New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-03
ART MUSEUM EXHIBITION.
THE INSTITUTION DOES NOT EN-.
PECT TO GET THE VAN
DERBILT PAINTINGS.

The thirty-eighth annual exhibition reception will
be held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on
Monday from to o'clock. There have been many
years since the charter granted in 1870 in
which much CT value was added to the Museums
possessions, and the trustees have often received
well earned congratulations for their iabors. but
no year in the life Of the institution can compare
with the last and the Museum has never been on
a better footing
When it left its first home in Fourteenth-st in
1879 IL owned the Blodget collection Of paintings
and the Cesnola collection from Cyprus and had
also a few loaned objects. The property accounts
showed that the Museum possessed of about
$4,000 of objects OF art and had indebted
ness OF about s65 000 The Museums property to-day
is valued at about 100000 exclusive of the Rogers
bequest, which II is believed will. with the real
estate amount TO nearly 81 100000 There is no in
debtedness against the Museum. For years the
expenditure have not exceeded the amount
aside by the Board of Trustees.
The gifts and requests of the last year include
aOOO in railroad bonds from Charles B. Curtis, the
valuable Rubens painting from ]. II. Smith. a col
lection of hundred and seventy-fve objects,
chiefly of the Henry II, Louis XIII. Louis XIV and
Louis XVI periods. in silver. bronze. silver plate,
iron. etc. in the form Of church candlesticks.
clocks snuff boxes. engravings and other objects
from the estate Of Victor Henry Burgy; ten large
plaques from Miss n. A. Main; objects of art
from Osgood Field from the estate of Henry VII
lard 5000; and from the estate of c. Y. Sidel a
beuuest was from Jacob S. Rogers.
Works of art also given by Edward d.
Adams Samuel P. Avery, Lyman G. BloOmingdale.
Mrs. John Crosby Brown, Cowton & Sons Charles
B. Curtis, John ]. Downey, the Egypt Exploration
Fund. Of London Mrs. Charles B. Foote, w. F.
Havemeyer, E A. Hoffman. Mrs. Abraham B.
Lansing. The Liverpool and London and Globe In
surance Company. George A. Lucas, A. Mariani,
Paroutard & Watson. Alfred Duane Pell, William
Il. Redding, H. r. Storer, Mrs. William H. Webb
and Mrs. Mary a. Witthaus
There has been a decided increase in the number
OF visitors TO the Museum. and this is looked upon
as an unmstakable evidence Of the growing pros
perity of the institution In 1901 the number
reached nearly six hundred thousand. For several
months the Curator Of the Department Of Arts has
been classifying, arranging and placing on exhibit
in chronological order the hundreds Of casts which
were purchased by special committee some years
ago. but for lack of exhibition remained
stored in the basement Of the Museum. The large
westerly gallery, in which ancient pottery and
glass collections were formerly placed, has been
cleared and there the casts have been arranged
The collections which were taken out Of the gal
leries TO make way for the casts have been placed
in the south gallery formerly occupied by the
modern statuary.
In his latest report on the subject of annual
membership. General di Cesnola says:
There is nothing more difficult for the admins
tration OF the Museum than to keep up from year
10 year the list of its paying members. For one
cause or another the loss every year amounts TO
about 10 per cent and it has been so ever since
fSeceeded IL GETTING 1881 new Sre hns bTn H @
the end of 1901 the total number of paying mem
beTs up to 2.lO4-
The membership April 1 was 2,1S2
The feature Of the Museum which will probably
attract the greatest attention will be the change
II gallery No s. from which the tapestries have
been removed. The wall space which was occupied
by the tapestries has been filled with the Wander
bilt collection Of paintings. These will remain in
the Museum about year. though there seems to
be little foundation for the report that they Will
eventually become the property OF the institution.
The new extension facing Fifth-ave., though
complete to the exterior, will not be open to
inspection until late this The wall cases are
now being built. and in the corridors statuary is
being placed in position.
Among the collections which will be exhibited in
The building the collection OF Chinese por-
celain formerly owned by the late James a. Gar
land, now owned by J. Pierpont Morgan; the col
lection Of Mexican antiquities purchased from rom
o s eGh 10 Fa aan mmes and Other an
tiqutes collected by Professor Maspero. formerly
director of the Boolak Museum the bequest Of Mrs
Elizabeth L. Coles consisting Of vases. pictures,
statuary and tapestries; a collection OF Greek
tas the collection OF Japanese Porce!ains p9ttetg'
a trustee of the Museum: the collection of japanese
pottery presented by Samuel Colman; the collec-
lent by Nj, End Mrs =, Everit Macy: a collection
OF European porcelain presented by Alfred Duane
Pell; the metallic reproductions of the Russian gold
OF European porcelain presented by the late Henry
q. Marquand; the beQuest OF Stephen whitney
hoeniX, consisting Of gold lacquer, oriental en-
bToideTies, worries etc; collection of Egyptian
antiquities presented by the Egypt Exploration
Fund, Of London; collection Of Roman burial
masks collection Of mummy cloths presented by
George +. Baker, and many hundred other objects
OF art and archaeology.
These collections will be placed in the galleries
and Corridors which lofty light ana well ven
ulated. The cases OF black wood, with heavy
plate glass fronts, and lined with crimson material.
which gives soft finish to the various apartments.
The wings at the extreme end probably the
finest apartments in the Museum.
The main floor will be arranged for the reception
or the sculptured art treasures, OF which the Mu-
scum has great number. The first steps in the
arrangement OF this sculpture hall have already
been taken. On the staircase leading from the old
building marble busts which have long been in the
possession Of the Museum have been arranged, and
over these the gallery overlooking the staircase
Roman vases fill out the inches left for decorative
statuary. On the main floor around the four walls
statues have already been placed and in the
OF the large hall Bondis Saturnalia is at present
the most striking feature Of the place
On the same floor George Gay Barnards
Herculanean marble representing the conflict be
tween mans two natures. MacMonness BAG
chante.' Paul, W. Bartlett's Bear Tanner and
d Epinarys 'Sappho," which has been lent to the
Museum.
The north corridor of the new building is the
only one which has been completed, and there the
Egyptian collection. made by Professor Maspero
at The request Of General ii Cesnola, has already
been installed.
MORO CHIEFTAINs.