New-York tribune., 1911-03-25

walls In these. drawings In black ana
white and studies In color. he not nffe-
ouently discloses MS feeling for traditional
design. his sympathy for the Renaissance
in matters OF formal decoration and In the
disposition Of the figure. but the compost
ton as whole has always an Individual
lied character. 1t is interesting to observe
by the way. how many OF the designs for
class in color are felicitous pictorial uhi's'
delipb,ful I'm and for themselves or the
great body OF miscellaneous drawings uat-
ing from al, the different periods OF La
Farge's career. II is Impossible 10 sped" III
detail nov and discussion Of them Il re-
served for another occasion. lucy '''o"
unfamiliar and very valuable iigh' upon MS
genius which they expose IN inhuheraoie
aspects. His pencil was never sun anu IL
illustrated all manner of SUBJECTS 'o'''
the model holding an academic ioe.
In Couture's classroom to the fgure OF
Virgil appearing to Dante. In the IN
ferno." one of the prime instances U, La
Farge's early enthusiasm for pictorial IN
te-protation Of the poets. We ma! no'e
In nassing that that enthusiasm laste1 long.
Late in life he made the striking ilustra-
ton for a story by Henry James Inc
Turning OF the Screw which figures III
this exhibition.
His interest in the old masters Is recalled
here and there. The striking copy III water
color which he made in 1856 Of the ''Christ
and the Disciples at Emmaus, by Rem-
brandt. al Copenhagen. Il in the collec-
lion There are several interesting old
pictures Madonna and Saints" by Spe-
rama. and a similar subject attributed 10
Catena. an aLmirablc piece. There are also
two or three characteristic sketches by the
late Winslow Homer and pictures by Ilar-
per Pennington. Humphreys johnston and
]. Wells Champrey But as a collector OF
the work Of other men La Fargo gave
most attention to the artists OF the East
and in the upper galleries there are assem-
bled A great number OF paintings. prints
and other Oriental objects. The body OF
pictorial work japanese and Chinese, is
extensive and valuable, containing many
rarities, and besides the imposing group Of
kakemonos there is rich library OF Jap
anese Illustrated books and albums. MI OF
the screens are beautiful and or d'stih-
guished origin. Fire rugs and embroide'ies
give lustre 20 the department OF textiles
and there are rurcroiis miscellaneous on
jects-lacquers. sword guards, bronzes.
vases (smong those q rare bit OF early
Ming. No. 81 worries. boxes. musical In
struments aud so on. There IL, too. grc1t
bronze such as very rarely is seen any
where In the West, a statue or kwan-
non (No. 1862, which illustrates Oriental
sculpture in It's noblest estate. Throughout
this mass OF material the fair Of the ar
tst is clearlr perceptbe. the collector es
sentialy a lover of beauty. Indeed to
20 slowly through these well filled galleries
is. as said at the outset. TO come in
contact with La Farce's personality. 10
recognize the spirit and the principles Of
taste which governed his stuGIo. his treas
ures. intrn scaliy fine. have the further in
terest OF souvenirs OF remarkable man.
Ali Of them--his own works. the big statue
Of kwannon. the prints ami furniture that
he had about him, the specimens Of his
work in glass-make TO the public an sX-
ceptionally persuasive appeal. r. G.