New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-17
4RT ANECDOTES.
The Human Side Of Some English
and Netheriandish Masters.

STORIES OF THE ENGLISH A ARTIsTs; "a From rom
arranged by Randall Ds as o end GfG d a1nt
SIo ARTfsrs. FROM the Time the Van I?eis
the End Of the seyeqssnth 8 SenfoT illus
trated. $40. pp xiii, SIS Dufield & Coz
A HISTORY OF ART. BY DR.: G. carott. No! l.
A ft IL A[ With $40 Il iilustrations 1so pp
xviii, $50, Cc- P. Dutton & Coz
Sir Joshua Reynolds encountered James
Northcote. not long after the latter had had
conversation with the Prince of Wales. What
DO YOU know of his royal highness?" inquired
Sir Joshua Nothing" was the reply, Moth
ing. sir exclaimed the great painter Why
he says he knows you very we'll Pooh said
Northcote. that's only his brag" With smile
Sir Joshua turned away. muttering "Bravely
said hravelv said" II IS with just such per-
sonal souvenirs OF the old masters that the two
volumes on the English Flemish and Dutch
artists of the past, which Duffield & Co have
just published, are generously filled AS Mr..
Hunt says in the preface to the EnSllsh VOL
line these pages are not designed for the stu
dent the painter or the connoisseur. The gen
eral reader is aimed at, the reader who may
never pursue the subject seriously. but Is IN
terested enough 10 enjoy the special SAVIOR when
hangs around anecdotes of the studio. He may
not have passion for the work OF ftupeIS' puI
he IS bound to be amused by the story Of that
painter surprised day by courter in Spain
when he was turning his back upon his official
duties and giving himself to his art. The Wis
itor was much surprised and said: What!
Does an ambassador to his Catholic majesty
amuse himself with painting pictures" Nc
replied Rubens the painter sometimes amuses
himself with diplomacy.
It does not matter that the stories in these
two volumes are not new It is doubtful If they
are familiar to the readers for whom they are
now gathered together. and, in any case, it is
good to.havc them put forth more simply
for the sake of the biographical raciness in
them and set apart from the usual critical dis
course We must quote still more of these
vivid stories eloquent as they are Of men who
may have been demigods in their work but
were very like ourselves in their ordinary walk
and demeancr The harmless vanity OF Gains
borough who was not content to excel as q
painter but sighed for the laurels of must
clan is capltalIy Illustrated in this tale of
passage between him and one of the greatest of
all composers:
Bach called on Gainshorough in Pail Mall. and
found him in his studio tagging hard at the has
face was round and red as tho harvest m 0ote
frog in the fable? De defl! it is only fit fer the
lungs of oounJTy 6lacksfhm'a e b nov in
tie world Now do listen egain'' Listen" added
he massage. and py all the powers above as
ohe 10 be saved II is just for all the world as the
claimed Cainsborough: why. you have ear
man. more than an adder!
odds and ends like the foregoing scarcely go
TO make the history of art. yet the attentive
reader will derive more than entertainment
from these collections. After all they do some
thing to revive the tone and temper Of life IN
the mast Through the humors Of the artists
celebrated YOU discern something Of the spirit
of their times The two books have been skill
fully compiled. Mr. Reynolds, dealing with the
Flemings and the Dutchmcn, has been especially
successful His chapters give far is pos
sible the very words Of his sources, Van Mander
and other old authorities. Scattered through
the well printed pages are good halftones and
number Of plates in color. Three four of the
latter in the Netherlandish book are particularly
satisfactory The decorative title pages and
bindings are adapted from old designs
The first volume of DR.. CarottTs History of
Art" has merits which promise to make the
complete work very useful to the student. This
compendium is also meant, like the volumes
just touched upon, for the general reader; but
It * "A scholarly and systematic guide, well cal
culated 10 answer the purposes Of the traveller
and the worker IN the classroom These first
chapters treat OF Oriental and Greek art and
the relics of ancient Etruria and Rome. Archi-
lecture and sculpture are, Of course, the chief
objects Of the authors consideration. though he
offers such notes on ancient painting as the
scant suryivals Justify. His descriptions ere
concise and clear. and they made the more
serviceable~ by the inclusion of five hundred
and odd tiny but adequate haftones. The volu-
minous photography follows a convenient clas-
sihcaton, and there is a workmanlike index
This History IS appearing in small and in
expensive volumes. II ought to be popular