The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15

\ Az. BIRNBArM In the galleries
MI OF the Berlin Photographic
Company Is now pulling or
another OF his exceedingly helpful cx-
hioitlons. This time IT is collection
OF Persian miniatures" gathered from
Continental sources and runs through
the whole Persian ganut. beginning
with few primitives, touching the high
| places Of the Timurid era and con-
! tinuing with examples Of work executed
! during the Persian decline and fall off.
| If II fails 10 make the noise that the
! Bakst drawings did earlier In the season
| u will simply be because the art IL
| finer and without the calculated dilu-
| lions that the crafty Russian made in
| transating his Persian for us lazy Oc-
cidentaIs Of the present day. This pub
| lie liked It's Bakst, and not having no.
, ticed any i'll effects from the dilutiop
may now be persuaded to nibble at me
real thing. Ii Is true that we have
some very beautiful miniatures in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art that no.
body has looked at, but that Is different.
They are in cases. and It is fatiguing
20 bend over cases. They are also IN
narrow rooms that seem like vcstibules
TO larger treasure houses, and when
ever an American gets started in any
direction In the magnificent distances
If our museum he feels 10th TO lnger
by tho way. Mr.. Birnbaum has some
in cases too. but he has enough upon
his walls to interest perhaps nation
that never stoops to conquer work of
art.
The dellcacy OF the work upon these
miniatures adds to the difficulty Of
close study. They are filter for the
closet than for the wall or case. bu.
once the rich color and easy Decorative
ness engages US there Is plenty OF life IN
them and Of the poetry that we under
stand. one 10y one many Of the topics
or our own art are touched upon and
always with an accent that is uneN-
pccted. Professions are very beautiful
anywhere, but particularly In Persia
where they had handsome horses and
knew how 70 draw them. Battles are
more Plentiful with them than with us.
and more successful. With shame W.
confess Il, but our American battle
pieces as works Of art are not bowling
successes. The Persian artists 10 their
great advantage We're allowed to ignore
all of the participants in the battle. ex-
cept the two or three principal heroes
and enemies. who sit their horses su-
pcrb!y and fight with such supreme dis
dain and calmness that you would
scarcely guess them to be fighting at all,
did not their heads roll OF occasionally
10 the exactly correct spot the compost.
ton demands.
Battles and Ambassadors coming to
pay their respects To cinperors are the
favorite subjects The emperors are IN
varably young ana handsome ana they
SIT under stunning lklosks. In one beau
! tiful miniature an emperor crosses the
sea in IA little boat, still under his kiosk,
ana he III accompanied by his Rosen-
cran2 and Gulldcnstern. ana one naked
sailor TO row, while the fishes show how
deeply impressed they are by leap,ng
from the slatey waters. There are many
animal pictures. comoats with dragons.
dancing girls feasts In which the gen
tlemen plainly show the effects Of the
feast and one wrestling bout. The bout,
/ IL q true one and not a mere idle dream
! upon the part Of the artist. " one event
, that history has not repeated, for IL
represents a magnificent white hope"
throwing a burly chocolate colored
wrestler over his shoulder TO the dis
gust of all the audience save one. the
]
rupees upon the white hope.
These miniatures are not alone i'm
pressive because OF their decorativeness
but because Of their accuracy Of draw
ing. In the portraits the precision par
allels with thar OF Memling. Holbein
and Gentle Bell!n!. T. r. Martin, our
English authority. is persuaded that Per-
sian art Is a direct continuation Of an
tique traditions. the artists captured In
battle by the Pcrsians continuing In
service to their new ruler and adapting
their skill to the new life. The sureness
of hand displayed In the work he at
tributes to the fact that the artists were
total abstainers. There may be some
thing In that idea If we were dead
sure Of the correctness OF Mr.. Martins
supposition We should insist upon all
OF our dear readers signing the pledge
at once, for surcness Of hand such as
Blhzad and Mlrak. the Persians, pos
scssed In greatly TO be desired. The
reason VIC hesitate is that We fear that
steadiness OF hand Is already ono Of our
virtues and that something else Ia re-
quired besides that. such as simplicity,
tho power TO make believe and the
ability to think our own little thoughts
though all tho world oppose VIZ.
Artists who look Mt beautiful works
OF art say first, by George. that's
good" Then after II moment they usu-
ally add To themselves confldentially,
why can't 7 do something like that"
! Bihzad, the Persian, had such a besut,-
full place 70 work In that It would seem
! u have been - Natural for him 20 DO