The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-09
NORGAN'S PICTURES
AROUSE NO WONDER
English Critics Say His
Collection Is Quite
Mediocre.
The New Catalogue Shows
Deficiency in Modern
Masters.

LONDON. Feb. 2-Art cOrnoisseurs in
Europe are eagerly looking forward to
the suInptUous catalogue OF his art
treasures which j. Pierpont Morgan is
having privately printed. 1t Is in three
big volumes, splendidly bound by
ZaehnsdOrf, end so slow is the produc-
lion OF this edition de luxe, even IN its
limited numbers, that only a few copies
have yet been issued All Of them are
being presented Icy Mr.. Morgan to his
friends or 20 great libraries.
From an examination of one OF these
early copies the conclusion is drawn BY
an art expert that Mr.. Morgau's So
called "piuage" among the art galleries
CT Europe during the last fifteen years
has not been So terrible for the latter
IS it has been described, and that he
has secured comparatively few real
masterpieces among a quantity Of medi-
oCre works.
Ccnnoisseurs Criticise.
The following criticism Of the Morgan
catalogue is published as the opinion of
leading English CUnuoisseur:
Mr. M0rgaa's great score was tie
Raphael once called the Madonna oil
SAINT Antonio of Perugia,' and later the
Colonna Raphael, and now, / suppose,
The Morgan Madonna. It's later history
IS an almost unknown story Of our eX-
Terts disgrace. 1t was the property OF
King Francis Of Spain. When in paris
IN 1910 crack was discovered in the
panel and it was given to an isnora MT
art dealer, who ret0uched as well as re-
paired it. The work was brought to
England. and for twenty years Law sf
the basement OF the National Gallery.
Ultimately we refused 10 purchase il.
ard Mr. Colnaghi perCeiving that the
fepainting was not permanent, bought
II, had il cleaned, and sold it to Mr..
Morgan at an enormous rrico
Great Captures.
Mr.. Morgaus other great capturrs
we're cIe four frst-rate HAS portraits.
one Of which was hidden in am Isle OF
Wight Vic1rage until q few years ago,
the GenOese Van Dyck of q lady ard
child uhc story of whose purchase is
not toldi Rubens' Richard. Earl OF
Warwick, Cardinal Infante. and the
rather oyerrated Anne Of Austria; a
good second-rate Rembrandt. Nicholas
l,uts, and the more doubtful Portrait
or an Artist. shown az Nhitechapel two
years ago; a good Canale. an inferior
Nelasquez, Infanta, and two Goyas.
In Mr.. Morgan's French section the
standard is lower There is. of course.
Iragonard's famous series. the Roman
de IAmour de Ia Jeunesse. which be,
longed TO Du Barry. The rest Of the
list includes three Greuzes, four Paters
and a lie Bruu, but no Poussin. Wat
t5au. ChardIn. or lngres. Even the
English section reveals fewer signs OF
Elr Morgan's expert advisers than one
expected Gainsboroush's Duchess OF
DcvOrshire Ohe stolen duchessB has q /
romantic interest but most English
conuoiSseurs Will see its departure with
out tears The other GainshOrOugbS are
the MiSS Evans, Lady Gideon. and Miss
] remnant, and, ricn though England is
i'm Gainsboroughs OF a finer water shs
cannot easily spare them.
Very Fine Kaufman.
The four Reynoldses are the delight /
fW Cupid as Link Boy. PicabgcIz
Babes in the Wood, and Mrs. Pavne- /
Galway and Her Son. There are four
Romneys 1.-TWO of Lady Hamilton two
fine Raeburn women, Hogarth's .Thei
Lady's Last Stake Lawreuce's master /
piece in women portraibire. Miss Far
rem and ConstabIe's White Horse
The one kaufman is SURPRISINGLY fine /
There are three not very wonderful /
turner's bowman Peters, and Rus |
sell are represented.
THE modern section contains nothing
10 distinguish It from the collection OF /
The ordinary city man who has taken TO /
pictures late i'm life. Firth. Sidney 4
Cooper, Horsley, NiCat Cole, Landseer, !
Roberts, and Herring form it's back
bone The only indication Of an intru- |
sion by the cultured adviser is perhaps |
Millais' The Iuguenot.'
Mr. Morgan's modern French Con- |
tinental section is as trivial even to two /
examples by Munkacsy,"
Prepared by Ward.
The Morgan catalogue has been, pre-
pared by Humphrey Ward husband Of I
the novelist. who, in the introduction. 1
tells a good story OF how the famous /
Sistlne Madonna" was nearly put on |
the market by its owner, the King of 4
SaXOny.
AN art dealer in Bond street was |
waited upon one day by a gentleman /
who had sent in his card as Count X. /!
the lord chamberlain to the King OF |
SaXony Very delicately. the chamber /
lain explained that his master was in 4
might have the Sistine Madonna" Tor /
$4,000. The dealer asked time to con- /
slider the matter. News of the negotia- /
tions coming to the ears of a high court /
Official the Crown Princess Frederick, |
then I'm London. was Informed. who sent /
a peremptOTy message to the King OF ,
SaXouy that unless he gave his word Of \
honor not to part with his pictures 4
Prussian soldiers would be marched into ]