Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-30

THOUGHTS ON ART AND LIFE. By
. Leonardo da Vinci Translated by
Maurice Barring Boston: The Merry
mount Press.
Mr.. Lewis Einstein is editing a series
which he calls The Humanists' Library,
the purpose Of which is to print in a form
near akin to the dearest traditions of the
printers art number of books each of
which shall be characteristic Of the culture
which hourished in western Europe during
the period of the Renaissance. The vol
ume under discussion, translated by Maui
rice Barring, Is the first of the series, pre-
senting Leonardo da Vincfs reflections
upon art life and science.
In Mr.. Einstein's opinion, Leonardo re-
f1ected the rationalism and the mystery,
the subtlety and philosophical speculation
of the age To find in his work only the
individual thought of genius would be to
mistake, perhaps, it's most important side;
for the expression of his mind, both by its
brlliancy and it's limitations, is typical of
the spirit of his time. The Italian Re-
na.ssance was reflected in him as rarely
period has been expressed in the life
work of a single man. He represented its
placed in the service Of action. He sum-
med up its different aspects in his own in
dividuality. Intellectually, he represented
its many sidedness, attained through pene-
tration of thought and a keenness Of OBJ
servation, profiting from experience. ex-
tended into every sphere.
LAS an artist, he possessed a vigor Of
imagination from which sprang his power
Of creating beauty. But in spite of his
practical nature. he remained a dreamer
t. yal l,nI H., ~ rta
reality than Of golden dreams. His very
limitations, his excess Of individualism, his
want of long-continued concentration, his
lack of patriotism. his feeling Of the su-
periority of art to nationality, are all char
acteristic of Renaissance Italy.
The union in Leonardo Of reality to
mystery has often been shared by genius
in other fields. His own peculiar great
apparent contradiction of attaining the
world of mystery through force of reality
Like Hamlet 1t was the union of the real
with the unreal which appealed to him, of
Imagined it to be. 1t was but another ex-
preston Of the eternal ideal Of truth and
beauty"
Only Of late years have manuscripts Of
Leonardo seen the light and the many Diff
ficulties been overcome which long proved
an obstacle to their publication. The labor
of editing, deciphering and translating his
many scattered and fragmentary codices
In addition to the work of Mr.. Barring
Mr.. Einstein gives credit to those whose
efforts alone made possible the present
work, naming ]. P Richter, c. Ravaisson-
Molten, Luca Beltramf, Piumati. Sabach-
nikoff. and last. but not least, the scholars
Of the Academia del Lincei.
AS product Of the scholars and the
printers arts the volume leaves nothing to
be desired. From both practical and aes-
thetic standpoints the admirable font is
striking Every page with type SO strong
and graceful becomes a thing Of beauty
The pages are further adorned by beau
tful series of initials in red, which are
from wood blocks. Leonardo says: We
should not desire the impossible" but In
the dignity Of the present volume Leonardo
himself would doubtless have felt that it
had been attained.
BIRKET- FOSTER, r.. w. s. By H. M.
Cunda1l, I. S. o., F. S. A. London:
Adam and Charles Black. Imported by
the Macmillan Company. Washington:
BrentanoS.
More than the works of any other artist
the dainty water-color drawings executed
by Birket Foster. of which large and rep
resentative number are reproduced in this
volume. appeal to the majority Of the Brit
ish public Trained as an engraver, and
capable Of producing scenes from nature
with mastery fidelity, the chief features
Of his work, nevertheless, were a felicity of
composition and completeness of poetic feel
ing. Homely scenes, sunny landscapes, rus
tic children, red brick cottages as well as
picturesque England, Wales, Scotland Ven
Ice, the Rhine, Brittany, and even Spain
and Morocco, furnished subjects for his in
defatigable brush.
Mr.. Cundall has been able to reproduce,
through the kindness Of many owners, not
merely the artists notable pictures In color,
l~,,% 1v-oxr
books and some photographs. The volume
Is peculiarly rich in illustrations which In
themselves interpret the artistic comment
of the text. Beyond these accessories and
artists works. his aims and accomplish
ments. the author has produced a blog-
raphy which wildly presents the story and
character Of his subject. With almost rev.
family and of the activities Of his hero at
Landelrs, on the continent, particularly at
Venice. and the last years at Whitley. These
Incidents are interrupted with considera-
the Illustrated London News, his book IL
Illustrations. his water colors and dramatic
and Christmas performances at 1.-THE Hill"
The completeness of the volume is further
have been illustrated by Foster. and Of
water colors and oils exhibited either by
the Royal Society Of Painters in Water
Colors or the Royal Academy. The pure
Of nature in Birket Foster have in this
volume a very suitable tribute.
PHANTOM WIRES, a Novel. BY Arthur
Stringer, author Of The Wire Tap
pers." etc. Illustrated by Arthur
William Brown. Boston: Little, Brown
& Co.
The distinguishing characteristics Of the
wire Tappers' are continued in this Sc
quel, which Is, it may be said with pleas
ure. vastly more interesting and satisfying
than is usually the case with the after
math of a literary success.
During a perusal of the "Wire Tappers'
the ordinarily constituted reader felt that
he had one foot on live third rail, but he
will be convinced, after reading Phantom