New-York tribune., 1906-06-04
THE KANN COLLECTION
Many Museums Reported Seeking To
Bug the Pictures.
Paris. Nay 2s

trst-
tentions OF the heirs OF Rodolphe Kann w5,
died here some months ago. to dispose og 90
paintings. statuary. sculpture. furniture ts0~
estry and stained glass; which the amateur ~.
devoted the better part Of his lifetime in eo,-
lecting IN various parts OF Europe and ,o,.
fills the spacious mansion on the Avenua a.
lena, which built for the special purnoaa
OF housing II. Although Of comparatively "a
cent formation. the Rodolphe Kann collection 40
old masters is deemed by experts to be ora "a
the finest to be found in any private galla-,.
In France. and 1t Is certainly the most rer1ark.
able. The collection IS not large one. bur :.
is admirably selected. and Of the two huudras
old paintings none are insignificant and mos.
OF them are masterpieces that have aIready
been the object of negotiations by Representa-
tives acting for the Louvre and for the'art mn
seums OF New York. London and Berlin. n,
expected that Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke. cursto,
OF the Metropolitan Museum. who is fauila- .
with the Rodolphe Kann collection will v.z,,
the galleries in the Avenue de lena on his urss
ent trip to Europe. and it is known thar 7
Pierpont Morgan. accompanied by his able and
trusted adviser in art matters. Mr. FitzHenrv
recently passed several hours inspecting the
pictures contained IN IL. The price Of 25OOOOa0
francs, equivalent to about $4,000. 600, at which
the collection is estimated by the heirs is m,
considered by experts here exorbitant The an
praisements are based upon the results Of arr
sales in the last ten years in Paris and London
Some years ago the Vienna Society OF Grapbl.
Art published complete description OF the Ro-
dolphe Kann Gallery. illustrated with hundred
large heliographs. written by Herr Wilhelm
Bode The volume is an elaborate one, and each
copy Immediately found a willing purchaser az
the price Of 500 each. 1t is now said TO be our
of print The Paris monthly magazine, Les
Arts" in its numbers dated January, February
and March, 1908. published a brief description Of
the Rodolphe Kann pictures, with reproductions
OF some Of the plates loaned by the Vienna So
ciety Of Graphic Art 20 the editors Messrs Con-
pil. The first hall that one enters in visiting ths
Rodolphe Kann collection is devoted to the early
italian and Flemish schools. A beautiful stained
glass window of the italian Renaissance. repre-
senting the annunciation Of Lorenzo df Credi
gives softness and solemnity to the room. There
Is Venetian bass-reIief Of St. George killing the
dragon and there are several fine frescos, medal
ions and busts. all OF the same period Among
the paintings are the Christ on the Cross"by
Giovanni Bellfni: Descent from the Cross" by
T1epolo; head OF an old man by the same ar
tist. a landscape by Guardi. and admirable works
by Benozzo Gozzon. Bronzino. Andrea del Cas-
tagno and Ghirlandajo. Near by are the Flemish
den. Josse van C1eve. Gerard David Girk Bouts.
and by Menlins. whose two altar doors are con-
sidered by amateurs to be the finest paintings
known OF that great master The Dutch and
Flemish schools OF a century later are repre-
sented by superb works OF Rubens and Van
Dyck, including four paintings by the former
giving excellent ideas OF the different phases OF
his artistic career. and some portraits by the lat
ter master. marking the periods OF the Develop
ment Of hts genius. Rubens's picture Of Me-
leager bringing to Atlanta the boars head is ths
original painting. the replica Of which Is at tks
Cassel Museum. Among the portraits bv Van
Dyck are those Of the Marquise Durazzo %
Alexander Triest, and OF the conqueror OF Breda,
General Ambrogio SpinoIa. There is a superb
family group by Gonzales Coques a delightful
still life canvas by Jan Fyt, and remarkable
works by Teniers the younger. Adrien Brouwer
Melchior Hondecceter. Abraham van Beyeren
and Adriaen Utrecht.
1t Is after all. the Dutch school that forms the
salient feature OF the Rodolphe Kann collection.
1t contains eleven Rembrandts each OF which
is masterpiece. There is the famous portrait OF
a savant. with the right hand resting on bust
OF Homer. which formerly belonged to the Lord
Brownlow collection There IS the portrait or
Titus. Rembrandt's son, made when he was
fourteen years old. There IS ReInbrandts poT-
trait Of the woman holding in her hand earna-
ton, which is the companion picture TO the sans
masters Man Holding a Magnifying Class
which is in the collection belonging TO Maurice
Kann, who lives in the house adjoining that OF
Rodolphe Kann- There Is the "Old Woman cut
ting Her F1ngernails'' and portraits Of Rem
brandt's faithful housekeeper, Hendriekje stoi-
feIs. These form the finest collection OF rem
brandts 70 be found IN any private gallery IN
-0Fo of
school are masterpieces by Ruysdael Macs
Metsu. Pieter de Hooch. Jan Steen. Paul Potter.
Cuyp. wouvermans. the brothers Adraeh anu
Isaac Van Ostade. Hobbema, Keyser. Van DENT
and by Frans Halls. whose portrait OF a youls
man is deemed one of the most reISaFSA01'
pictures that Halls ever painted
An exceedingly attractive room in the sal7''
is delicious Salon Louis XIV" The farhi'u4
Of this once belonged to the King ana 'A'
chairs were the property OF Nine. de PornpSo0~
On a table is bronze bust ot Louis Nv ~
Lemoyne. On the walls or resting on eases. "
admirable series OF pictures OF the perlou' -
Guiding q fine portrait OF Cardinal DuoOis -
Rtgaud. characteristics portraits by Natter nan
a dozen pictures by Greuze IN happies' s'yle.
charming pastoral by Boucher. "Nymphs sA1n-
Ing" by Pater; paintings BY Lancret HlustraIs
La Fontaine's fables. military and p@s'o4a
scenes BY Wattsau, and the famous S"I"'
Scene. L'EscarpoIette." by Fragona-d W..
alone is worth a fortune. IN smaller rooms - -
excellent pictures by eighteenth century EHS1--
masters beautiful tapestries. rare enaIasiS az
stained glass.
The collection. for the purchase OF when a.
sum stated to be S5.OOOO00 negotiations az
said 70 have been opened in behalf or Nalio~ ls
museums. Including the Metropolitan OF ~"
York. the Louvre the British Museum ana 'n'
~. Tsrr.Nw h