New-York tribune., 1910-12-30
ART EXHIBITIONS.
The Sale of the John n. Converse
Collection,

! llD1tlon Of pictures and Orienialia which
opens this morning. The pictures belong to
the estate of the late John IT. Converse, of
Philadelphia. end will be sold at Mendels-
sohn Hall the evening of Friday. jan
uary 6. The Eastern porcelains, rugs and
other objects are the property of Yama-
naka & Co and will be disposed of for
them at the American Art Galleries on the
! afternoons of January q. and Z.
/ The Converse pictures form one of those
collections in which ve recognize as in a
page Of history, q characteristic develop
ment in American taste. This Philadel-
phia amateur pulled In opposite di-
rections by old and new modes. Or. per-
haps it would be more accurate to say
that he found his pleasure in harmonizng
| them. At all events, he had a liking for
the most diverse types in modern painting,
turning to the sentimental anecdote on one
side and to the nobIest landscape study on
the other His Barbizon pictures make the
salient group in this exhibition, and they
| include some works of extra aordinary
beauty The "Chaunere en- Picardie' OF
Rousseau Is one OF the loveieSt things that
master ever painted. On ground that rises
with some abruptness from the bottom of
| the canvas thatched cottage nestles
among trees the latter clad in tie full,
rich foliage of early summer. freely
modelled and spendidIy yitaIized sky fills
the rest of the picture. Very shrewdly
composed, but at the same time almost
artless in the freshness OF the impression
that 1t conveys. this rustic scene has a
! light and sparkling charm not often en-
countered in the work Of Rousseau, Who
usually struck a gTaver note. Indeed.
everything about the painting, the luscious
color, the broad Vet very accurate ham
ding and the breezy atmosphere. points to
an exceptional moment. Barbizon pictures
are common enough in the auctions OF a.
season. but only once In a while do we
have an example like this one.
| Mr.. Converse was lucky. too, in his illus
| trations of the art Of Diaz- There are
three OF them on the walls-a bewitchins
little Landscape Study painted on panel
| in very reserved tones; larger Pool at
| Fontainebleau.' which is likewise in a
quieter, grayer key than the conventional
Diaz, and, lastly. an Oriental interior
which represents him at his high water
mark We have seen other paintings by
Diaz which possessed a more jeWellike
glow, but this ''DanSe des Almses' has the
even greater merit OF evenly beautiful tone.
! 1t was 4 favorite expedient OF his to con-
centrate the light on some particular cpl
| sode in his composition. Here he has not
only kept the illumination down, but has
made it all-pervading. with the result that
the picturesque ROOM crowded with figures,
has an effect of perfect unity. The tones
are marvelloEsly fused. and the same spirit
which has gone to the making of this so
norous harmony has presided over the
/ placing of the dancers and those who
! watch them. Every figure is in The right
| place, which is 10 say that the grouping is
as natural It is significant OF skill and
| thought. II IS exquisite specimen of the
romantic movement, and in its subdued
| warmth a picture to live with. So. too, is
| the Landscape with Distant Village by
Daubigny, a vigorous piece OF brushwork,
| delicately imtued with simple landscape
sentiment, and the lover of warmer, more
dramatic motives will linger with delight
! over the brilliant sky and the solid, even
fat color in La Charette' of Dupre, d
small but somehow massive composition.
| The two Corots are interesting, but do not
take one captive with his accustomed fe-
| Iicity. The large Landscape by the Sea"
| attracts by its solid construction, it's pei
! lucid air and it's strain of almost Eng
lish simplicity. but one misses his charac-
!
more personal and therefore more beguil-
+, ing about the little Honf1uer panel, a Cal
vaire de la Cote de Grace" briefly but firm
ly studied, and very suggestive OF the di-
rectness with which Corot could sometimes
make sketch.
There are pictures by two other Roman
ticists, a tiny Landscape with Windmill -
by Mariihat, which in spite of its restricted
scale has a curious quality of pictorial
largeneSs and a rather expected color
scheme by Fromentin, AN Arab Shepherd -
III which the quier tones of pale brown,
green and blue are in interesting contrast
to the tints by which he is generally
known. The best of the other landsca pes
are Jongkinds Dutch Canal by Moonlight"
a rainting remarkable for the depth af Its
atmosphere and the beauty of its translu-
cent grays; the wildly painted picture of
The Cleaners by Lhermitte: one Of
Martin Ricos sparkling Venetian scenes.
and a capitally composed Meadows with
Cattle" containing some charming tones,
by Arthur Hoeber. For the rest, the collec-
ton puts before us the sprightly designs,
technically accomplished Il not precisely
brilliant in style of such narrative painters
as Zamacois Benjamin Constant, lean
Aubert Berne- Bellecour, Rideway knight
A. Tsmburini, j. {. Vibert, and on
through we'll filled popular list. There
are works in this category which appeal to
the student of painting, the polished, iuordi-
nateIy clever Rendezvous OF Zamacois.
for example; and of course. among the
genre pictures, the passages of familiar OBJ
servation and homcly feeling. one pauses
with abundant appreciation before canvas
like THE Sewing Glass" of Johann Kever
But IL is for their subjects chiefly that the
observer glances at most of the works out
ception must be noted in the case of the
late Winslow Houcr's Musical Amat teurs &"
an intensely interesting souvenir of his
early period. This hurried sketch Is full
Of life; there is most winning quality IN
its color and 1t has unmistakably the ac-
cent of style.
The pictures surveyed above occupy the
large gallery on the main floor and one Of
the smaller rooms upstairs. All the rest of
the space is filed with the more than Ave
hundred pieces belonging TO Yamanaka &
Co. The numerous rugs Of ancient Chinese
origin make fine show. There is a very
handsome old palace screen which will
doubtless excite eager competition. But the
exhibition owes a great deal to its mass OF
porcelains and the like If in that mass
there Is g. generous quantity of rather com
nonplace objects there are also many fine
examples. especially OF single color glazes.
TThera is of yellow ct