New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-31
THE LOUVRE MUSEUM
Its Acquisition of Baron Isaac de
Camondo'S Art Collection.
Paris. August 1s

A.
.,st now very busy preparing the rooms
,or the superb art collection bequeathed
% the national museum by the late Baron
Ysaac de Camondo. NJ. Homone In q
recent conversation with your CORE
snondent. stated that since Louis La
RAE gave his famous gallery of paint
irrs 70 the Louvre. over fifty years ago,
che most important and most precious
beouests to the Louvre are the colec-
lions Of decentralization and OF Isaac
ne Camondo The much talked of col
lection Chauchard. now in the Louvre.
Is considered by the best art critics as
very Disappointing 1t was made by
professional dealers for man who per-
fonauv knew very little about art. Al
though IL contains perhaps a dozen good
works most Of the numbers blaze with
vugarity or are Of Indifferent merit
The Camondo collection. on the con-
trsry. was the careful we'll considered,
discreet labor Of a lifetime. made by one
Of the best art judges Of the day. NJ.
Eomcue saws that by most happy CO.
Incidence the collections of Moreau-
HNaton and Camondo the most pre-
rious portions of both of which pertain
O. nineteenth century art. by no means
duplicate one another. but each collec-
zion completes the other Without the
Noreau- Nelaton collection the Louvre
would lack many examples Of the best
works Of the first half Of the nineteenth
century. especially paintings by Della
eroix and Corot Without the Camondo
collection the Louvre would be deficient
ir the finest works Of the latter half of
the same century. which for transcen-
dent force and beauty are the most char
fcteristic expressions Of modern French
az.
The chief portion Of the Camondo col
lection consists Of pictures painted dur
frr the period from 1860 to the present
time The works are by artists of varied
temperaments, but each in his own way
Is strikngly representative Of his time.
There are no Reuoirs in the Camondo
gallery. but IL contains some Of the
finest paintings Of NJ. Degas, Of N.
Claude Monet and of Manet. Sisley and
Cezanne. French painting Of the middle
OF the nineteenth century is represented
by only four pictures, two OF which are
by Delacroix and two by Corot But
each picture is a masterpiece. The su-
rerb painting OF stations Fighting is
perhaps the best canvas that Delacroix
ever executed. and the studio" by
Corot is a picture Of marvellous beauty,
proving what has long been unknown,
that the figures Of Corot are fully equal
q his landscapes. Among the eighteenth
century paintings in the Camondo gal
lery are admirable works by Vatican,
Fragonard. La Tour. Perronneau and
ssiut-Aubin.
The objects Of art in the Camondo col
lection are OF inestimsble value. The
best known among them is the famous
clock by Falconet The Three Graces,
which was exhibited at the Paris Expo
eition Of 1900. when the late Baron
Camondo refused an offer Of 100000 for
f. stating at the time that he intended
O. bequeath il to the Louvre. This fabu-
lous price is exaggerated, because even
the finest works OF Houdon, who was a
superior sculptor TO Falconet. never real
lied one-tenth Of this sum. The high
price rs due 70 the fact that The Three
Graces" is clock. or in other words
riece Of furniture. which. owing 70 the
caprice Of fashion and the fancy bric-a-
brac dealers, is nowadays worth more
than a mere work of art. If the Fall
comet clock We're separated from the fig
ures Of TIE Three Graces' the latter
would not he estimated by the experts
a. one-twentieth Of its recent valuation.
Extraordinarily beautiful furniture and
tapestries accompany the Falconet clock.
These were once the personal property Of
Louis Ky. The two canapes, four arm
chairs and four chairs belonging 10 this
suite Of furniture are OF exquisitely
carved wood and are covered with the
finest Gobelins tapestry. The collecti~n
also contains some marvellous table SER
vices in porCelsines Of Rouen, Goult,
NarseiIes. Moustier and Nevers. There
ere upward Of twenty Renaissance Ital-
Ian bronze figures, among which is a
plaque by Donatello representing the
C~rcifxion. Besides these there is
score OF japanese bronzes and masks Of
astounding intensity Of expression, and
some Of the best specimens Of colored
tngrawngs Of Hokousai and Sharakou.
". Homolle is having photographs
taken OF the rooms in the residence Of
The late Baron Camondo so that they
NAV De- exactly reconstructed. with the
pictures and objects Of art, in the Louvre
Museum. II was only a few days ago
that the government signified its ac-
ceptsuon Of the legacy. Baron Camondo
died four months ago. The delay is due
10 the law that prohibits from tie
Louvre the works Of artists until at least
ten wears shall have elapsed after their
Death. This law is recognized to be wise
end just. But the painters Of many OF
the pictures in the CamOndo collection
Bro still alive. The government after
thoroughly Investigating the question,
came % the conclusion, as il did in the
case Of the Chauchard legacy. that the
works Of living artists might be accepted
Is q Temporary" measure 20 be made
final when the necessary period shall
have expired Some doubts have been
expressed i'm regard 20 the legality OF
this decision especially as by Baron
Canordo's will. should the Louvre re-
fuse the bequest. the collection must go
10 the gallery Of the Petit Polais, which
of