New-York tribune., 1908-01-22
PICTURES At AUCTION.
Some Landscapes by the Late Al
bert Bierstddt.

There are two collections at present exhibition
the American Art Galleries One is composed
of paintings and prints belonging to the estate of
the late Mrs A. G. Hunt. of Washington. The
other is made up of eighteen paintings by the late
Albert Bierstadt, n. A, sold by order of the
executrices of the late Edward Berstadt- The
first session of the sale is held tonight and the
second Is scheduled for tomorrow night. Interest
stadt's landscapes
He has clearly marked place in the history of
American art, we'll representing tradition which
long since lost its vogue, but which can never be
neglected by the student. When Albert Bierstadt
a young in Dusseldorf ideals of land
scape art were being very slowly formed Paint
ers and collectors in the sos considered that a
study OF nature should be above all things the por
trait of a given scene, and they were content. il
this was secured, with technical methods in curl
contrast to those which have ruled for the
twenty-five thirty years. The influence Of the
Barbizon school had still to make itself felt. The
impressionistic movement was undreamed OF in the
studios OF this city. The teaching of Dusseldorf
and Of Hudson River group all along
lines Of rigidy close analysis. An artist might cul-
tiyate the grand style and yet practise kind of
realism possessed of grandeur whatever. This
Is what Albert Bierstadt did, producing pictures OF
heroic themes. but painting them with a strangely
literal touch. 1t is interesting to speculate what
he might have made of his work IL he had brought
freedom and breadth of style to the treatment of
There is picture here. The Jungfrau and Iau-
terbrunnen Valley which gives you at once a
sense OF being taken among the Alps and of being
made TO feel something of their beauty and i'm
posing picturesqueness. But in the same instant
In which you recognize a large measure of truth
in the picture also that II lacks true charm
and individuality, that in color and in drawing
the artist falls short of the breadth elasticity
required The subject is not sufficiently general
lied So 1t is with every Of Mr.. Bierstadt's
pictures, with his Mount Tacoma" his Last Of
the Buffalo, his Giant Trees of California" and
all the rest No one could have been more Jealous
in the pursuit of truth No could have paint
ed with q finer spirit, with deeper sincerity
But the development of landscape art for its own
sake in this country destined to be carried on
by other hands. To recognize this fact is not to
underestimate the interest this very early pio-
neerins work. 1t useful work In its day.
Times have changed. All can raise the flower now
for all have got the seed But Albert Rierstadt
strove to reach high standard long before our
conception OF landscape painting had been worked
and established.
The Hunt collection is extremely miscella-
neous affair. II contains several pleasing land
scapes. notably small examples of the late A. III
wyant and the late John Frederick Kensett but
the average throughout is precisely exhilarat-
ing. The best opportunities for the collector are
offered In the department OF prints wherein there
may be found a number of good pieces by Bar
tolozzi, Axei Hatg. r. w. Macbeth. Whistler and
AAse~a~AAhA.e