIQUE
show The Spanish room at the National CAL
lery is perhaps the least satisfactory section in
that magnificent collection. and there are few
great Spanish works Of unquestioned authen-
deity in the Wallace Gallery
The veIasquez collection is the most important
feature OF the Guildhau exhibition. II includes
thirty-nine undisputed works by the master. two
q, which are attributed 10 him being among the
Murillos ana Goyas in the adjoining gallery The
great masterpieces, The Tcpers The Surren-
der OF Breda," The Maids Of Honor and The
SINNERS" are not here; but the three periods
az his art are represented satisfactorily There
are bodegones OF tavern pieces. painted before
he went 10 Madrid as court painter; there are
landscapes and examples Of stiH life; there are
portraits painted before and after his TWO visits
20 Italy in 1890 and 1889: and there is ore of
the three authentic portraits Of himself Ever,
phase OF the evolution and contamination of his
art can be studied in this single gallery in which
velasquex stands alone, without the distractions
OF other mems art. But while he is alone. he
does not seem 10 be present as a Snowman like
other masters Of portraiture. Popes. monarchs.
prime ministers young princes. court favorites.
stately ladies and coarse peasants We're before
him. and he painted what he saw with unerring
realism and remained in the background him
self. Nothing is more remarkable in this Velas-
ouez room than the self-restraint ana reticence
OF the painter himself. There are no devices %
The studio; there is neither fussiness over
backgrounds and costumes nor striving after
decorative effect; the color scheme IS always
simplicity itself; the painters methods are out
of sight and not felt; and the men. women and
children are on canvas for all time as they were
in life, without a suggestion that he was inter
prer1ng them and converting them into classic
figures. II Is one Of the commonplac-s OF criti-
cism that Velasquez ana Rembrandt have pro-
-oundly affected the art Of the last hundred
years. Il is not easy 70 accept this dictum in
the Neiasquez room. No living portrait painter
has the Inconsistencies and reticence OF VeIas-
ouez. Mr.. Whistler makes the closest approach
in style, but he remains in the picture and al
ways conveys the impression that he is painting
Ike the old masters.
Among the earliest tavern pieces. in which
Nelasquez displayed his intuitive genius for ex-
preston in painting peasants, four are conspicu-
Gus In this gallery. One Is The Steward" with
a man holding bowl of soup al a table with
fsh, poultry, meat, lagon and pack of cards
under his eyes; and another is Two Young Men
a. a Meal" with a boy in a buT jacket drink
ing from bowl while q companion is looking
on. The third is the famous Water Carrier
OF Seville" from Apsley House. which the painter
took with him when he went from Seville 10
Madrid 10 enter the service OF the court: and
the fourth is The Omelet" from the collection
ot the late Sir Francis Cook The realism OF
the water carrier in ragged brown doubIet
handing a glass of water 10 q boy is well
matched by that of the crone making an oTnelst
In ar earthen pan, while a boy with a melon
under his arm is offering TO her a wine hask; and
the draughtsmanship is sure. II the gradations
m tone are less subtle and the shadows coarser
than n Velasquez's maturer works. A Spanish
Beggar." painted al Madrid about four years
before the celebrated Los Borrachos." or The
Iopers." reveals the reversion OF his mind 70
peasant scenes while he was toying with the
artificial oonventionalt!es OF court life This is
the ragged beggar leaning crutch and hold
Ing a wine fagOn, which rests on globe with
reflection OF peasants dancing in front OF
wine shop-a rerniniscence Of his happier youth
To the same period are assigned the large still
hte canvas with peacock, fruit and poultry
"A Sleeping Boy" life size, with red drapery
and black and white dog; and the portraits OF
Isabel de Bourbon Ghe first wife Of Philip IN)
and OF his generous patron 81 court. the Prime
Minister. count-Duke Olivares who was re
sDonsble for the loss of vast possessions OF an
empire.
The second period. which followed Kelasquez's
hrst visit 70 Italy in 1890 is represented by a
Splendid series of portraits. Among these Is the
iah length portrait OF Philip ~, IN bun douhlet
over chain armor. frora Captain Halford's col
leetion; the Apsley House bust portrait OF Don
Francisco de Ouevedo in black. with double
syeglass On nose: four portraits OF the king
son Baltazar Carlos, lent by Edward VII, the
Duke OF Abercorn, the Marquis Of Bristol and
the Duke OF Westminster later portraits Of
Vlivares and Isabel de Bourbon; and Lord
Northbrooks study" for the great picture os
fnlip " on H0rseback' now IN the Prado-