The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-02
EXHIBITION AT THE LENOx
Library.
Autographs by FantiD.l atour, selected
From the o. r. Avery Collection.

~
3. p. Avery presented last year to the New
York Library, Ia a rich mine upon which
the curator can draw for his periodical
exhibitions. The current one In the print
gallery Of the Lenox Library Ia devoted
to the Autographs OF Fantin- Lstour. or
these there are one hundred and sixty
examples; almost a complete rtaumt Of
the painters work In this medium and
the most complete collection in existence,
only rivalled In extent by that Of MIR. Charles
l.. Fre~r Of Detroit.
II was in the early o0s that a band OF
youngish men used to foreGather at the
print shop of Cadart In Paris. They In
cluded Bracquemont. Manet. Legros. Rbot,
Vollon. Tacquemont and Fantin-Latour,
and one practical result OF their confabu-
lations with zach other and with Cadsrt
was the publication Of the work in serial
parts Of the Societe dee Aquafortistes,
which hrt appeared In September. 1892.
Then the publisher bethought him Of COM
missioning Autographs and cent three stones
each TO four Of the group. including Fantin-
Iatour. The latter took TO tho work with
such gusto that IN one Of the tones he
introduced two designs; returning four
subjects. -~Tannbauser at the Nenusberg,-
Love Uisarmed -The Education OF Love"
and . The Embroiderer.' But they had
not the qualities Of line work that had been
looked for; they were studies In tone and
seemed to NJ. Cadart 'detestable, insensate,
savage Ii was more out Of curiosity
than any other motive that he had some
Ave prints OF each pressed. Some Of these
may be seen in the present collection.
For the next eleven years Fantin-Latour
made no use of litho gr Apply as an indie
pendent medium, working, however, in
pastel and, no doubt, practising charcoal
drawing as aids to study in the prepara-
ton of his oil pictures. In 1873 he was
invited TO attend the Schumann Festival
ut Bonn. Though not an exponent OF
any instrument. he Is profoundly musical,
and he resolved to be present To show his
admir- alton OF the great composer. But
ne WAS prevented from attending and his
| friends and he celebrated the occasion in
Paris by playing the masters works. With
the influence upon him he gave vent to his
feelings In his own medium and drew tho
design To the Memory Of Schumann.' 1t
Was the means of bringing him back 10
photography. Then he turned TO the old
print OF ~rannhauser at the VsnusOerg"
and produced q second one, but,
st lnding that nearly fourteen years had
ItOukHl IllhNIi I " lllN JUN TIC lohtAi
but few notifications necessary.
BY this time he was ensmored Of lithog-
raphy a. an Independent form of art,
and just ar Gericault had made a hundred
Autographs, Decamps s~eventy-three and
Bellsna6 Ave hundred, 90 he became a
painter. photographer and commenced the
series Of original conceptions which may
be studied in this collection. Ii 10 to bs
noticed that with very few exceptions
Fantin-Iatou did not draw direct upon
~ L-N liz HaWAnaA
paper,"papie calque autographique,' as
The French call IL from which the transfer
i. made This method has many advan-
tss~. II obviates the necessity OF grind
ing he to the required degreeo rough
ness; a greet gain, since the highly polished
stone 10 the vogue Of the trade. Instead,
the artist has hut to choose papers 81 vari-
Gus qualities 81 grain and the stone ex-
actlv repToducee the ehect. The paper.
also. allows of much greater rapidity and
freedom I'm the drawing, 50 thst the artist =
hand moves almost unCOnsCiCusly and tina
result has all the charm Of s~pOntaneotls-
ncss. Again, when the drawing has been
transferred to the stone, there is nothing
TO prevent the modification Of the design
by scrsping out. THIS Introduction =
tho white line upon the black masses Is
ono Of the beautiful a%r'ifioss q ithography
producing Oh elq Iisite shirlmer and trans
psrency. II will repay The visitor 90 study
the print, ITO DelacrOiN" aud observe tie
enchanting effect OF the web OF white lines
that oVerspread IL. To gnin the large CON
trssts 81 dark and light n usual device.
when working direct up,r Tho stone. IL 20
cover il entirely with hlsNA and then sCrnpe
out the whites. But IN ~. 1ther process
the paper itself supplies "a" Nlt~ II IA
easier 10 leav" OUT iuaH 10 80 ape ou', and
the possibility Of securing q 'uil ralg' -
delicstoly graduated tones Is Increase
To one, Ike Iaut.n-LRtOur, whose v'ols
'aal'ug r toward touo, tHls upss.htty
would he eagerly embraced Ehocp. a
portrait 81 the English ouEra.cr. Edwin FL
pardr. aud ~ himself - the agr 81 II,
both noul' character studies, his work Is
entirely 81 the imaginative order. Lyen
hs Hathcrr 81 which there are many eN-
Enulrs. dlsp8rt their b. sutiiul forms IN
al atmosphere thst never envelop"d -"a or
lard Every subject ~ seen a. through \
veil. the intervening Medium 81 the artist's
fancy AID the fglres. hsihet In u, challenge
10 comparison NTH Tho bftgs 81 actual life
Tho very OUTLINES ~ 'l'tT forms mott into
the clr,~ uwsuhiou,e = sbs'rsrtIon y
H. no slight achievement 20 tTauspuse The
conceptions oi music lg'. = kry - ,l-ipt.iy.
but the a. " What iaItlu latour has done lUl
80 lrsrf over hls work D., J fancy. 90 -
Jaiisur' much q 'h" -susu Ills ..'H'l.a''1u
that he music vpuId produce This. l,N
'gsr. "a puirt that lovers q 10" MUSIC -
Vague. h"i.Iny SOhurauu sud brahtns
Will &c. ir fHt t.HmsnlN-t az tho tsHur|.
col yuaI rrs = those lruis fiow t.H l..'a-
rsI STANDPOINT no usJ '"nIurrsu ind'
NlIuAI .IIUl.u
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would all strHug s.rk Ile two I.f'ra -
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a. a. boz q. saf A''.uimg Co. rule . NitIo
to- 10 I'D uuIy a a 'ru mr.Iu Itf
o. sou.r merit = '.." lh' 'sH.s 600