New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-08
THE BORDEN PICTURES
A Remarkable Collection of Old
Masters.
REMBRANDT'S "LUCRETIA"
Rare Oriental Porcelains and
Fine Modern Bindings in
American Galleries.

on view al the American Art Galleries.
justifies everything that has been said
about ii. Enthusiastically it was built I'd
on the hypothesis that quality. not guam
tty. should prevail. There is, to be sure.
a rather odo line of cleavage between the
old and modern wings Of the collection.
The latter includes some pictures the
choice Of which is hard TO reconcile with
the taste that selected the great Rem
brandt. his "Lucretia Stabbing Herself
ON the other hand il is to be said for Mr.
I Borden that when he sought examples OF
painters like Ger6me. MISSIONER Vibert.
| Detaille. and so on. he secured illustra-
tons OF those fnen at their best. We do
not doubt that when the pictures are put
up at auction in the Grand Ballroom OF the
Plaza, next Thursday and Friday even
ings. the works by popular Salon types
VIII not by any means go a-begging. And
the modern paintings include too some
glorious souvenirs Of the Partition group.
But II is, OF course. the array Of old
masters that will make this sale memo
rable.
Rembrandt heads the list. with the ia
nous canvas already mentioned. This
'Lucretia" of his is a characteristic trans
lation OF = classical motive into the terms
Of seventeenth century Holland, or TO be
even more exact. those OF the artists
studio. He painted his old Roman hero
inc as he painted Saskia investing the
! figure with due emotion. but paying no
attention 10 what we may call archeolog
zeal verisimiltude The dress. the jewels
nay. the figure itself and the type Of coun-
| tenancc. are all Of Rembrandt's own time
| and place lie IL the dramatist. In a
! measure but he is in the first place Just
| himself. with his love Of rich stuffs. his
| love Of color. and his intimate human
feeling. II is a beautiful. glowing thing.
a masterpiece. Around IL are assembled
about a dozen splendid specimens Of the
Dutch and Flemish schools landscapes.
interiors with figures. and one or two
fine portraits. The portraits here make.
indeed. an impressive group by them
selves. The "Lucretia" really belongs in
! this category. Then comes a gem by
! Frans Halls, the little panel in which is
portrayed The Rev. Gaspar Sibelius." a
rubicund. smiling churchman. stately
enough in his sedate garb and fine linen.
but painted with that artless feeling for
;pression and gesture which always gave
| rich. informal vitality 10 the work OF
| Halls. II shows up his brsvura in it's delft
est. most exquisite aspect. The Van Dyck
| "Portrai, OF a Gentleman" belongs TO the
masters Flemish period. Not so glowing
4 &c
and less courtly than those which he
painted in England. it discloses in their
best est ate the qualities OF sober strength
and masculine dignity which he used
when he was painting his countrymen at
| home.
Chief amongst the genre pictures is the
lovely dc lIoogh. The Music Party in
which the radiant colors worn by the
figures in the foreground introduce kind
Of tonal symphony. the last soft notes OF
| which CLEAN In the distant sky. IL Is one
| OF the most complex schemes he ever pant
J ed. more luxurious. 90 TO say, in Its theme
than was customary with him. and more
dclicatcly developed. a good pendant for
| II IL found in the Lady Pouring WINE
| by Tcrborch. hut all Of tho Borden pict-
ures of this order arc jewels, the cxtraor-
dnarily polished Cuyp. Man Eating Mus
sells" the interior. by Toniers. Woman
Shaking i'm an Inn" which a. piece or
nure painting Is a little miracle. and the
,uo nictures By tho two Ostadcs. Thc'c
arc noble landscapes by iIobbema' Ruys-
dael and Wynants. there If iine marine
| ny Van der Vclde. and there are TWO good
| L..
Wouyermans. Decidedly, the Low 'ouh-
! tr,.s have not in long time been so "eH
renrcsented in an American sale az on
| this occasion.
There are only two Italian paintings
hut these, typical Venetian pictures pS
Guard. are Of hawless ordnance. Inc
| ,ost Of the old masters arc oil inc e's"'
,oonth century English school ReShoios
and Gainsborough are represented D! poI-
.,.i,s which. II not In their most ainbi-
| .,o,s yein. are at all events authentic, OF
Ia high quality and sufficiently charming
Romncy's triple portrait or children
brims over with the daintiest tellcity Vi
that master He is more IMPOSING per-
hans yeightier both In style ana tech-
n,oue. I'm the large Countess OF Glen
cairn." but neither this nor the Lady
| ,I.,,uto, as Madonna" makes anything
IKE the endearing appeal OF the Wllett
! Cu,ud,on" Uoppner wins triumph
anart in the exhibition with his Mrs.
| .rhu,hnot." a romantic subject roman
,icaIly and brilliantly painted. A kindred
81, NJ spirited brushwork IL encountered
,r Iawrence's Miss Kent" Constable,
nd
the landscape contingent, all In eooo
form. and the single Morland is super
| latively good one.
We need not recur In detail 10 inc
| r,odern paintings Of the sort to which
49,. alluded at the outset. but In any case
,bese would be pushed into the pach-
| grornd by the works OF Corot. Rousseau
.nd their contemporaries. There arc fouf
Landscapes BY Corot, and II would DC
lord IN say which OF the four Is the most
Characteristic or most beautiful. 80 II IS
with all Of the Borden pictures OF the
great romantic movement, they are treas
,ros and this collector had the same dis
o.rnment and good fortune when ne
turned from Millet and Dauplghy 10
nour,;er or Monticello. His two modern
n,,oh nictures, by Mauye and Neuhuys.
.ro on the same high plane, and. as
though 10 round out tho harmony when
10 brought a few Americans into his gal
,nrv he obtained impeccable examples oil
| caoree Inness. Alexander Wyant, Worth
teton Whittredgc and Jervis McEntee.
If Is with sigh OF delight that one LOOKS
hack NJ the whole rare and distinguished