New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-24
THE HALSEY
PRINT COLLECTION
Rare Americana, Portraits,
Naval Views and Ur.
ban Subjects
BY ROYAL CORTISSOZ

MI. rEeOerlc II. halsey, OF THIS city,
has long enjoyed an enviable celebrity
amongst connoisseurs. 1. is very
large-containing more than ten thou
sand pieces-and IL is known for Quail
ity as we'll as for its unusual mag.
nitude. The first section has been
placed on view at the Anderson Gal.
leries, where il will be sold on the
evenings Of November I, 2 and 8. This
section, the catalogue Of which runs
to 1923 numbers, is devoted to Amer
icana, including historical portraits,
naval prints, views of New York and
divers miscellaneous items. The por-
traits dominate the show, forming an
extraordinarily interesting gallery.
1t is one Of the joys Of the collector
Of Americana that his scope is not
confined to local boundaries. His
soldiers and statesmen may be not
only Americans, but Englishmen and
Frenchmen. He is, to be sure, as in.
terested in Lafayette as in Washing
ton; il he collects the portraits Of
Franklin he collects also those Of Pitt
The result in an exhibition like this
is a fascinating assemblage Of per-
sonages, a sort of international who's
Who" of the Revolutionary period. A
fitting review of it would be not so
much a matter Of criticism as an ex-
cursion into historical snecdote. One
longs to put aside questions Of tech
niaue and, instead, to track the sitters
for these portraits through the
memoirs Of their time.
A Stipple by Baldry
We pause before the Francis Raw
don Hastings, Earl Of MORA" mo.
219), a stipple by Baldry, after Sir
Joshua, printed in colors. IL Is
charming thing, detaching itself by
virtue of certain dainty elegance
from the rather stately atmosphere:
enveloping most Of the portraits OF
that epoch. One would like to know
something about that debonair gentle
man, something apart from his public
career. which might do a little to ex-
plain his peculiarly gracious ssllenee.
So we dip into Lady Bessboroughs
sprightly correspondence and find her
confding to Lord Granville that III
! Lord Mora would shave off the black
whiskers that grow just under his
eyes and almost across his nose he
would be quite handsome" All the
sublime magic Of art. Reynolds knew
! lust what to do. He made the Earl
a veritable eighteenth century Apollo.
| We wonder what tale might be reeov-
cred to match the gaillard presence
I of Mr.. Caleb Whitefoord, late secre-
/ tary to the British Commission for
| Treating of Peace with America, IN
/ the portrait again by Reynolds, but
: in this instance engraved by Jones.
/ If there were time we would fnd one
! or invent it-for there must surely
be some engaging "reminiscences TO 90
with so handsome an apparitlon. IL
is not enough that we find in the
catalogue Fine impression; scarce,
though the information is exact
The catalogue, by the way, contains
one curiosity. Number S0 is entered
as "Fernand Cortez." The compiler
might plead precedent, since the same
print has been known under the same
title on other occasions, but 1t Is time
for the silly misnomer to be dropped;
This is an engraving after that tuli
length by Velasquez In the fraoo
which everybody knows as the portray
Of one of the butfoons of Philip ~:
"Don Juan of Austria" the sad eyed
lester was called, after the hero OF
7 Lepanto, for some occult reason. Inc
reason for calling this print "Eernand
Cortez" is equally obscure. But we
will not quarrel with the cstaloguel'
whose designations are generally just
and especially so in those cases where
he feels encouraged TO add note
about the scarcity of a print or me
excellence of the impression. Thougn
IL would be too much 10 ask collec-
tion of the kind 10 be one OF dazzling
gems. the rarities and the prints OF
exceptional beauty are surprisingly
numerous. Again and again we are
confronted By some portrait when Is
a perfect example of the mezzotlnters
art. Yet il is doubtful If this Will
determine the importance Of the forth
coming sale. The great thing for tns
collector will be the chance TO MI .
vacancy" to restore a missing line IN
his particular epic OF the Reyoutlon'
TO capture a long sought Washington
or John Paul Jones, or John Andre.
We can imagine the competition ina,
will be excited by, say, the "Samuei
Adams" (No. y. II is not only e1'
cessively scarce" but it is striking
bit of meZzotint.
Other Interesting Collections
Several other collections are at ne
Anderson Galleries just now. MI. Jonh
u. Crimmins is Offering some interest
ing old views of New York There srs
Oriental objects of art and other be-
longings consigned by Mr.. Albert W
! finger and from various estates. Inc
late A. NJ. Palmer's playbills and the
/ atrical portraits also make an amusing
/ little exhibition by themselves bus
the Halsey prints come suthoritatveH
! into the foreground. They foreshsdov
some further notable occasions, 700,
when the early and eighteenth centur!
/ engravings and etchings are sold.
/ The National Society Of Craftsmes
] is making an exhibition Of costumes
and drawings illustrative Of the ART OF
the theatre. Paintings by the lesser
( known old masters are shown al M
Enrich gallery. The Knoedler gallery
presents pictures by Miss Florihs
/ Stcttheimer. Sculpture by NJ. BRAN
cusi is at the Modern gallery. '
Folsom gallery offers paintings by BON
ington, Sully, Cain, William NJ: Chass
and others. Etchings and drawings %
james McBey are at the Keppei gal,
I lery. Rare views of old New YORK ana
some etchings and dry points .!
Dwight C. Sturges are on exhioitloa
at the Kennedy gallery. Water eolon
of English country homes and gspoen.
by Charles f. Flower at the br.a.
gallery, Japanese wood cuts by BERN.
! F. Lum at the Schwartz gallery. aho
! bronze bust OF President wilson .,
10 Davidson at the Reinhsrdt gailer'
complete the weeks calendar.