New-York tribune., 1909-09-19

OF Michael Angelo in the presence of the two por-
traits Of his largeness OF form. his way of lifting
the human body on to a plane Of high Imaginative
slgnincance. Only the Italian master wont
to throw godliEe suhlimity over his models. Rem
brandt keeps close to the tragedy of this world.
PAINTING his own portrait or that of his 6rooding
savant he works broadly. grandly, with something
OF Michael Angeles elemental energy. but all the
time his bosom is packed with intense emotion all
the time he is touched with the of IN
human things" 1t is tempting. in any survey of a
collection like this TO pursue ideas Of execution,
10 note, for example. the passage of Rembrandt
through the close workmanship of his earlier period
to the magnificent breadth of his prime and the
set splendOrs OF his closing years But before such
portraits as these saturated in creative power to
talk Of details of brushwork is spell anti-climax
The lover Of painting for its sake suffers no
such embarrassment in approaching Yer Meer
4hough he painted once a picture Of Diana and
her Nymphs,' decidedly pedestrian conception Of
NEUROLOGICAL theme. in the museum at The
hague, and though there is unquestionable dignity
IN the Jesus in the House of Martha" by him.
which Is owned in Scotland. he never made any
pretenee Of appealing to his public lofty grounds
For him it was enough to paint some placid lady
OF Delft, occupied in household duties, or seated
at her dressing table. idly talking with her cav
alier He was content with this simple ambition
since in the achievement OF it he could practise a
sort OF wizardry poetzing paint extorting from his
pure surfaces beauty which Rembrandt himself
with all his tremendous powers, could not have
attained. Perhaps the master would have dis
dained Yer Meers ideal as something not alto
setheF worthy Of his genius. thing naturally to
be left 70 quieteT, more refined and, perhaps.
smaller temperament. Yer Meer could afford to
concentrate himself upon his modest inspiration.
u was. at any rate. authentic. and, what is more
It led him 70 perfection. There five examples
OF him at the museum, and as has been noted. Mr.
Altman is 20 lend another This is good fortune
indeed, considering that there are only thirty-odd
Yer Meers in the world. It is interesting to OBJ
serve, too that Of the specimens now shown the
nnest is that Girl with Water Jug which is a
permanent possession OF the museum. forming part
or the late Mr.. Marquands fine collection Even
Mr.. Morgan's Lady Writing and Mrs Hunting
tons Lady with Lutte" both radiantly beautiful
paintings, seem little less gemlike than this
less study Of blues and whites. Mr. Fricks Music
Lesson and Mr. Johnson's Lady with Guitar
are distinctly below its astounding level But after
all special satisfaction in the Yer Nicer that we
can see all the time need scarcely diminish our
pleasure in the pictures by him which for a brief
period emerge from private galleries. They are all
deeply interesting in their serene mastery. their
loveliness OF tone their indefnable distinction
II Is not only his superiority in respect 10 style
but his amer qualities as a coorist and a painter OF
light that give Yer Meer almost cruel advan-
tage over those fellow countrymen Of his who la
bored In the same field There are some notable
specimens OF their craft IN this exhibition Senator
Clark, Mr. Borden and Mr.. Frick have each lent q
good piece by Terborch Mrs Haveratyer sends her
brilliant picture OF The Visit" by De Hoogh. and
besides several other examples os that artist there
are TWO thoroughly representative Sfetsus. These
paintings are ntrinsicaIly admirable and they
serve OF course. useful purpose in rounding out
chapter OF Dutch art in g scheme like that
ranged az the museum At the time
cannot help speculating. half amusedly. as 70 how
much more effective they would be IL there were
no Yer Meers about Beside his cool white light
the luminosity OF De Hoosh seems artificial and
sadly overwrought He makes Terborch look dull
ard hard and Metsu trivial Above all. his Won
derful surfaces so smooth and yet soft jewel.
Ike and Yet clearly patted in the artists closest
sense of the terH Eut theirs 20 shame. For little
lesson n the difference between the mastery
upUlatton % pigment aQd the humdrum manage
ment OF the same problem. compare the treatment
of the blue skirt IN tbs MaTQUand Yer Aeer with
that of the red dress oy the last figure the
right in 3Ir. BoFden's De Hoosh The Music
Party" II IS en- instance of the crushing triumph
of genius over talent. one comes back. too. in
noting this contrast. TO the sve--a absorhus question
Q: the relation Of spirit 10 substance Halls paint
ing humanity with gusto. still cannot mould II %
quite tie moving forms that lie within the reach
of the more creative Rembrandt De Hdogh and
his compeeTs use the same modelS that answered
for Yer Meer. They tTust. he did. TO the life
about them but they lack his LAST subtle f1r. his
inalenaoe sense Of beauty. So is with Jan SteeA
that boisteroasy sympathetic lnner OF rustic man
ners the ways os the barnyari and the tavern. II
IS Impossible kinde 10 the spirit. the truth
and the ski! in the pictures BY him al the museum
II would be absurd 70 undervalue thetr artless
comedy. and in ore example the Grace Before
Meat" lent by 4.r Johnson We are touchlngy
reminded that ne. TOO. had his ignoble
ments. Nevertheless. you cannot md delight, a
lasting sensation OF beauty. in the Dutch Hogarth
as you can ind Il n Yer Meer.
There are other suggestive contrasts provoked by
this exhibition in the sphere OF landscape painting
but comment upon the imposing group OF pictures
by the Ruisdaels. Hobbema cuyp. Bsrchem. Van
Goyen. KonincA and the rest must oe reserved for
another occasion There IS. too. further collec-
tion 70 which il will be necessary TO return. one
organized In honor Of Fultons memory and made
up both OF paintings and objects OF industrial art
This section embraces some capital examples OF
Copley. West, Stuart. Trumbun. Morse. Sully and
other salient figures. II may be added tnat ootn
the Dutch and the American exhibits are admirably
displayed the hanging OF the pictures rejecting
high credit on the STAFF Of the museum The double
show. which is profusely illustrated elsewhere in
this Issue OF The Tribune. viii remain open until
the middle or end OF November R c.