New-York tribune., 1904-10-13
old ITALY IN NEW YORK.
The Pintoricchio Library at the Uni
UerSity Club.

- years ago, the library on the second floor
-s,ed admiration just as it stood, a long and
-..tslv chamber lined with dark woodwork.
,.cve which the vaulted ceiling showed no touch
- color. Recently this ceiling and the walls be-
.-r.en il and the shelves have been decorated by
AZ, 4 Siddoas Mowbray. who has based his
--ork on Pintoricchio's paintings in the Borgta
.,.r+r,ents at the Vatican. and the beauty Of
=. ubrary has thereby been enormously IN
-,sssed Il IS now. in fact, a masterpiece OF
.-,hitectural and decorative design. n which
one can read the intention Of the architect, Mr..
Charles 2 1IcKim, 10 produce q monumental
srber,e Of hawless unity. To the dignity OF fine
D-,porrions he has added the charm OF just the
,vebs q form and color which the room was
waiting 20 receive at q painters hands. Other
,rnesients may very naturally have suggested
themselves. A modern building seems TO call on
v,os+ occasions for the ministratons OF a modern
decorator But IN this instance nothing. we be-
rsve. could have been so felicitous as Mr.. Now
bray's accIinatization OF the spirit OF an old
master n the heart OF New-York He has
rIsved his part in the solution OF Mr.. McKinl's
yrobler, from the inside. and his paintings are
fused with the constructive elements in the room
into an organic whole. It IS doubtful II this
oould have been done through the adaptation OF
srv early Italian ideas save those Of Pintorio-
chic.
This Urbriau master occupies a clearly de-
fined place in the history OF his school In the
backgrounds Of his paintings the influence OF
fhe landscape OF his native province is at once
oerceprible an influence making for revery and
a kind OF sweet simplicity. No sensitive artist
eould dwell within sign" OF the sof; lights and
shadows which turn the Unbrian plain into a
land OF dreams as you gaze OUT upon i from
the heights OF Perugia or Assist. without being
stirred 10 delicate emotions: and from Pintoric-
ch!os work the note OF Tenderness so character
istic Of his early surroundings is rarely missing.
His Ma6ounas show. TOO, tha; he had his share
Of the religious inspiration so bountifuIly be-
slowed upon the painters OF his time. But there
was II him q peculiarly mundane strain or feel
ing. he could be devotional. but something kept
him from going 10 the lengths OF Perugino. for
example. whose swooning ecstasies were little
We fancy. 10 his taste. For Pintoricchio relig-
ious emotion was none the worse for e tinge Of
earthly happiness and pride. He painted with
s blthe spirit and tended more and more, as
tine went Or 10 express the ideas Of the Church
that were within the range OF the artist IN
terms os gorgeous pageantry. He saw every
thing FOR that matter, IN genial human light
Whether he dealt with history OF the Scriptures.
with auegcrical or familiar Italian figures. he
seems 70 have preserved q candid, almost naive
frame of mind The sophistication which seems
Ec lie On TIE surface O. L-LN11 O us Ag-A Ids
rothing philosophical about II. Il Is rather an
affair OF craftsmanship. oS painter loving rich
costumes AR. trappings noble oolors and all
the pomp OF a luxurious society. and painting
these things with Ehrewd eye for their deco
rative effect He IS one OF the most splendid OF
fifteenth century Italian artists and one OF the
least esoteric Though he developed many a
high erected theme in the course OF his busy
life he leaves. when Al is said the impression
q an artist whose git was. above all. for the
building up OF charming fabrics OF designs; he
was a disinterested n1anipulator Of form and
color.
That is why he gave aIr Aowbray so much
70 60 upon at the University Club. II Pinto
ricchio had been saturated in spiritual and I'm
agtnative qualities. his designs would have de-
fed reproduction. and especially the kind Of re-
production which IS to be noted OF this occasion
Mr. Mowbray has not badly transferred 10 New
York compositions existing n Rome. on the
contrary, he has been a copyist II only part OF
his work n four of the alcoves at the club he
has given Us as many OF his masters designs.
following with close fidelity, practically
throughout the details OF certain panels svu-
boiling Geometry, Arithmetic, Music and Rhet-
oric In the Borgia rooms. In addition 10 these
iunettes there are panels in the ceiling ilustrat-
irg neurological types and episodes. wherein
centre Of the stage But over the door at one
end OF the room the American artist has en-
throned figure Of his own, syrnboIizing History;
az the other end he has original interpreta.
lion OF Romance, and IN the ceiling there ara
portraits. and agures standing for Scienca, Phil
osophy' Literature the Fine Arts and other
Interests which are likewise the fruit OF hIg own
invention IN the execution Of al this original
work. and of the formal decoration the rich
arabesGues. IN which the figure paintings are
everywhere enveIope6. Mr.. Mowbray has rev.
srently followed the broad lines OF his rrodel
Ee has sought 10 make his own COMPOSITIONS
as Pinroricchio might have made them: he has
adopted the Italians style, using particularly
whenever opportunity has offered that device
Of exhibiting an architectural detail or an tier,
Of costume IN high relief gllded which is so
effective in the Borgia rooms. IN the siena Ii
orary and in other schemes Of Pintoricchio'z
II Is 10 disoourtesy to Mr.. Mowbray 10 say that
his success IN these endeavors Is positively as
tonishing- To have copied the master as he
has copied him in the Funettes aforesaid is in
Itself 10 have achieved much. To have gone in
fnitely further. 10 have blended his own Uorlr
with the OLD Italians in perfect harmony. and
70 have done this while adjusting the entire as
senbiage OF pictorial and decorative motives To
room differing in many respects from the
scene OF Pintoricchio's labors is 70 have nut 10
MS credit tour de force which is quite without
precedent
Iaers Is not factor in this work that fails
% AN naturally into the right place This ia
sue not alone 70 Mr.. Mowbrayss carsf,u 5r+ril,,,-
uOn OF nis figures. and 70 the placing of his
panels with wise references TO the cons,r,,,+io,
d me room. but 20 the homogeneitv OF The coIo-
tcne1-e This q filed with Pfnroriccbi,,. -,