Evening star., 1914-11-21


evening Of this week was an
event of much more than or
dinary note. This collection is one of
the richest and finest assembled by an
American citizen. and the day of its
opening may be regarded as the date
upon which it became permanently
available to all lovers of art. 1t oc-
cupies five galleries and forms a unit
by itself.
The first gallery is given over to
paintings of the Dutch school. There
are no less than thirteen Rembrandts,
showing the painter in various moods.
Perhaps in no place now in the world
can this greatest of Dutch masters be
studied SO satisfactorily. for while his
greatest masterpieces are. it Is true,
in foreign museums, the group in the
Altman collection manifests at once
his marvellous versatility. No repro
ductions of these paintings could ever
give more than the merest suggestion
of, their value. Some of the subjects
are extremely homely. but the way in
which they are treated is SO wonderful
that they delight and thrill those who
stand before them. The people he de-
pActS are living pelnSs, insiSleHl Win
personality. His handling of light Is
seen to be next to miraculous. He, bet
ter than almost any one who ever
lived, knew how to paint; with MIN
1t certainly was not what he did, but
the way he did it that signified-and
yet 1t is easy to believe that he did
his work quite naturally and merely
az II seemed to him it should be done.
One of the thirteen paintings by
Rembrandt in the Altman collection Is
a portrait Of the artist after he had
passed middle age, not a comely man,
nor yet one whose features betokened
refinement. but with wonderful clear
seeing eyes, strong will, determination,
and. as all know, keen. perhaps the
keenest sense of beauty. Probably one
in this collection is picture of an old
woman cutting her nails. One may
well exclaim. What a subject!' but
standing before the canvas the ex-
clamation is What a painting" Light.
atmosphere, the play of color. combine
to produce an effect which is fairly
enhancing. There are other portraits.
some of women, some of men, one of
the painters son. Titus, all full OF
vitality and extraordinary interest.
themes. 'Pilate Washing His Hands.
and The Toilet of Bathsheba After tho
Bath" for 1t should be remembered
that Rembrandt was master not only
Of portraiture. but OF composition, and
dearly loved to tell stories in pictures.
But never does the artist make way
for the narrator-whatever he has had
to say he has said artistically In terms
Of painting.
with the Rembrandts are assembled
and hung other works by other Dutch
men. There are three pictures by Frans
Halls. two showing groups Of royster--
ing figures. jovial. colorful. full of
high spirits. painted with breadth yet
much directness and certainty. Then
there are the familiar little interiors
SO faithfully painted. and still so en-
gaging by Nicholas Macs. Pieter de
Hoogh and Vermeer of Delft. There is
a Terborch and quaint Gerard Dou.
a Hobbema. Ruysdael and Albert
Cuyp. Certainly noble company wit
Messing the supremacy of the Low
Lands in art in other days!
The walls in this gallery are hung In
dark green velvet. In an adjacent gal
lery the wall covering is dark blue. in
others it Is gray. thus the vistas are
pleasing and the backgrounds most
appropriate. In the corner Of the
Dutch gallery. directly opposite the en-