New-York tribune., 1903-02-08

blending elegance and even a certain frivolous
daintiness with the weightier qualities OF really
serious art. 1t is interesting as one turns the
pages Of the present volume. to observe how the
note of supreme perfection again and again lifts
rather trivial motive to a fairly lofty plane
Perhaps the best explanation OF the phenOnl-
enOn is to be found not simply at the temperl-
mental roots of all French art. but in the social
aspect worn by that art in its golden days.
Lady Dixie opens her latest essay with a chap
ter on the Comte de CayIus and the great ana
tours Of his time. 1T was the fashion to en-
grave in the eighteenth century" says the
author "Cochin's famous pupil. Nine. de Pom
padour was by no means original in her efforts
to practise the art Eyeryb Of distinction
knew something of the of the needle or the
graver and lengthy would be even a list OF
amateurs. some of whom-like De Theirs or the
Chevalier de Yalory-left considerable group
of work" De CayIus did more than trihe. Ike
his well born contemporaries. with the tools OF
the engraver; he threw himself with enthusiasm
upon the study of art, trained himself as a col
leetor. wrote freely and often we'll his be-
loved subject and exeTted. in short. the benef-
ciaI influence of a connoisseIr whose authority
is based at once on genuine taste and on high
social position
The sway of De CayIus was shared by Mari
cite. the famous print seller and collector. and
with them may be associated Pierre-Francois
Basan. who if less distinguished in his methods
than the others. is. nevertheless. TO be rernern-
bered as an important figure in the history or
French connOisseurship. Broadly speaking. the
imDressiOn left by these devOtees Of the graphic
arts is that they took their studies and their
IabOrs their treasures and their responsibilities
as arbiters ef taste, with the same seriousness
that has always characterized the French IN the
sphere of art The draughtsmen and engravers
of the time were lost if they were not wei
grounded in the sound academic tradition be-
queathed to them by the previous century The
charm of their work might superfciauy be said
to reside in its grace alone. but it is TO be
ascribed quite as much to the high ideal OF
craftsmanship that was then insisted upon
Design was immensely important but so ike
wise was execution. and what constitutes the
glory of the school is the unity OF It's most
characteristic productions. the combination IA
them of decorative beauty with fawless tech
nique The academy was there 10 see that an
artist reached a certain standard De CayIuS
and other dilettanti were there TO see that he
remained faithful to that standard-and 70
cheer him with intelligent appreciation
In whatever field Lady Dixie pau5eS-and
there are many subdivisions of her subject to bc
reckoned with in the volume before us-the
principal men TO be commemorated are masters
in the fullest sense of the term If it is mOnu-
mental portraiture with which We are con-
cerned then We have the engraVers who con-
tinued the grand traditions of Edelinck ana
NanteuiI we have men like the two Dreyets.
father and SON The plate engraved by Pierre
Inhert Drevet after the celebrated full length
of Bossuet by Rigaud. is one Of the great TIL
umphs of the art thing absolutely perfect Of
its kind. A great deal of such work was done
in the eighteenth century The engraver of the
Bossuet produced other noble prints. among
them the wonderful reproduction of CoypeIs
'Adrienne Lecouvreur as Cornelia." and an
other masterpiece which We may signaIize out