New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-09
Pictures at American Art
Galleries Revive AtmOs-
phere of Salon.
/ FRENCH WAR POSTERS
REVEAL TRAGIC HUMOR
Superb Cartoons by Forain,
Roulbot and Steinlen Shown at
Mrs. Whitney's Studio.
BY ROYAL CORTISSOZ.

Galleries which display the pictures
collected by the late Andrew Freedman
the clock would seem to have been
turned back. They revive the atmos-
phere of the Mary j. Morgan and
George |. Seney collections, the atmos-
phere Of half the private galleries in
this country when the vogue OF the
Salon was only disputed by that OF
the Barbizon school. The dealers had
a great deal TO do with il. They hal
not yet organized the boom in old mas
teTs, and the latter day vagarles of the
market were then simply undrcamed OF
Fashionable taste was narrowly con-
sentative. But fashionable taste hap
1oned 9. the moment TO be sound. IT
we find Mr. Frccdman's pictures in
striking contrast with much that pre-
walls in some OF the shops to-day. we
find them also interesting and beauti-
full, a serene refuge from current
absurdities and vulgarities.
What pleasure it is TO turn
from the incertitude- worse-of
/ Cezanne and his followers TO the ster-
/ ling traits Of man like Corotl II Is
{ like turning from prose-and dull prose
at that-to inspired poetry. The
"Nymphs Bathing" OF the Freedman
collection is an exquisite version Of
/ that romantic lakeside motive of which
/ the master never tired, and to which
his admirers must remain as joyously
/ faithful. The classical design, the
vibrating foliage, the tender light. the
urobtrusive but delicately eloquent
figures all the familiar elements come
back TO charm Us once more. And,
familiar as they are, they nevertheless
have the freshness of morning about
them, the perennial stamp of genius.
Mr.. Freedman was equally fortunate
with his examples of Dupre, Diaz.
4 Troyon, Jacque, Isabey and Fromentin.
that group as inevitable in every col
/ lection OF this type as certain books
are in tho traditional gentleman g
library. lie was conventional, If you
like. but he knew what he was about
and got hold Of handsome pictures.
The same excellent judgment y dis
closed in the more miscellaneous as
pects Of his collection. There are four
landscapes here by Hsrpignies. All of
them are good. and one, Les feuts
pechcurs." is a little Jewell which. IN
cidentally, has the interest OF showing
him i'm an unusual mood. For Henner
Mr.. Freedman appears TO have had
cult. as FIVE specimens TESTIFY. inc
spell Of this profoundly sophisticated
SalOnnier was long ago outworn. Dut
n is at least 10 be said for these mani
festations Of i that they are charsc-
toristic -uncommoniy good Eenners.
There are similarly representative
picccs bv Cain. Schreyer, Faltin-L La
tour. ThaulOw. Ziem. Alma Ia-ema and
our own Blahelcck and Rix. The en-
somble may not be overpowerngly
brilliant. but IL is vitalized and legiti-
matelv beguiling. The sale at the Plaza
next Friday evening will develop, we
believe. some cheering surprises.
The rest of the space at the Ameri-
can Art Galleries IS accounted LOT IN
much the same inspiring iashloh;
There are the porcelains, Jades ana
other Oriental treasures brought TO-
ccther by the late Edward Nassermahn'
which Will be sold on Friday ana Sal
Urdav afternoons. These, too MAKE US
think of old days. before c0mmerclai.
ism had crept into the collecting O.
such objects Nr. Nassermann was
plainly an enlightened connoisseur' a"u
among his more than four hunGreu
pleces there are few that are negigl-
bic. The single color porcelains maxi
glorious orIay, tho jades are all on
level with .h. superb DISH o. trana,e
cont Green 80. 11l. and occas ionally
the collection rises to impressIIe
hcichts. as in tho group OF u NJ stat
uc,tes. the cnthroned gods placed IN
q case bv themselves. Then come the
old vclvets and embrolderles 81 inc
Nessrs. Rcuguiat. 20 he sold on lhurs-
cav afternoon, collection OF kuropcan
and Eastern fabrics supplying posi-
tive elut Of color. ard IN the PRINT
rooms Mr.. r. Edcrheimer's stock OF
cngravings and etchings rounds out
remarkably hne exhibition. The prints,
which are 20 be sold on Wednesday
and Thursday evenings, are OF all me
schools. They embrace beautiful I'm.
pressions OF the early Italians ana
Germans. the French portrait engrav-
crs. Rembrandt and many OF the french
and English masters Of the eighteenth
century. The opportunity for the col
lector is obvious.
An exhibition which brings home 10
US lust what the war means 10 France
is the showing Of French war posters
and cartoons at Mrs. Whitney, Eighth
street studio. They were sent over here
hv the Harvard Club OF Paris IN the
nome that they might increase sympa-
thu for the suffering French nation.
We notice marked difference be-
tween these drawings and those pro
duced by British artists. Whereas
there is in England a tendency 70
idealize among such men as Brang-
wvn and Prysc. who are the most pro
duc.ive OF war work i'm France the
soldiers arc presented just a. they are
and the suffering peasants arc true 20
tyne. By so much. in many ways. ~
The French work more telling. though
!, has not the remarkable decorative
value Of the above mentioned British
artists. These pictures. drawn with
consummatc skill and with real feel
ing for beauty. show forth ell sides