The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-08

aware Ildl lIFtdllN II III llt
position of being the only civilized country
that cannot boast of permanent collection
OF national and modern art2
Not only for the production OF art is such
gallery necessary. but for it, appreciation,
IL Is needed 10 create a standard OF taste,
a feeling of the relative importance Of
painters. 1t is what you have seen that
creates your standard OF tastea fact which
accounts for Il good deal of bias ed art criti-
clsm And 1t il not enough to see once;
there must be opportunity for the under
standing begotten Of frequent and intelli-
gent seeing.
This then. u what Is desired IA begin
ming. the establishment in Dublin of a
| permanent gallery Of modern and cOnten-
! porary art. And thanks 70 the untiring
/ energy of Hugh p. Lane. honorary director
! Of the recent eX hibition at the London Guild
! hall, much has already been done toward
| the realization Of this project
| At the Royal Hbernian Academy in
| Abbey street Dublin, there Ii now being
shown a remarkably fine and widely repre-
sentative collection OF modern pictures.
Many OF these have been presented by dis
| tilRuished artists and collectors 10 form
the nucleus Of the proposed gallery. Many
others will bs presented on the condition
that certain steps be taken TO place the
gallery on sound basis. Others again
have been lent, chiefly by Messrs Durand-
Ruel Of Paris and by the executors OF the
late J, Stats Forbes and these 1t Is de-
sired 10 purchase. Some particulars of the
Stats Forbes collection appeared in THE
Sun Of April IL
Go, bnu haaf, Irpa Nv Mr. with
regard 10 these matters that it is as well
to define his position; and the authority
now quoted il Sir Frederick Faulkner the
Recorder OF Dublin The following eI
tract is from his letter appearing in the
Irish Times OF Dec 10:
The promoters OF largo projects are often
naturally suspected OF personal motives. and
therefore IL should at once be clearly under
stood that this, at least. Ia In no way de-
signed to further the personal interests OF
artists or OF owners Of art treasures anxious
70 secure purchasers. IL seems 10 he set
in motion rather in the spirit Of sen-sacri-
flee.
The prime mover il Mr.. Hugh P. Lane.
who follows up the loan collection Of Geor-
sisn masters, Reynolds. Romney. Gains
borough. Hoppner. and that OF Irish artists
in the Gulldhall this summer. with this his
third exhibition within two years. all, and
especially the last. brought together With
marvellous energy and resource. which should
command sympathy and support.
or those now on view in Abbey street,
thirty-three paintings catalogued as the
Lane collection have been acquired by him.
and these he has now chivalrousy offered
10 present TO the nation on the single
condition that the corporation Of Dublin
shall secure an annual grant 10 tho new
gallery II established. condition which the
speech of the Lord Mayor at the opening
meeting seems to indicate as already ac-
cepted. TO the high credit Of the civic au-
thority.
The Lane collection mentioned includes
examples Of Whistler. Daumier, Puvis de
Chavannes Mancini, Wilson Steer. Legros
and Gender. and among Irish painters,
OF George Chimney ian interesting artist
who painted portraits in China during the
first half Of last century,, Nathaniel Hone.
Edwin Hayes. j. B. Yeats, Walter Osborne
and George Russell.
The artists and collectors who have either
presented or promised pictures number
upward of hundred. and among their names
are those of John Sargent r. A.. j. j. Shan
non. A. r. A.. Henry Muhrman and Frank
Mura-all American the late q. F Watts.
Herkomer Brton Riviere, John Swan and
other members Of the Royal Academy
Holman Hunt. Ricketts, and Shannon.
Iavery, lie Sidaner Matthew N arts. Cos
saar Cottet, Jose Weiss Dermod 0'Brien.
Roderic 0Conor, Lady Colin Campbell,
the Right Hon. George Wyndham Ia bust by
Rodin). Sir George Donaldson, Sir William
Eden. Wlfred PUNT. T. L. Devtt-that is
a representative selection Of names
Then there are the two loan collections
The ecore OF pictures lent by Messrs Durand-
Ruel are largely examples Of leading French
impressionists, such "a Manet. Monet.
Sisley and Pissarro: and there is work
by Renor and by Puvis de Chavannes.
the "Beheadiug of John the Baptist. which
this artist considered his masterpiece
The selection from the hugo Stats Forbes
collection numbers upward of a hundred
and sixty important pictures and drawings
Millet. Corot, Diaz, and the Barbizon Schoo
generally are splenddly represented. and
there are excellent examples of eminent
artists of various countries such az Della
croi1. Constable, Segantini, Whistler, James
and Matthew Maris, Jongkind, Legros,
Cecil Iawson, Dagas. Fortuny. Courbet.
Gericault, Monticello, Mark Fisher, Cain, |
Fantin Latour and Anton Mauve.
These are chiefly names Of artists whose
formative influence on the best art of the
present day can hardly be exaggerated,
and people familiar with the present mar
ket value Of their works will bo surprised |
to hear that these 100 pictures cost the late |
owner only $4,000. That is the definite .
statement Of his executors.
James Stats Forbes was a very far /
sighted collector. who bought Millets and
Corots before these names were famous
and who vent on buying the works Of clever
young artists until the day of his death.
His family desires that if possible this portion
OF his great collection should remain intact
in some national gallery. and they have
offered ii to Ireland for 10000 For what
these $50 pictures are, the price is absurdly
cheap--yet It u more than the lovers OF art
will raise in Ireland during the time for
which the offer remnins open.
Mllet and Corot,-here IL something
that an Irish poet. who signs himself a (
l.. has written Of them in The FreemGn's /
Journal
Mnlet nd Corot have given us their own
eyes, and tho people H. tho fields bending
over their work reveal themselves to US
With something 81 ma iesty in their bearing,
The eyes OF Mulet saw only essentials
Ills parents are not transitory personali-
tics. but have ioined the procession Of i'm