New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-06
ART EXHIBITIONS
The YerkeS House and Some
Other Subjects.

A press view held Yesterday at the Fifth
avenue house. OF the late Charles T. Yerkes
disclosed the last Cf those possessions Of his
which are being sold at auction by the
American sTt Association. The house
itself IS a sumptuous affair. in the decora-
ton Of which an enormous amount of
money must have been spent. There is
nothing about it TO suggest any special
distinction Of taste. Indeed, the only room
IN j; which really exci;es admiration is the
Italian winter garden. which fills a good
deal Of space Of one Of the upper floors.
This is diguised and attractive, and has
a certain simplicity not elsewhere to be
noted. The interior otherwise is what is
generally described as rich and hand
some" though it should be added that
there is nothing here that is merely garish.
There is a quantity OF good furniture in
the house, and there are several more of
the beautiful rugs. carpets and tapestries
to which reference has already been made
in The Tribune, well as a number of fine
altar frontals. embroidered banners and
other odd bits Of embroidery. Next to these
in interest among the extremely miscel-
laneous objects that remain TO he sold are
the contents of the sculpture gallery. and
most conspicuous at this point is the
bronze replica OF Houdon's Diana" the
full length nude in which he is said to have
portrayed Mile. Odeoud. This is one Of the
most famous of all the productions of the
great eighteenth century sculptor. The
statue as he executed IL in marble Is in the
Hermitage at st. Petersburg, and there is
d version Of the head. also i'm marble, in the
collection OF Nine. de Grefuhle, in Paris.
As regards the bronze repetitions the facts
available are "A little puzzling. There is
one in the Louvre, ana Lady Dixie speaks
OF another as being in the Wallace collec-
ton at HEREFORD House. In her work on
French Architects and Sculptors of the
Eighteenth Century" published in 1909. she
does not speak of d third bronze. What
ever the origin OF the Nerkes statue, II is
lovely piece. thing OF very delicate
linear charm and marked by wonderfully
1.-the grace. Ii is by all odds the most in
teresting item in the gallery, though it Is
surrounded by divers effective things. in
Guiding the prodigiously spirited and clever
'Bacchante" Of Frederick MacMonnies, q
couple Of characteristic studies in subtle
modelling 10y ROdin and a charmingly deco
rative "Bacchante'' by Falconet. Geromes
big group. "Pygmalion and Galates,' is
scarcely one of his happiest performances
IL plastic art. II is dull and heavy, in I'M
fortunate contrast to those small bronzes
which did so much TO add TO his repute.
The group by Andreoni is also disappoint-
ing. Lombard's Diana" though quite
uniTnaginative piece OF work, is technically
accomplished.
The rest Of the material displayed at the
house is almost too variegated TO permit
any specific comment. There are minia-
lures. snuff boxes, trays and so on. APP
pearing quite Unexpectedly. and forming an
amusirgly picturesque episode, is a little
collection Of Old locks and keys. There are
French, German and Italian weapons of
early date. and there are some interesting
pieces Of armor- Carved worries and old
wax medallions. several bronze statuettes,
few clocks and cand!esticks, pieces Of
silver and plated ware. examples Of Euro
pcan and Oriental porcelain, antique de-
signs il loaded glass and various fragments
OF woodcarviLg marble columns, and SINH
lar decorative items swell the list almost
indefinitely. There are even two large os-
trich eggs and six rare butterflies. Finally.
there is a fairly voluminous collection of
books, Of no great consequence save for
the art collector, who may here turn over
a great number of catalogues Of notable
sales. The YerKes catalogue itself. which
the house. runs to considerably more than
a thousand numbers. The sale takes place
next Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday al
ternoons and on Tuesday and Wednesday
evenings