New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-09
ART EXHIBITIONS.
A Collection of Prints by Old and
Modern Masters.


Ia masters. There should he. FOR this reason 2
~srm welcome for such an exhibition Of prints as
at which has just been opened at the Wunder-
- GALLERY In this the moderns are not neglected
an the contrary. Whistler, Haden and Meryon are
,rresented and the catalogue even includes the
,es OF Storm vans Gravesande and Zorn who
.. all their merits, scarcely to be considered
matters But the bulk OF the space is given to the
.rlier and historic Europeans. to the German and
7,,lisn enFravers and to etchers like Rembrandt
nd Claude. These artists are illustrated in rare
md beautiful impressions OF some OF their most
,,,or+srt plates. For the student as we'll as for
ne collector. the exhibition offers an interesting
opportunity.
7ss erizfu Of engraving is matter upon which
80, learned will no doubt go on disputing for gen
,.lons 10 come. Both in Germany and in Italy
=. subject II not wrapped in utter mystery, is Mt
n svents confused and obscure. 1t Is a subject,
.rever which IL is possible to take too seriously
!, course # would be gratifying II could trace
=. authorship of the earliest German plates. and
. n Italy the precise relation of Baccio Baldini
,5 Nsso Finiguerra TO the development of the
:, engraving as we know it, from the discoveries
!, ,ts rIeists could be once end for all fixed. But
,asa questions subsidiary 10 the great question
% what the art actually worth when It was
s-st placed firmly upon its feet 1t meant in the
so,tb the perpetuation. IN convenient and, on the
,bole durable form, OF that charm for which we
rsneral, look 10 the works Of the painters and
,eputors il is true that. IN measure, the en-
gravsr got something start with from the paint
Or II " may be sure of anything in the maze OF
spsculation in which the subject is entangled, We
nav be sure that Bottcelli, for example, was IN
5,spenssble as q maker OF designs for some Of
zoe first significant steps taken in the history
% italian engraving But it IS important TO re-
member that the early engravers were not devoted
70 the mere mechanical reproduction Of the draw
inEs Of other men. They had their own Ideas their
own qualities Of style and, above sll. their own
feeling for the sheer beauty OF line. Also they had
the sentiment O: their age, the simplicity. amount
rig u raGvete. which often in Italian art con-
7evs sense OF sweetness and delicacy comparable
N mat which Is conveyed by children and flowers.
There is an anonymous engraving in the present
exhibition. Cleopatra dating from the early six
tenth century which offers perfect illustration of
The point Il reveals no startling powers OF com
position or OF craftsman. but it has kind OF IN
formed grace, an atmosphere Of artlessness, which
ore finds -ery winning
As the art developed in italy IL inevitably lost
sonethiae OF the lghtness Of its first bloom. but It
gained in frmness. in expressiveness and IN dignity
TAKE for example another plate here. the heroical
st John the Baptist of Giulio CampagnOla- II
IS q direct product OF the masterful influence OF
Xautegna whose engravings, unfortunately. are
represented in this exhibition, but Il has all
the vitality Of a thoroughly original creation. In
distinction Of liLe and in nobility Of style this well
shows TO what heights engraving carried in
ITALY From the heights II iesce l5ed. al as time
n
Rsphaels favOrite reproductive engrayeT. cannot
blind 70 the fact that he wanted the lofty sim
plicity Of his predecessors The plates by him that
are shown on this occasion. fine they are, are
obviously inferior in interest the masterpiece by
Giuiio Campagnola- When come down TO the
works of Joseph Ribera FIJI that must ac-
cept face cleverhess and picturesque theatricaity
N place OF the simple merits Of the Primitives. II
The sorpe IF this review could be widened 10 in
olude many names omitted from the Wunderlich
show the transition of the Italial school from
superfne 10 positively earthly standards might
readily be demonstrated. Perhaps il IS as well that
the exhibition lays stress upon the golden age.
After all il is chiefly of the trumphs of that age
that the connoisseur thinks when he thinks OF
Italian engraving The names OF Mantegna, Jacopo
de' Bsrbaja. Girolamo Mocetto, Giulio and DoTnen-
ico Campagnola, Cristoforo Robetta ana Antonio
Poaiulo are SYMBOLS Of a fascination which in
the whole history Of engraving Italy alone has pro-
dUoed.
The difference between the North and the South
in this matter is twofold difference. Beauty SUI
fered a change when she crossed the Alps, losing
some Of her spiritual elements. The German mas
rers. in their studies OF FORM aimed the truth
and got il subtle d'vination, but by entirely
realistic processes II they dreamed dreams they
interpreted them in quite ponderable forms. The
tenderness OF the South. which comes out so eX-
quisitely in tho italian conception Of FORM was
practically unknown 10 man Of the com
,nanding genius Of Durer. II IS then. a totally
dierent and far less beguiing ideal Of beauty thai
coufrouts the student wh=n he passes from the
Italian 10 the German engravers. He finds in such
plate as The Great Fortune Of Durer for eX
ample. q figure practically untllinkable in thu
South. BUt if something has been lost something
also has been gained. Superb IS the linear quail
Try Of Mantegna's plates, an even more consum
mate linear quality is discovered in the works o
Dlrer. The hardness which characterizes some o
MS paintings is exactly fitted the kind Of worl
he VIII
German school was characterized by eXtraordinar
rcchnlcai polish. Witness the specimens in TIL
collection Of Hans Se5ald Beham Martin Schoen
gauer George Pence and one or two others. Blu
81 Durer this polish IS raised 10 higher power
and ~ plates like the already mentioned, o
rrs ..AE4lanchola" or the st Hubert" tn
Virgin with Pear" the handling OF the engrav
sr's Instruments seems positively miraculous.
results in line OF spotless purity and Of fairl
monumental strength.
Durer had Imagination, and though he will trea
p landscape background, diversified by architecture
with uleticulous care for detail, he knows how
throw ever II d certain curious glamour, sugge'
rlon Of some scene emotionally well as visuall
app-ehended Yet it is to his extraordinary tecf
rcue that the student is always bound 20 return
What he has 10 say. though often deeply interes
ing especially as regards the study OF character
scarcely so impressive is his way Of saying
j should be noted. by the way, that along with h
s.ngravjnEs on metal there shown number
lis voodcuts. including magnificent proofs OF h
portraits % the Emperor Macmillan and ClriC
Tarnbuler. II would have been pleasant If a repI
euctlon Of the beautiful drawing made for Il
Varnbuler could have been hung beside the WOO
cut
Tho second part Of this exhibition is devoted
itching and IN il there some notable piece
Rembrandt IS represented in many aspects-as Il
master Of line, as the painter Of landscape, as
magician OF portraiture. and as the dramatic Jul
glcr with light and shade IN the delineation OF T
THla TarFrf &c NgFT ar m .
be interesting TO pause, and something might
said likewise, on the romantic classicism OF sue