The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-17
A RARBYzON SALE.

The pictures of the Barbfson school. the
work OF the men whom the late Albert WON
called the -phalanx OF 1880. are In even
greater demand than ever. The whole MS
tory OF painting contains no chapter more
romantic or more fascinating than that wnlcn
deals with the careers Of these artists. which
traces their origin back to the great English
man, Constable, and which follows them
severally through their glorious poverty ana
their many and painful viclssitudes TO the
fnal and wonderful triumph which was TO Dc
theirs. but which they were never to know.
America has had a good deal TO do with all
this strange story. outside OF their own
France they were known to no one ave only
to two or three Americans. Quincy a
william Morris Hunt and william T. Walters
alone OF English speaking people, were pene-
trated with the charm OF their genius, ana IN
the middle Of the last century sought their WORK
and launched that fame which has spread 10
such Incredible dimensions.
After these Americans, In the early 1os.
there followed certain Scotch lawyers OF
Edinburgh. that town where Great Britain
taste and best intelligence In things tnat
have to do with art are most unfairly concen-
trated. These worthy men enriched them
selves wondrously at an expenditure which
now seems ridiculously small. After TINS
there was no sense nor even decency In tne
market aud prices rushed reck.essly to figures
unbelievable. not merely to be maintained
there, but to advance further and further
still, until no mar may point the end. To-day
we have in this country two-thirds OF all the
pictures Of the school Of Barbizon. including
two-thirds Of all the best ones. and all the
rest are In France and Great Britain. We
have also most honorably lodged in our
midst" q full third OF all the beautiful Bar
bison canvases which the great men never
painted and never saw, but which an admiring
and thrifty industry has visited upon those
who love art neither wisely nor well.
In this last we have done very fairly. but
We are. far behind our British competitors.
who have three false pictures for every true
one. Trouillebert, the unfortunate pioneer.
Of this sinful trade. who had to go to prison
for q well executed Corot. which imposed
upon that impeccable critic Alexandra Dumas
himself, his memory IL enshrined In countless
English homes Of taste. But poor Trouble
bert, who now walks the shades with Pere
Corot. forgiven and forgotten. has been fol-
lowed by q whole band of brushes far more
skilled than he. The industry has been ap-
palling. and as no counterfeit endures but a
certain time there is a day Of awful reckon
ing to come.
How could IL be otherwise in the face Of
such rewards2 Every master that ever lived,
whose work human ingenuity and skill
could initiate, has been reproduced in the
ratio Of his greatness. There never before
was such a market as this generation has
Witnessed: so that we may not reason that
because they have been counterfeited as no
other artists ever were the Barbizon artists
were the greatest that have lived. When in
response to an Unsuitable demand the pictures
that brought Corot $50 or SIS scared TO $500 0
or $4,000. what other result could ensue?
Besides, 1t is 30 easy to do a Corot! A most
convincing and alluring Corot, all his man
nerisms, his striking individualism OF tech
| nique, or rather absence OF technique, falling
easily the prey Of fraud. and the canvas glow
ing quickly with all the masters color. but
with none OF the masters soul. Daubigny
il nearly az easy, and so. too. is Diaz. There
are some famous commercials OF Rousseau,
but he is not facile. There is a quality in him
that is too evasive. All the noble band. how
ever, has had the same tribute in varying
degree: and, after all. nobody Is to-day much
the worse for It. Where ignorance Is bliss
Among the winters sales there Is to be one
Of Barbizon pictures, real ones; and In truth
a very remarkable collection. 1t is that OF a
well known Philadelphia amateur. who has
long collected. and who from owning pictures
many and diverse has ended up with only
the canvases OF the phalanx OF 1880. twenty
nine in all, and of a common standard much
higher than has yet been provided In any
sale Of this school. His name Ia Mr.. II. s.
Henry. and in January some time his artistic
substance will go to the block at the hands
OF the American Art Association in this city.
The list ia like a roll call In the forest OF Fon-
tainebleau; every master answers and each
is in his prime. Here they are. alphabet
cally lest jealousy supervene: Corot. Dau-
bigny. Decamps. Delacroix. Diaz. Dupre,
Fromentin. Gericault, Millet. Rousseau and
Troyon-and we never before noted the dom-
nance of the DIS. All are very well known
pictures. They come from approved col
~lections and each has its interesting little
history, which Ia good In these days Of dan
ger, when no man Ia so proud that he may
sneeze at propendncs with impunity. 1t
should be a memorable sale. and Mr.. Henry
has our humble concurrence and our very
respectful coincidence.