New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-17

probably in 1556-and agreeing In all essen
tials with the various traditional portraits pub
lished at time when any blunder on the point
could be checked.
Lord Ronald Covers Michael Angelo Buo-
narotti in the series of handbooks to The Great
Masters in Painting and Sculpture" edited by
DR.. Williamson is a painstaking monograph.
but the author has not brought TO his work
enough freshness of thought or luminous
enough criticism to make the volume worth
while The most that be said for it is that
ii gives a succinct account Of Michael Angeles
life, and enumerates. with fair descriptions, his
works IN sculpture and painting. There is ALSO
by the way, brief chapter on the poems, and
the author traverses the various contemporary
portraits Of the master. There is the usual cat
alogue, supplemented in this by list Of
the drawings in the British Museum and there
are many illustrations. In his preface. may
add Lord Ronald Cover prints letter written
to him by Mr.. G. F. Watts in which that artist
indicates that he thinks more Of Michael An
gelo's painting than of his sculpture.
Mr.. Watts himself has recently been made the
subject of a stout little volume by the Rev.
Hugh Macmillan. This gentleman is hardly to
be accepted as a critical authority in the prem
ises THE Life Work of George Frederick
Watts r. A" is a long drawn out tribute to
the painters ideas THESE were long since rec
ognized as pure and lofty-nobody has
questioned Watts's imaginative powers-but
from beginning to end his art has been vitated
by the gravest technical defects. This book
does absolutely nothing to aid the reader in
apprehending the merely artistic value OF what
Mr. Watts has produced. How admirably,
says DR.. Macmillan, has Watts told the ex-
ouisite story of Orpheus and Eurydice." He
has told It twice. and he has doubt told it
exclusively so far design and feeling are con-
cerned But when told that they are
both among the finest representations of the
pathetic story which have ever been painted"
we know that the writer Of these words has
failed to see how far Watts the painter lags
behind Watts the poet. He has put many
noble thoughts on canvas that he deserves in
clusion in the series OF Temple Biographies"
but his life ought to have been written for the
purpose by some one practised In the criticism
of art. The only thing find to approve in
this book is the delightful photograph of the
painter in his garden. which is given as from
tispiece.
Mr. Arthur y. Chamberlain's Thomas Gains
borough is a credtable addition to THE Pop
ular Library of Art" a cleverly written booklet.
adequate in its presentation of facts. and sound
in its conclusions The illustrations are small
half tones, uneven in quality, though all of
the drawings are fairly well reproduced. The
policy followed in this series OF illustrating
an artist not simply painter, but as a
draughtsman. is wise one. The author of
Sir David Willie. r. A. In the series on THE
Makers OF British Art" takes too favorable
view OF his subject. The Life and Art OF Sir
David Wike," he says, ARE of interest not
only TO Scottish folk, but to the whole art loving
public; even the historian Of European art. who
deals with none but the greatest names in the
annals Of the centuries. will find his record
incomplete If he omit to notice the famous
Scottish master" Writing like this supplies
its own criticism. Mr.. Bayne has no sense OF
perspective whatever and belauds Wfllde as
the great master that he certainly was not
For its purely biographical details the book Is
acceptable. and its illustrations will be userui
TO the student for purposes OF reference; Out as
criticism this publication is worthless
For the decorator and designer MI. THOMAS
Arthur Strange has performed a signal service
in the compilation of his guide TO french IN
teriors. furniture and on, from the rlodie
part Of the seventeenth century to the carrier
decades of the nineteenth This Is really
kind OF scrapbook. In which hall tones from
photographs are mingled With Inc arsw1nn