New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-19
FRENCH ILLUSTRATION.
Its Characteristics IN the Eighteenth
Century.

The collection of eighteenth century books
which IS now being exhibited by Charles Scrib-
ners Sons has the special merit of making
Americans better acquainted with school OF
illustration which has hitherto suffered neglect
in this country. 1t contains publications issued
from English, italian, Spanish and Dutch
presses but the bulk of it is made up Of speci-
mems of French craftsmanship. These are en-
bellished i'm most instances, by the famous de-
signers and engravers of the eighteenth CEN
fury. and they possess. by virtue of that fact
uncommon interest and charm The key to the
exhibition is we'll supplied by the border on the
title page of the catalogue 1t is one OF the
finest productions of Choffard. that exqulslteiy
graceful designer of purely decorative schemes
This little master" formal, if you ike, out
there was never anything stilted or heavy ABOUT
his compositions. On the contrary, he mace
then, ALWAYS suave affairs, of dignifed line and
freely conventionalzed floral themes, ana lett
them models of easy elegance Therein ne re-
NAMED a type admirably representative or the
men who doing very different things in his Time
were controlled, nevertheless, by much the same
spirit.
This exhibition is one of masterpieces oy
Noreau and Eisen, Oudry and Boucher, Pater,
CIrayelot Cochin and divers others whose names
recall TO the connoisseur of French art peculiar
" delightful sensations. They recall the age OF
Vatican in which everything was forgiven 10
those who could embody the taste and style Oh
French society In genuinely artistic forms Ar
lists and craftsmen, painters, furniture MAKERS
printers and illustrators. labored in light ana
graceful VEIN When they serious 1t was
as their fashionable patrons were Serious WHICH
is to say with a sense of what was decorous
rather than profound When Boucher Illus
trated Ovid when Eisen illustrated Dorat they
did not try very hard to get at the heart OF
their subject. They tried, instead. to invent
lovely forms. and to bring them into designs
which would fill a given space within the COW
ers Of book as effectively as anything based
on the more rigid rules of the printers art
They did not put their personalities In the 1ore-
ground. they were never violently dramatic IN
the manner of the modern illustrator. For them
the important thing was to be strictly oecofa-
tive, and in the best possible taste
The result was a mass of Illustration which
may not illustrate in latter day sense, but
is incompatible for the decorative beauty 1t
adds to books themselves beautifully made
There are volumes in this collection which are
like little jewel caskets perfect in refinement
is the typography, appropriate are the en-
Graved illustrations. What could be happier
than the work done by Esen for Les Baisers,
of Dorat or by Gravelot for the Jerusalem
Delivree" of Tasso. to name only two of the
self and so is the style. When Moreau Illus
trates Moere he misses completely the breadth
of that masters characteristics. but he gives
you compositions which in their polish and re-
strained vvacity seem nevertheless precisely
the fitting accompaniment TO the text. Some
times too the artist is met halfway by an
author himself marked by consummate sophisti-
cation Moreau. going TO LES Sa1sons or
Saint-Lambert for pastoral subjects. finds them
nj of ncrha
that brings out his own qualities of grace and
hnesse. We might cite many other examples
from this exhibition. 1t gives a very comprehen-
sive view of the work OF the period, and, we
may add 1t is as rich in good bindings as 1t is
in good illustrations. Nor should the printer
be forgotten. Some of the finest achievements
of Didot and Baskerville here. Collectors
who have not paid much attention to the sub
ject have now such an opportunity to enrich
their cabinets as has not before been offered,
this side of Paris.
With the eighteenth century books is shown
a collection OF important manuscripts, including
autograph letters and similar personal souve-
Mrs having historical value In one group,
devoted to the Bonaparte family. there not
only many autographs but numerous unpub-
lished documents throwing light on episodes in
the careers of Napoleon and his kinsfolk. Por-
traits are bound up with these papers. Another
group concerns Button. another Charlotte
Bl onte and so on through list embracing the
names of Burke, Sir Richard Burton and his
wife. Dickens Garrcl, Charles Lamb. Mary
Stuart, Lord Nelson, and dozens OF the states
men of England and France. great deal of
this material has never been put in print. If
1t has high commercial value it is not simply
because it is all so personal in character, but
because it has often a serious historical sig
nifcance.