New-York tribune., 1902-05-29
ART BOOKS.

MURAL DECORATION IN AMER1CA-RE-
NAIssANcE sCULPTURE-wILKIE
AND DoU-ENGRAvINGs.
About forty years ago MIR. La Fargo began to
paint mural decorations in this country. The
late William Morris Hunt received in the seven
ties the commission which he executed in the
Capitol at Albany. But the development of
mural decoration in America is On the whole
an affair of more recent date. Though Mr. La
Fargo had for some years been steadily at work
fn various churches producing some OF the
most important decorations we have. 1t was not
until 1893. the year of the Exposition at Chi
cago, that the art received the impetus which
has since carried II far. number of our
cleverest painters were engaged to paint decora-
tions for buildings at the fair, and their work
aroused discussion which has been going on from
that day TO this. doing a great deal OF good in
Hrousng public interest and encouraging ac-
tivity in this field An excellent little volume
has been devoted to the subject by Miss Paul
fne King This volume, American Mural Paint
ing" Boston; Noyes. Platt & Coz, traverses
the work done by La Fargo and Hunt, and that
OF all the younger men who have labored in
the same field. The authors text possesses
little critical value. but she is adequate in her
descriptions, and the book will serve as a
venlent record of what has thus far been done.
The truth is that, while have achieved
much, the time for a formal history Of Ameri-
mural painting has not yet arrived. The IL
Illustrations in this book altogether admira-
BILE They are half tones from the Copley prints
made by Curtis & Cameron. and they are we'll
printed on calendared paper. The list includes
nearly everything of Importance.
Mr.. L. ]. Freeman. in his Italian Sculpture
of the Renaissance" CThe Macmillan Company,
gives good popular account OF a subject which
has been too much neglected in handbooks for
the Iayman. His judiciously brief study is di-
Tided into two parts, given respectively 10 the
early and late Renaissa nee, the various chapters
taking up one individual after another and Civ
sns a very clear and sympathetic Interpretation
of their work There is an introduction. ION the
enjoyment of sculpture" which can be warmly
commended to the general reader for its sound
sdeas, and at the back of the book there is
useful photography. Mr. Freeman has scattered
q goodly number of well chosen illustrations
from photographs through his pages. He is
interesting and instructive. We glad TO find
him not only pTaising with discretion where
others have praised before him. but speaking
with the courage of his convictions about Gio-
vanni da Bologna who. like Bernini has been
too often underestimated. The book is little
more than sketch. but within its limitations
II is thoroughly satisfactory, being well cacu-
lated to stimulate beginners and uninstructed
travellers to elaborate study of Renas-
sance sculpture.
Two additions have been made to the series
Of monographs the great masters in paint
ing and sculpture edited by Dr. G. c. William
son. Lord Ronald Cover contributes a volume
on 'Sir David wilkie' CThe Macmillan Com
pany) and Heer ". Martin. who is a sub-di-
rector of the Royal Gallery at The Hague. con-
tributes one on Gerard Dou" CThe Macmillan
Company. The first of these is far from being
one of the most interesting volumes in the
ries Lord Ronald Cover says the best that he
can for wilke, and is just enough in his char
acterization OF him a man OF great and
original talent: but Wilkes art remains of
minor significance, and only historical
grounds was this monograph worth writing.
The author OF the volume on Dou has much
more inspiring material to deal with. Dou is
one Of the most fascinating OF the little old
! masters of the Netherlands 1.-THE Dropsical
Woman" for example, in the Louvre, is a mas
terpiece of its kind and there is many another
work of this painters which serves to justify
the appreciative tone of the book before US.
Both these publications have, of course, the
usual excellent editorial machinery made IA
n1iliar in the series, and both capitally IL
Illustrated.
The Macmillans also send the first volumes
sn Bells Miniature Series of Painters" a series
of shilling handbooks. well got up for the travel
Ter TO carry in his pocket. To the biographical
and critical text in each volume there is added
list Of the artists chief works, chronological
table and a brief photography. The iIlustra-
tions are small but clear half tones from pho
tographs The four volumes to hand given
respectively TO Veasquez. Vatican, Burne-Jones
and Fra Angelica
Isongnans Greene & Co begin series of
books entitled Little Engravings Classical
and Contemporary" which promises to be of
exceptional value the student The first of
these thin quartos is devoted to AIbrecht Alt
dorfer. and contains Photographic facsimiles Of
serenty-one of the masters wood cuts. Mr.
T. Sturge Moore provides two three pages
Of introduction, but there is other text. The
second volume is devoted to William Blake, the
Introduction being written by Laurence Binyon
The blocks are printed only side of the
page. The paper and presswork could not be
improved upon. and the books most
tstically bound in paper covered boards. The
series is auspiciousy inaugurated, and should
increase In interest further volumes appear
We look forward especially TO collections of
the less familiar German engravers and of the
early italian masters.