Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-07

care and thought displayed in its selection
The prints which compose II were CHOSEN
with great judgment by the French MINIS
ter of education from the gigantic govern
ment collection known as the photographic
du Louvre. and include the works OF the
best French engravers from Maccham, 1916,
to Jacquet 1900 They are restrlkes from
the original plates, and the same as those
sold in the little shop recently established
by the government in spite of the clamor-
Gus protestations of the small Partisan
dealers
Over Two Centuries Ago.
The photographic du Louvre. from which
this collection was drawn, had its begin
ming over two centuries ago, when 2I4 port
fclios of prints were purchased from M
de Marloles, and its formation has since
been almost unremittingly fostered by
those in authority. In 1910 Louis XIV, os-
tensibly desiring to encourage the art of
engraving and the study of history. but
probably with the thought of commemorat-
ing his reign had the great pictures of
that time reproduced on copper by such
leading engravers as Edellnck and Audran.
This good work was successfully taken up
and carried on by Louis XIV and Louis
XVI so that when. in 1I92. the republic
was proclaimed and the nation took pos
session of what had been the crowns. the
kings collection of prints was found to
be of considerable size and value: Under
the empire series of prints picturing
the life of Napoleon was added to the
photographic but almost no acquisi-
tions were made either during the res
toration or the reign of Louis Philippe.
In 1913. however, the republic gave
tremendous impetus to its growth and
impulse to engraving by commissioning
the execution of $40 new plates, and
since that time the government has made
large and frequent appropriations for
That purpose until the catalogue now
enumerates over 600 plates.
A Representative Collection.
Though but a small percentage of this
great number, the collection now on eX-
hibition in the Library of Congress will
be found thoroughly representative. and
TO stand both subjectiVely and techni-
cally for the best of those many plates.
To those who share the prevalent belief
that engravings are merely interesting
as curiosities. that they are out of date
and to be classed with those objects
which merely valuable because they
are old and rare, or, perchance, have Il
famous name in their corner, these prints
will come as revelation; for aside from
all technical merit or association, they
are surprisingly beautiful.
TO one who has never seen the master
pieces of the Louvre and Luxembourg they
will bring a foretaste of that pleasure and
TO all who have they will come as familiar
friends. II is indeed marvellous how the en-
gravers have copied not only the detail. but
the spirit, of the works with such fidelity;
how it has been possible for them to render
not only the subject but the indetinable per-
sonality of the painters. But this they
have done. for OF these prints, of the
original paintings one can say with reason
able certainty and without foreknowledge,
'rhat is after a Rubens, this Van Dyke;
here is a Bottcell and there Raphael"
Wonderful truly, is that power displayed
by the engravers to subordinate their own
personality to that of the painters whose
works they were reproducing and yet at
the same time retain a measure of individ-
uality. Here then. in this little collection one
IS Neritably brought into intimate acquaint-
ance with the works of the master painters
Here Is picture by Van Eyck. the Flemish
artist. who is supposed to have invented
or at least first used. oil coors; here is a
remarkable composition by Fra Angelica
TO whom art was in truth religion: here are
examples OF the works of Leonardo da
Vinci. Raphael, Titan, Correggio; of An
drea del Sarto, the ''faultless painter" of
the Spaniards. Nelasquez, Ribera Murillo
of Peter Paul Rubens and his illustrious pu-
Pill, Van Dyke; of Rembrandt, the giant to
whose height men are still aspiring and of
Vatican. who. while called the first French
painter. is held accountable for the Co