New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-20
MORE OLD PICTURES.
The Enrich Collection at the Fifth
Avenue Art Galleries.

One dealer follows another at the Fifth Avenue
Art Galleries. Mr.. Edward Brandus having dis
posed Of his pictures there. Mr. Louis R. Enrich
places upon the walls nearly fourscore old pictures
which Will be sold at auction tomorrow evening in
the Grand Ballroom Of the Waldorf-AstOria- The
collection does more than its predecessor did 10
obscure the solid fact that OF the old masters
Of really high rank are permanently placed in the
public galleries OF Europe. or in private collections
there which 50 slowly yield up their treasures that
only a few indubitable gems get into the market
in the course Of year. We recognize none Of
these gems IN the Enrich collection
The catalogue, II is true, IS full great names
but catalogues. as the experienced collector we'll
knows have not exactly the authority Of holy writ
For example. this describes No. So as The
SornaIlini Family by Gonzales Coques. whom it
mentions having sometimes been called the
Little Van DyCk.' This should have suggested to
the cataloguer that what he really looking at
was feeble COPY Of the great "IsomeIni Family"
by Van Dyck. which is among the most conspicu-
Gus possessions OF the National Gallery at Edin-
burgh. Similarly II seems a bit odd thar, while
the compiler OF the catalogue was mentioning that
Henry Stone the painter of No. 3. devoted him
self largely copying the works OF Van Dyck.'
he did not think IT worth while to point out that
No. q. 'InigO Jones" obviously copied from
Van Dycks famous portrait Of the Renaissance
architect now, we believe, Of the glories Of the
Hermitage at St Petersburg Then there IS the
double portrait The DUchesse de ChateaurouX
and the Corntesse de F1avacourt," which the cata-
logue gives to Natter. There is doubt about
Matters having painted the portraits Of the
Duchesse de Mazarin's nieces The curious reader
may find out all about It in Lady Dlke's useful
work He may find out there. too how Natter
signed only the first example Of each Of his works.
In this way" as the historian says, we
guarded from accepting as his the numerous repeti-
tons made by HIS various copyists-PrevOst Coque-
ret. de la Roche. Hesrd and others" We would
be glad II could Ike the picture IN the Enrich
collection But somehow, If we had TO choose be-
tween this and other portrait OF the Duchess
de Chateauroux we fear would find ourselves
preferring the one. say by Natter. in the Museum
MarseiIles
We are inclined 10 be Just unreasonable about
No s. catalOgued THE Artists Sister" and
given 10 Hogarth. We Ike much better
than this cold and dry performance the freely
painted living portrait Of his sister by Hogarth
which have seen in the National Gallery IN
London II IS too bad OF Us. know. be
captious, 10 have such incurable preference for
superb old pictures distinguished from old pict-
ures that are not superb at all. We encounter, for
example, under No. as. An Italian Princess"
and appended TO this there IS a portent0us dOcu-
ment. signed BY Mr.. Bernhard Berenson. in which
that gentleman pontihcally assures the world that
the picture is genuine and IN good condition. To
the hestating purchaser this document must DO
profoundly reasEuring, ike the guarantee which
the catalogue promises 70 give him with every
work that he buys. and, to tell the truth, we do
not mind expressing the conviction that Mr.. Beren-
is right. We believe this be by BrOnzino
But here comes in again our deporable passion for
distinctions. Bronzino and the artists who worked
in his studio painted many italian princes and
princesses. Some Of the masters portraits are in
the grand style There IS one IN Rome OF a war
rior q the House OF COlO1na which is so stately
work and gives into the bargain so powerful an
impression Of mighty condottiere Of the Renais-
sance. that n could Il IN our own Metro
poitan Museum OF Art fear that we should
grow really enthusiastic. Perhaps II Is because we
Ike Bronzino so much IN the vein % that Colonna
m4sterpiece that rather bored by the shoals
q ordinary portraits-plnin Journeymans work
that issued from his studio, and or which Mr.
Ehrich's italian Pr1Dcess'' seems 20 Us perfect
type
For this sort OF thing could not be persuaded
20 blame AIr. Enrich. We blame the public gal
Ieries Of Europe and their arrays OF the old mas
tiers Thus the eighteenth century French paintings
IN the Wallace Collection IN London and In the
Louvre get between and No. ~. lie GIouton
attributed 20 Pater memories OF the golden glow
the deep non tones. Of certain pictures in Holland
have spoiled US for the cold grays OF No. o. Fam
iIy Group" ascribed 70 Nicolaas Macs: and just
because have seen 50 many enchanting por-
traits by Sir Joshua Reynolds in England and else
where No g. elizabeth Countess Of Berkeley
rna kes us wonder what in the world made him
paint that picture much in the style OF a rnedi-
OGRE artist from across the channel. We feel the
same astonishment in the presence OF No. 90. a
Gentleman of Ravenna." ascribed 20 Antonio Moro
II is true that this is a rather handsome bin OF
pedestrian portraiture, and know that Moro
was not always DO 10 the mark OF his tremendous
Queen Mary al MADRID. only 10 must have
Moros ve would ike them a little moEs rke the
queen Mary
Bur let us have done with vain regrets There
are a few pictures IN this collection before which
We are willing 10 surrender cruel prepossessions.
The brace OF portraits by Jan Victoors may be
mentioned with some cordially; there is ingra-
uaun& courtliness about the Gentleman with a