New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-15

River Stour' ......................CO Constable
Mrs. Tenant ..............GainS6orough
Mrs. Bell .......................... Raebur1,
state Procession ...:..............I urner
Countess of Coventry ........... .Morland
'Marquise de Laborde' .Nigee Lebrun
La Devideuse' .....................;' Ireuze
Mile. Helvetius' ..................::: Drouals
"Marquise de Spinola" ...........yan Dyck
"lnfanta .,....:.....'.'.''''''''' eIaSquSSI
"Nicolaes Ruts" ................ Rembrandt
Duchess of Devonshire" .Gainsboroueh
THE Topham Family ........John Russeli
Nine. Mondevelles" Recommendation
Nine. de Pompadour" .Nanloo
Two or three of these have already
been seen here. The Hobbemas and
the magnificent "Nicolaes Ruts' of
Rembrandt were exhibited at the Met
ropolitan in 1909 at the time Of the
Hudson Fulton celebration. These and
certain other items in the group, the
Van Dyck and the two portraits by
Rubens. remind us Of the full attention
which Mr.. Morgan has given TO the art
Of the Low Countries. When all his
pictures are brought together the
Dutch and Flemish wing will be seen
TO be very strong. But as the list
shows the forthcoming exhibition VIII
ne peculiarly notable for its representa-
ton Of the eighteenth century English
school Indeed. we would venture to
prophesy that the one universally pop
ular painting of them all will be Law
rence's Miss Farren." 1t is one Of
the most bewitching portraits in the
world. exquisite in color, and In its
handling without n trace Of that sleek
ness which 50 often kept the painter
from reaching the highest level Of his
tradition. There is a magic in it, al
most the magic OF Gainsborough. In
design, in the perfect Interpretation Of
a lovely subject and the fitting of a
figure to its space, it stands for the fine
flower OF Lawrence's art.
The portrait has some amusing asso-
Citations. When it was painted, in
1880 the critics found fault with Law
renee for putting his sister in a John
coat" and giving her q fur mum TO
carry in a summer landscape. But
Burke defended him. Never mind,
he said, what little critics say, for
painters proprieties are always the
best" He had trouble, too, with Lord
Derby, whom Miss Farren married.
Lawrence had told the lady when she
came TO sit that the portrait would
cost go guineas, but her infatuated no
bleman, for all his devotion, was slow
mately he had to pay 100 guineas for
it. The artist had his sorest trial with
Eliza herself She did not like his
labelling the painting AN Actress"
when he sent it to the Royal Academy,
and later she criticised the work as
follows:
Mr. Lawrence. you will think me the
most troublesome of all human beings,
but indeed II Is not my fault; they tease
| me TO death about this picture. and insist
! upon my writing to you. one says IL Is so
| thin in the figure, that you might blow II
away-another that IL looks broke of In
| the middle in short, YOU must make il a
| little fatter, at all events, diminish the
| bend YOU are so attached to, even il IT
makes the picture look III; FOR the owner
Of ii is quite distressed about 1t al present.
The Miss Farren," we repeat will
exert a potent spell, but from another
point Of view the cl0u of the exhibition
will, of course be the renowned Ma
donna of SAINT Antonio" for which Mr..
Morgan paid 100000. This is the
altar piece which Raphael painted on
wood for certain nuns at Perugia at "A
transitional point in his development.
Grove and Cavalcaselle, in treating Of
| this work, speak of the union in one
| picture Of the best Of the Peruginesque
i time with the earliest of the Floren-
| tine period" 1t is another way of say
| ing that the master was just emerging
into his maturity We take from the
historians the following notes:
| Raphael probably left PeruSia in 1891
! with half zone work awaiting mis- return.
/ Before lac started, We may presume that
1 he had Orucrs from the nuns OF SANE
| Antonio Tor an altar piece. and from Jnr
| family OF the Ansidei ior Il Mother and
! Child with SAINTS ana II Is more than
| likely that before ne set out Oh his Jour
| ncy which ended with mis- visit ~ Flor
/ tIitf ne mao dtludllA btbull Dblil 1ltN'
| compositions. Deep IN the secrets of tho
| Perugnesque style, surrounded by pub
| lie wnicn more than any other IN ttdly
| cunE To mc-honorcd models, Raphael.
We should imagine. had begun both OF
| those pictures in obedience 10 the Canons
| of taste confined within the limits Of
UmJrian tradition, and subject To
| stringent orders from patrons claiming 10
| have opinions of their own. We can, in
| deed fancy that when ne returned To his
| painting room and rccollected the mar
| wells of Florentine art, the frcscocs OF
Masaccio and GhirlandaJo, and the Last
Judgment of Baccio della Porta, he may
have been surprised at the immobiity Of
Jmbrian painting, and aStOnished that his
own work should have been so long UNI
der the ban of a narrow and provincial
school. Vasari says, 1t soon became
apparent that Raphael had been al Flor
ence, since. thanks to having seen so
many things by first rate masters. he 50
varied and embelished his manner that
his second style seemed to have had no
connection with the first" AS he came
and saw the half-finished altar pieces. IL
must have occurred to him that he would
have designed them on other lines IL h"
had had to compose them afresh;s but
being above all practical man. and
having to consider the covenants which