New-York tribune., 1903-03-08
4RT EXHIBITIONS.
The Late Clarence King and Some
Other Collectors.

getheF from half a dozen different sources Inc
most important of the collections shown is that
formed by the late Clarence King. consisting of
paintings in oil, water colo5s. embroideres carved
furniture fans, books and divers curios. The COL
lection OF the late William h. Fuller embraces
eleven paintings by Monet. some Barge bronzes.
seven Oriental rugs and a small library. There
are some oil paintings exhibited which were COL
Iectpd by the late Theodore G. We'll; there are
some others which offered for sale by the trus-
tees of H Victor Newcomb, and there are more
which being sold to close an estate by the OF"
der OF zabriskie. BurTili & Murray. attorneys
Finally there a collection of antique Chinese Por-
celsins belonging to Mr.. Richard H. Haisted Inc
pictures, about two hundred in number are 10 De
sold at MendeIssohn Hall the evenings of Thurs
day and Friday March Z and Is. The other prop
erty win be disposed of at the American Art Gal
ieries on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons
March 10 and II. and On Wednesday evening, March
L. with the exception of the Halsted porcela1ns'
which will be sold at the American Art galleries
the afternoon OF Saturday. March Ia
The late Clarence King, remarkable in many
ways, is remembered for brilliant talk on many
subjects. He was never more interesting or more
authoritative than when he was talking apout art
and in the character of his collection the knowledge
and taste with which he discoursed on the themes
it illustrates are clearly reflected. He was not a
markedly ambitious buyer paying hgh prices ioI
masterpieces of renown, but he was saeaclouS ana
discriminating to his fngeTupsr and Whatever ne
admitted to his collection was pretty certain 10
have quality Thus there is something very re-
freshing about the group of old masters which IS
conspicuous among his treasures. It includes no
names of momentoUs import; no specious claims
are advanced with reference to single picture IN
the group. but everything in it has artistic value.
The large Portrait of Gentleman" by Macs IS
an excellent piece of Dutch painting, one OF the
handsomest canvases of the sort we have seen
in a long time, and il has fitting companion IN
the charming Portrait Of a Lady" done on about
the same scale. by Paulus Moreelse. The small
sixteenth century Flemish Descent from the
Cross" is a worthy memorial of the earlier art OF
the Low Countries. We do not appreciate II any
the less because no great name is attached 10 IT.
Mr. King would have been the first to have ac-
knovIedeed fts fnferiorty in point of purity and
briIIance of color to the great uiumphs OF the
school, but one can enjoy, as he must have enjoyed
the merit in the picture SO far as It goes one
may speak in the same moderate but appreciative
tone OF the half dozen other pieces Of early art
here the sixteenth century Flemish Madonna ana
Child" and Dead Christ; the fifteenth century
German Madonna and Child; the fifteenth CEN
tury italian Resurrection and the earlier Italian
Madonna and Child None of these are eXtraor-
dinary but all are characteristic in sentiment ana
execution OF the schools to which they are ascrlped.
The tiny Rembrsndtesque, Head of an Ola
Woman" is a pitaI souvenir. In its minor way
there is virtue in the still Life by Van Aest and
in the kindred piece attributed 70 Heda; and, in
short Mr. Kings old masters are interesting and
genuine Just the kind Of pictures one expects 10
find in the collection of a man who knew what ne
was about and never bought a picture save for a
good reason He we'll understood that it is inf
rfte moro satisfactory to nave an unmpOrtant but
artistic old picture in the house than to have A
dozen Of the mediocre canvases. masqueradinG as
the works Of famous men, which from time TO time
are impudently offered in the American market
In modern art Mr.. King had a special Eredilec-
ton for water colors He did not altogether neg
1act the oil nainters Es we are reminded by several
canvases shown here, but these are OF no iTnpor-
tance The early paintings by A. Bierstodt and
the "Guitar Player of Garcia , Ramos are good'
but in no way remarkable. The water colors, on
the other hand form an uncommonly valuable col
lection covering a wide range The English school
is well represented There is capital little Turner
Cliffs there is very good Scene IN Rome by
Samuel Prout. whose work is too seldom seen IN
This country and there are first rate examples Of
David Cox Alfred W. Hunt and several of the
later men, notably ]. NJ. Swan, whose Lion ana
LIoness" Is ore Of the nobest animal studies IN
the medium which that brilliant painter has ever
produced. BY Barge there two fine subjects,
Lion Listening" and Tiger ip the Desert" The
Dutch water coors headed by three beautiful pict-
ures by Mauve, form striking collection by them
selves Bastert, Bosboon. Weissenbruch, Mesdag
and half dozen others are represented. and all
at their best. The Water Lilies Of Mr.. La Farge
is one Of his most exquisite productions. One ac-
complished Frenchman, Harpignies, figures with
charming Landscape in this collection, but most
of the I1atins preferred by Mr.. King were Span
isrds Those who may have had the good fortune
to hear him talk of Fortuny will be surprised and
disappointed TO find that no example of that mas
Ter is here. II we not mistaken, he owned
Fortynv at one time, but, with his usual gener-
osity gave it to a friend Nevertheless. the school,
with its Italian ramihcatons is fairly well Illus
trated in works by Rico TapiTo, Induno, Bevorau
and Galore, those clever men who have used with
sparkling effect the vivacty Of color and the dex-
terity of treatment which Fortuny introduced into
the art Of his time
Mr.. Kings paintings and water colors fill con-
siderable space, but even more is taken up by his
miscellaneous possessions. These embrace a guam
tftv of superb Oriental fabrics, glorious sheets OF
color in most cases richly embroidered. In the
upper gallery his porceains and odd bits of Orien-
taIfa are shown remarkable. Ike the japanese and
Chinese textiles, for rare quality With them there
are some superb old Spanish cabinets q piece OF
Flemish furniture beautiful in its way and
among other carvings. a large Spanish relief. re-
Iigious in subject and dating from the sixteenth
century which is OF the highest interest. These
carvings in fact, are of a character excessively
rare in the auction room They are Of great periods
and they are perfect examples If the cabinets and
the beautiful Spanish relief fail to excite fierce
competition at the sale. we snail be very much
surprised The truth is that the King collection is
one to spur the amateur to his utmost efforts.
There is not q worthless thing in 1t; on the con-
trary it bears throughout the stamp Of the born
connofsseur guarantee Of its artistic quality and
Of its value.
The salient feature among the other collections
is of course, the group Of the late Mr ruler
Monets. There are eieFeu peI'tieS ~ - - 49,
represening the famous impressionist in different
Dbsses of his art The exquisite Autumn on the
Seine" painted in 1874, stands for his suptlest ahG
most lyrical mood; the "Etretat-Sunset. done
nearly ten years later, reflects his interest in bold
themes. to be painted boldly; and in the Coast
Guard at PourvIIle-Moonlight, Of 1897 we seen his
later and broader yet still intensely subtle man
rer These eleven pictures. ali thoroughly char
actaristIc of commanding personality. are certain,
rka Mr. Kings many paintings and objects OF
art TO be keenly sought. That competitor at the
sale would be lucky who contriVed TO purchase