New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-09
ART EXHIBITIONS
A Collection Of British Mezzotints
at the Lemon Iibraru.

NNS' tilo painters. ms vogue has owed
something to the drift of fashion toward the Eng
hsh portraits and pictures OF the eighteenth cen
fury. but II the meZzOtnts OF that school
bought today largely for the sake of their sub
Jects, they are also priced among counoisseurs for
their value simply prints. The great colIec-
lions Of them, like the which bequeathed
to the British Museum by Lord Cheylesmore. have
oeen formed of course. in England, but hundreds
OF plates Of the highest quality have been finding
their way to this country. At the present moment
an exhibition Of mezzotints is accessible the
Lenox Library which for historical interest and
artistic worth could easily hold its own with any
display made on the scale in London The
bulk Of it is formed of impressions lent by Mr.. ].
P. Morgan but numerous important examples have
been contributed by Mr.. John L. Cadwanader. and
there notable prints lent by Mr. E. G.. Kennedy,
Mr.. ]. H. Purdy and Mr.. r NJ Hoe Finally there
prints from the s. p. Avery collection, belong
ing to the New-York Public Library. The cat
aloguo runs to 1877 numbers and is full Of repre-
sentative names. Students would do we'll to visit
the show. for it gives them a opportunity to
make really comprehensive survey OF the works
OF great period in the history of engraving.
The development OF mezzotint In England fills
peculiarly striking chapter IN artistic annals 1t
conceded with the growth of a national school OF
portraiture. and profted that school prohted. by
extraordinarily favorable social conditions. Mezzo-
tint did not have TO wait for recognition until the
eighteenth century. Prince Rupert's labors were
appreciated in his own time and we may be sure
that such early prints figure in the present ex-
hibition-Blootelings Catherine OF Braganza,
after Lely, Van Somer's Louise Duchess OF
Portsmouth" likewise after Lely-found their pub
lie But In the days OF Gainsborough and Reynolds
the art received a new Impetus. These painters
and the other masters OF their time major and
minor. kept more than busy deneatins the
courtly life that to say, on parade in Lon
DON or in the halls OF the great country estates
reproductions OF their ately works were In high
demand. and by the happiest confederation OF cir
cumstances precisely the right men arose TO Inter
pref their paintings in black and white Men like
Valentine Green, John Raphael Smith and John
Jones to mention only three out OF a remarkable
group were in perfect sympathy with the painters
They were the full movement OF the English art
Of that time, entering nstinctvey into the spirit
of It's grace. It's dignity, its distinction They seem
to have arrived almost Immediately at just the
methods essential to the correct transterence Of
painted form to the print in monotone. Within
their limitations they interpreted the mas
ters so successfully that ii IS no eNaggeraton to
saw that the charm OF those masters preserved
intact Take for example. plate like John
Raphael Smiths Mrs. Carnac" done after the
portrait by Reynolds OF take Valentine Green's
Lady Elizabeth Define and Children" done after
the portrait by the same painter You have In
these reproductions beauty OF line and richness
OF tone: you have. above all. charm OF style. by
virtue OF which black and white art exerts fas-
cinat!on only imperceptihly lower than that Of
painting itself. This Is due IN great measure. We
repeat to the fact that the engravers actually
the Inspiration enjoyed by the painters
TO tho end that they worked with something Ike
the creative energy which we distinguish IN Reyn-
olds and the rest. Il ls indeed, conceivable that
they might all have devoted themselves TO original
portraiture with Good results But it must not De
forgotten that IN the mezzotnts OF this epoch the
one merit whic4 transce0ds all others IS that OF
technique pure and simple
To the layr1an the exhibition at the Lenox Ii
brary must be. IN the first place. an AFFAIR ex-
clusvely Of interesting portraiture. but to any one
who has concerned himself at all with mezzotlnt
as an art this collection is rich in the sensations
that flow from contemplation Of a particularly fine
impression, a rich passage OF tone The masters
for in their field the engravers deserve the title
quite as much as the painters deserve It in theirs
had wonderful executive huency. Sometimes they
wreaked II on effects which have only curious
value Witness the two flower pieces scraped by
Earom after Van Huysum, In this collection
These prints superb. OF their kind. but their
kind is not profoundly interesting. The English
errravers fortunately gave comparatively little
OF their time 10 this kind OF work. Their most
characteristic productions are portraits Among
these the portraits OF women have long been. ana
are in our own day. most popular; but the student
should DO his guard against ignoring the por-
traits Of men which may rot always sell at prices
as high as those given for the feminine subjects.
but are. nevertheless, intrtnsically' important
There Is purer tone anywhere In this show than
YOU will find in Green's Thomas Fielder. Fruit
Broker" after Chamberlain; in the Sir Abraham
Hume" OF John Jones. done after Reynolds; IN
James Walkers rnezzotint Of Romneys Sir Hyde
Parker or In the imposing plate made by Reyn-
odss John, Marques OF CRANKY" by J. Watson.
Thomas Watsons Andrew Stewart" after Reyn-
ods is one OF the most brilliantly painterlike
cravings In the entire collection. We lay stress
upon the beauty OF male portraits like these
like Edward Fishers Laurence Sterne." after
Reynolds because. have indicated they
are too often thoughtlessly neglected. But there
is no denying that tho mezzottnts OF portraits
Of women have a wftchery that IS all their
own. Consider Green's plate from The Three
Ladies Waldegrave." OF Reynolds visible here in
the first state o Grozer's Miss Frances Harris"
also after Sir Joshua Consider the sIIvery quality
of REYNOLDS Mrs. Williams Hope" In the plate
by Charles Hodges: the exquisitely delicate touch
In John Joness ''Signora Giovanni Bacceli." after
Gainsborough: the pure CLEAN, OF glorious metal
in Thomas Watson's Lady Bamfylde' after
Reynolds the fascinating dantlness in the
engraver's Frances. Countess Of Jersey" after
Gardner and the noble suavity Of Jonathan Spills
bury in his Miss Jacobs done from an original
by Reynolds.
Fate has been kind to the collectors represented
in this exhibition. They have procured again and
again examples which show the enGravers at their
best Impressions disclosing TO the full that refine
ment in the handling of form and that purity in
the management OF tone which have been equalled
by no other school We have cited only handful
of the prints that worth seeing There are
others like tho magnificent state portrait, George.
Third Duke of Marlborough. and Family" done by
Charles Turner. after Reynolds. which IT is very
tempting to pause. But there Is. In fact. a
print which should be neglected by the visitor
1t is the uniform excellence Of the mezzotnts lent
for the occasion which makes them OF unique sig
nifcance lovers OF art.
Painted portraits conspicuous among the
lone man. exhibitions which open in the
galleries OF the dealers. Mr. Wilfrid Won Glenn
alay II, eli in he