New-York tribune., 1905-11-13

THE TELASQUEZ TENUS." !"
d Renos0ned Masterpiece Which
Mdy Come to america.

The purchase OF famous picture IN Europe
by an American collector is always hailed with
satisfaction by those who cherish the develop
nent OF art In this country but no news OF the
sort which has hitherto been received has had
quite the significance which attaches 10 the an
nouncement made IN The Tribune yesterday by
our London correspondent He stated that the
great Venus" OF Velasquez had at last come into
the market. and that in view of its valuation at
100000 It was the assumption OF the dealers
that 1t would not be bought for the National
Gallery. but would probably find its way to
Berlin to these shores. The present writer
has long believed this to be the one example Of
the Spanish master in private hands in England
which 1t would be most desirable for to
possess, and only few months ago urging
In certain potential quarters that 1t be secured
even though the transaction involved fabulous
sum OF money. II the effort then advocated
turns out to be successful, and the Venus Is
made permanently accessible to American paint
ers and students. the event will have far reach
ing effects.
So far may be judged from the pictures ne
left behind him, velasquez was rarely engaged
In the painting OF the female nude. However
much the problems il presents may have inter-
ested him, he was too good Spaniard and TOO
accomplished courtier to skate very often upon
the thin ice Of subject which the temper or the
time adjudged dangerous, to say the least Jusu
notes that "the introduction and exhibition OF
obscene pictures were punished by the 1nquisi7
ton with accommodation. 1900 ducats fine
and one years Punishment" and though as he
adds, Palonaino was careful to point out that
the nude is not In itself innodest (deshonesto)
and that the latter should still be distinguished
from the lewd," Velasquez the last man In
the world to risk an affront to his art by wreak-
ing 1t upon models at all likely TO excite sus-
picion. He confined his studies Of the nude to
men, as In his Apollo at the Forge Of Vulcan.
and IT is significant tnat when he painted his
single surviving portrait of q nude woman, the
Venus" now In London. he made 1t one of the
chastest things in the history OF art. He painted
it after his second italian Journey. when he was
full of the inspiration best adapted to assist his
native genius in the task, the glowing inspira-
ton of the Southern masters But where Titan
himself made the same theme what Swinburne
would call "a proud hosanna OF the f1esh,"
Veasquez. with his reticence of the Spanish
hidalgo. made realism the servant Of nobler
ideal The Andalusian dancer whom he is sup
posed to have portrayed In this canvas is very
far from being transmogrihed into the goddess
of the pictures title, but at the time she is
made creature of the purest, most distn-
guished beauty.
She was placed, when velasquez painted her.
rid which was known as the apartment Of the
mirrors This took its name, says JUST, from
eight mirrors Of uniform size, mounted IN
ebony frames crowned with gilt bronze orna-
rnent taking the form Of an eagle, whose wings
incIosed the mirror" II lavishly hung
with masterpieces Of art. The biographer we
have just cited adds that ''n the inventory for
1856 the Venus Is entered under the name on
Psyche and Cupid but disappears after the
fire of 1874 Perhaps II offended Bourbon dell
cacy. It turns UP again, however. toward
the middle Of the eighteenth century IN the
Alba Palace where 1t was seen by Ponz, who
called 1t a celebrated work. Thence 1t passed
to the collection Of the Prince Of Peace. and at
the sale In 1903 acquired, together with
Titian's Sleeping Nymph.' by Mr. Wallis
Buchanan valued each of these works at four
thousand guineas." JustI says that Mr.. j. B. s.
Merritt Of Rokeby Hall, in Yorkshire where
the picture has hung since bought 1t for
$780, ION the advice Of Sir Joshua Reynolds,
but 1t has been noted by Mr.. c. L. Hind, VINO
recently visited the home Of the Morrftts an1
wrote an account OF It in 'The Pail Mall Maga-
zine" that this could not have beeEs so, for the
sale took place in 1908 and Sir Joshua died IN
1790. He quotes the far more plausible state
nent Of Sir William Stirling Maxwell that the
purchase was advised by Sir Thomas Lawrence.
terest but the main point is that after all its
wanderings this renowned painting is very
possibly to come to New-York- Why should
this termination of its fortunes be regarded
with peculiar satisfaction? Because the "Ve-
nus supplies a kind Of canon OF great
painting
The Impressions Of all those who have seen
It are the same; they unite in lauding the work
as an Illustration of what can be done by
master OF technique In the manipulation OF
those effects which spring from the incidence
of light Mr.. Hind speaks of it in this wise:
velasquez was engrossed with. the lowell
% the OF r Sa IN and the SHADOWS
Iurlh where the lower curves OF back and leg glide
fSd Int3 the 9pon SacK woh f5aPs5s shs recIines
color so completely is the eye charmed with the
B1on Bsa tka of hs pah sa BODY ahd 5es
meath Io va1E the or c00fS o0yng light
put s p1na Y +a and rSfs anS
r5adGws lGyady eeh Of the grayish @ purple neither ad
the yeowy white Of The netherm1ost 1ts gl dhs
STUFF that drives the mirror away: the pinky & Tib,
bons the ebony frame OF the ed ror ~ The 'e crtaS
behind, and the faint flush on the girfs cheek-
Another recent critic. Auguste Breal. lays
stress upon the manner in which all details IN
this masterpiece subordinated TO a proao
effect "-rhe head is turned so as to show only
the outline of the cheek, and It's reflection In
the glass is vague; the little Cupid who Is mold
ing the mirror fades and nelts into the back
ground; the feet do not count and the hands are
In shadow veIasquez painted the beautiful
body he had before him with all the clear
sighted love he knew how to put into his work
How single minded he in that love. how
,t.f-- 4r7rr