New-York tribune., 1902-01-12
ART EXHIBITIONS,
MODERN PAINTINGS AND OLD JAPAN
ESE CARVINGS

ESE CARVINGS.
IN the American Art Galleries there may be seen
until next Friday morning. when they will be re-
moved TO Mendelssohn Hall, to be sold at auction
IN the evening. seventy-eight modern paintings be-
longing to the estate OF the late Henry T Cox OF
Brooklyn That gentleman was a collector of
catholic taste, and the present exhibition. there
fore, conveys a diversified impression II one de-
sire rather than another may be said TO have IN
fiuenced Mr.. Cox in his selections. 1t the de-
sire for pictures with some human interest in the
subject. for essentially companionable works of
art Thus. there are no examples OF impressonism
In this collection. there paintings to be
praised for their technique alone The average is
well proclaimed in the first small room in which
the collection is displayed a room in which we
find sparkling little panel by Martin Rico. repre-
senting the famous statue OF Coeoni. Venice;
a small and very characteristics Head OF a Young
Girl" by Henner and similar pleasant little items.
Among these cabinet pictures there several
which have decided value, for all that they are
hardly what one would call masterpieces. There is
OF Domingos tiny but brilliant figure pieces.
The Cavalier" a capital sketch to form and
picturesqueness n not a very distinguished bit OF
cclor. There Is the fragment OF anecdotic genre
by Jules Worms Looking Him over" q much
better performance technically than are accus-
toned to receive from his hands There
fewer than three landscapes by Emilio Sanchez
Perrier. the Parisianized spanlard who is ordi
narly admirable for clever artihce alone: but in
these works. and especially in "a Spanish Gar
den'' he have exercised little genuine
feeling for nature. We may note at this point the
perhaps too pretty" but nevertheless engaging
classical subject by Leon Gaize. Putting the
Sandal" and the fine portrait OF "A Bashi-Ba-
zouk" by Ger6me. Of those numerous paintings
in which the celebrated aca0emician has triumphed
over the frirdity OF the Academy by sheer force
OF individuality. Mr.. Cox had. indeed quite
much sympathy with the conservatives as with the
romanticists Bouguereau has a place here with
"A Child Of the Vintage" one OF his excessively
model; and of the most conspicuous things In
the collection is The Trysting Place of Souls by
Cabanel. scholarly work. at which, however. the
confirmed partisan OF art more personal and more
elastic need not grid. This shows the painter In
his best mood. when he paid ample attention to
that rather austere standard which he had elected
10 follow. but moved the same time to ham
die his brush with some freedom and put atmos-
phere well correct form into his composition.
The group OF Barbizon pictures is modest enough
when compared with some that have been observed
IN these galleries, yet II is not without serious
significance The river scene by Daubgny has
plenty Of the righteousness of his color make up
for the absence OF emotion. The small Land
scape' of Corot is excellent in its cool tones and
firm. clear handling The three examples of Diaz
are fair merit, and though in of them, Toilet
of Venus" we miss his most characteristic accent
In the treatment of form, there is something very
attractive in the suave color. Perhaps the best
souvenir of the school in the collection is Rous-
seau's Sunset" landscape simple in its forms.
restrained in it's color. and charming both in
timent and style The nude study entitled THE
Bather' which is presented as a relic OF Millets
earlier years, when he painting trivial subjects
for the dealers and signing to get at the work
which was ultimately TO win him renown, has
curious interest; but it is in color especially, far
from showing the best of which he was capable in
even that trying time. There is very good
Marine by Dupre in this section of the show,
and there is a beautiful little sketch. The Water
ing Place" by Fromentin. Among the French
paintings Of more recent date there is fair land
scape by Cain, and there is a Potato Harvest by
Ierole containing the usual stereotyped but pictur-
esoue figures Several Americans figure honorably
in the show, Mr. Horatio Walker, with Land
scape and Cattle" well designed and painted, and
full of atmosphere, and the late A. H. Wyant. with
a beautiful Landscape Mr.. Louis Ilhany ana
Mr. G. II. Boughton are also represented The
single example Of the late Anton Mauve Land
scane and Cow" does justice the realistic power
and distinction of style characteristic or that
painter and there are works by NJ +. Jacomln I.
E Jacoue E. Van Marcka aud Ludwig Munthe'
of which, in closing, favorable mention may be
made.
Those of the American Art Associations galleries
which are not taken up by the Cox collection are
given over to a large number of old Japanese
carvings brought this country by Mr. B.
Na+suki who can reckon among his ancestors
architects and scuptors in wood who were prac-
tised in the production of just such work as Is
here shown. Indeed. we gather from PREDATORY
note 10 the catalogue that many of these pieces
their collections The carvings are of great in
terest They practically all reflect that orienta!
Indifference to what the Western mind considers
symmetry of design, which is to be observed, not
onlv IN the carvings but in the paintings, bronzes
ivories and lacquers of the East AT the same
time they show with what amazing felicity the
Japanese artist lend unity and decorative
charm TO even the most whimsical improvisation.
There are dragons here, carved in the highest re-
lief that are executed seemingly with no regard
20 any laws of composition at all; but in every
case the fantastic form ts to perfection the space
allotted to il, and has, when all is said. thor
oughly artistic effect. number OF the most
brilliant OF the pieces shown are in very low re-
lief and possess extraordinary pictorial as well as
decorative quality. Some OF the painted doors are
quite beyond praise. as. for example. the one num-
bered 1888 in the catalogue showing a tiger as 1t
emerges from a grove OF bamboo. The color is
handled with exquisite taste and ingenuity and the
slightly corrugated surface OF the wood enhances
the beauty OF original and picturesque idea In
the first gallery there is exhibited a pair OF old