The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-11

n N
| Is. the much discussed collec-
~ ton OF old masters from the
well known Blakeslee CALLER
les Of New York will be placed on
public view by the American Art As
ISOLATION preparatory to the sale,
which takes place In the ballroom Of
the Hotel Plaza on the evenings of
April Il, 22 and 20.
The early English school In largely
represented In this collection. but
there are numerous examples also
from the French. Flemish. Dutch.
Italian and Spanish schools. The
artists include some OF the greatest
names In the history Of art. but pos
slbly all OF them are dominated upon
The present occasion by the robust
talent Of Rubens, whose large and i'm
portant work The Alteration Of the
Magi" was the most priced posses
sion Of the late Mr.. Blakeslee.
As is usual in great modern picture
sales and this is expected To he the
greatest picture selling event since
the dispersal of the celebrated Yerkes
collection, experts have been called in
to give the weight OF their authority
to the attributions of the pictures. DR..
oswald siren of Stockholm writes crit
ically Of The Italian pictures, has
changed some of the attTibutions OF
the carly works and gives his reasons
IN an Interesting preface.
william Roberts. we'll known art
critic OF London. writes the desCrip-
tons Of The pictures and supplies
the comments upon tho English paint
nrs, and also Of the famous Rubens,
This picture. which is almost ORR
entail In lts brilliant coloriug and care
fully thought out detail. was painted
ny Ruhens for the Church Of ST. Mar
in in the town now called Bergues
some Ave miles from Dunkirk. The
church was rebuilt in the seventeenth
century and still contains, or d!d
contain until receutiv. a rumber NJ In
'rrcstinC paintings. and doubtless this
Rubors adorned its noteworthy high
altar" rs Raedeker has H. until it was
sold In 1896.
In this picture, large ore, cant
feet by ten, the Virgin. with the Cfi.d
upon her knee, and St. Joseph are
at the entrance TO ,he stable, shown
n the conventional way. as in RUNS.
with some Corinthian pillars Hurg
upon the ground. They are at the eN-
treme left and the rest OF the great
canvas il filed with the more than
usually Respondent drapories II the
Mag, who have numerous and spec
taruiar attendants
Max Rooses, the Rubens authority.
vrot" that the composition is by
Rubens entirely, and so are the prin-
cpal figures. The Virgin is entirely
PAINTED by the hand of Rubens az
well as the child Jesus; Of a beautiful
bright color, standing out clearly. The
Wise Man with the white hair IL en-
nrely by the hand of Rubens. The
Negro King Is the dominating figure
4 the picture. The red cloak trimmed
with yellow ard with white fur
'ollar fills the entire picture with an
Enormously brilliant sweep. II In one
~ THE most admirable pieces the mas
ter has ever produced. 1t forms a
"baL- VI tOlOT CdlCuIdteu W eCilpht
me richest picture in tones"
The painting when sold BY the
church authorities In 1866 to meet
ne expenses OF repairs to the build
Ing was bought by the celebrated
amateur Random de Bolsset. At Lee
bruins sale IN 1871 II sold for $500
francs. and at Robits sale in 1901 1t
fetched 1850 francs, becoming the
property VI Cardinal Fesch, AT his
sale It was acquired "by member
81 re family" The Cardinal was
Mpoleon's uncle. and when the pic
'lrc WAS gold at ChrlstieIs in 1853 II
was sold as the properly Of Prince
de Canine, Lucien Charles Bonaparte,
Bentley, tho well known dealer bought
At for $1,000, and after that 1t dis
appeared from public view until II
Mme into the possession OF Mr..
Bakeslee.
The Van Dyck full length portrait
or lady OF tho Coningsby family
came, al did many Of the pictures Of
inc Blakeslee collection, from English
sources This Van Dyck recently be-
ionsed to Charles Butler, . connois-