The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-04
GREEK ART IN NEW york.
The Acquisition OF the Great Frescos or
Bosco Rcale- Missing; a Greek Char
lot Of the Seventh Century ID. C.-Has
IL Come TO New York?


Reale frescos. 1t is really very re-
markable achievement and gives the mu-
scum a much enhanced Importance in the
eyes Of the art world of Europe.
Perhaps | may be permitted to observe
that it is only in Europe that an adequate
idea can be had of what the Metropolitan
Museum really amounts 70. Americans
who meet the leading spirits Of the various
administrations Of the European museums
are surprised when they hear their com
ments. It is indeed not a little humiiat-
ing when Alexander Stuart Murray,
Of the Greek and Roman section OF the
British Museum and the greatest living
authority in the world on Greek art ex-
presses his establishment at the utter ig-
norance betrayed by American students
of the Greek treasures they have at home
in their Central Park. He says he cannot
understand how it is that these students
flock to the collections in Berlin and to that
under his care when they are yet unac-
auainted with one Of the finest collections
in existence under their very noses at home.
Every one in Europe who has studied Greek
art knows the collection in the Metropolitan
Museum. He has read Of it; his books OF
reference, every recent work on the sub
ject, treat it as an indispensable element
of knowledge respecting certain elements
of Greek art; and yet not an American
knows anything about it. Il have never
met an American" said the curator Of one
of the great collections to me the other
day, "who knew anything about your
collection in New York. and have had to
go all the way there, twice, to study it!'
IL it not possible that the acquisition OF
the Bosco Reale frescos may change this
that the display of objects 40 distinguished
in themselves. so popular" il you will.
may prove a drawing card for others than
the merely curious public? A great part
Of the Greek art in the Museum is dis
tinctly not popular 1t has not a public
vogue like the Venus of Milo or the Elgin
marbles But it is very much more inn
portant and vastly more instructive to the
student, than the popular things. At any
rate, the museum il wonderfully fortunate
in this latest addition to it's belongings.
and every one congratulates Mr.. Rhine
lander. who, hear, lis quite robust again,
at Bad Nauheim, and to whose tact and
excellent Judgment the purchase is due.
very important work OF ancient art,
In my opinion one Of the most important
and interesting that has ever been found,
has disappeared, and IL Is limited that 1t
may have gone to the Metropolitan Mu-
scum or to the Boston Museum. 1t is,
however, quite common now to ascribe
all disappearing things Of this kind to the
agency Of the former, since it has become
generally known here that the estate OF the
late Mr.. Rogers has lately been made avail
able for the extension Of the collections
The object | allude to IN a bronze bigd,
or, rather, the remains Of bronze biga
When | was in Rome last year a very
intelligent Italian gentleman called on me
and proposed" bronze treasure" which
had been found in an excavation a week
or two previously at a place not very far
from the city. He described the treasure
as consisting in the main of a two-horse
chariot, of which the front, the two sides,
the wheels, the pole &c. were in an ex-
traordinary state of preservation and with
which there had been unearthed quantity
OF large bronze vessels and pottery. The
chariot he said, was of the fifth century
B. c., and he went into details as to it's char
acter in fashion that speedily evoked the
malefc phantom of Rouchomowski. How
ever. my curiosity was excited and per-
mitted myself to be drawn on. It was
impossible to show it to me In Rome, but
he was perfectly willing to bring it to Paris
for that purpose. This, think, was true
but IL IL not now necessary that I should
explain why it was true, At any rate, I
made an appointment to meet him in Paris
and two weeks later he called for me at
my lodgings there and took me to a very
modest hotel the Hotel de Seze, in the Rue
de Seze, and there, in an exiguous bedroom
was the biod
Briefly, this bigJ consisted Of the thin
bronze arched convex front of a two-horse
chariot and the two sides Of the same all
three presenting bold designs of figures
in relief in the style of early Greek art
The incised or graphite ornament was Of
SURPRISING richness and beauty, and in
respect to the surfaces treated WAS of a
profuseness which was to me quite unex-
ampled All doubts vanished into thin
air--there was nothing to be questioned -
II WAS a genuine and a marvellous relic Of a
great period and by far the most important
that | had ever seen. 1t was however
much earlier than my Italian friend had
supposed, certainly not later than the
seventh century and probably earlier, the
finest example of Etruscan-if, indeed, il
we're Etruscan- that has been discovered.
With it there were the wheels, their iron
tires all devoured by rust, but all the rest
impe1shable in bronze; the section OF
tho bronze casing Of the pole, various APP
pliances of the pole and of the body OF the
chariot, the remains Of q rich ivory inner
and upper rim of the car, the double bronze
woke of the horses and the two bits.
1t was an overwhelming And; but l did not
buy it, The price was impossible, but for all
that entirely proper and l was prevented
by delicacy from competing with the sturdy
museums Of Europe Now where 10 this
bga' II has disappeared So far az
know, and, situated as | am here II seems TO
me | should know, no American Cr@sus
bought it. Boston is represented in these
matters by most intelligent and aggressive
gentleman whose activities are mainly seen
in Rome; but am assured that he is innocent.
The Louvre wanted it badly, but could not
afford the price, and know that Mr.. Cler-
mont -Ganneau ia desote thereat Ii ia nor
al Berlin, The gifted Herr Bode SAYS that
il has evaded him; and VIGOROUSLY he is not
II man affrighted Of prices.
As to the British Museum | took thither
the first photographs that were made of it
oh. HOW, NJ,