New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-24

win US, mas never ionI ITO FNbN .'N'''
have been signs o. late that 1t was
taking on a new lease Of life. The
ualsey sale at the Anderson Galleries
has shown a surprising vitality in the
market. The three sections Of this col
lection thus far disposed of have
fetched very good prices-in the third,
devoted TO eighteenth century French
engravings, Que print sold for 81 900
and ii is 20 be assumed that the Eng
lish mezzotints, TO be placed on view
next Saturday, will enjoy tho same
good fortune In the midst OF these ex-
elements comes the news that the Met
ropolitan Museum has added 3 Curator
OF Prints 20 Its staff, with the implica-
ton that the department will be devel-
oped rs q serious factor. Mr.. William
II. WINS, who has been appointed 20 the
post, is precisely tho man for u. lie
knows his subject, and, with his en-
thusiasm and industry, will do prBcu-
cal, con structive work In a way this
move Of the Museum promotes little
chsgrin. II rsiscs up another rival 20 the
Print Room a. the Public Library. al
ready an important enough auxiliary
20 justify increased support Now, II
IS to be presumed, gifts and requests
hat might ultimately have gone 70 the
Library may, IN some cases, at all
events, be diverted to the Museum. The
resources OF the city IN this field VIII
BE divided. The dream which has been
cherished in some quarters, the dream
OF a PRINT Room comparable 10 the
famous institutions OF London, Paris
and Berlin, threatens to be completely
dissipated. But this Is on the knees
Of tho gods. We shall see what we shall
see In the meantime We may optimisl-
cally reflect that, after all, everything
that is done for The cut of the print is
so much gained.
The important point IS just that peo-
pie may be made to interest themselves
IN prints 1t rs good 20 think Of the
Museum and the Library both accumu-
lating and exhibiting the masterpieces
% etching and engraving. 1t IS also
desirable that their ministrsNOns
should stimulate the practice Of these
arts. Admirable are those periodical
exhibitions at the Library in which
technical processes are illustrated.
There is one going on IN the Print
Room now, one devoted 10 the making
Of q wood engraving. Such enterprises
are precious. Besides teaching, they
keep the subject in the air, which IS
good for the public and for the artist
% well. II has been interesting IN re-
cent years to observe the refusal OF the
latter to admit that he was dead. When
the magazines found the halftone
cheaper than the wood engraving, the
process triumphed, the art went TO the
wall, but there were men who kept
right on with the art. The late Henry
Wolf was one Of them. He managed,
somehow, to keep more than one Of the
magazines interested, and, besides, be
took 10 executing blocks on his own &C
count, choosing his own subjects and
engraving them on his own scale. The
print shops found that his labors were
10 their advantage. To-day the new
magazine, "The Art World" is employ
ing Timothy Cole. The frontispiece in
the current number is an engraving
by him after painting by Kenyon
Cox. How strange IL would be, and
how delightful, il The wood engraving
came back as a work OF art once more
70 be taken for granted in our illus
trated publications. It's chances are
only multiplied by such progressive
policies as that just Indicated ct the
Metropolitan.
But, as familiar proverb reminds
us, the Lord helps those who help
themselves. The younger etchers Of
the United States have latterly got a
hearing by the simple process Of doing
clever things and showing them. II
any one had told us that steel cngrav-
ing could ever be rehabilitated we
would have laughed at him. And
..1 ar
TO prove US wrong. He IS Mir. Charles
Schlecht, who for thirty or forty years
was occupied engraving banknotes and
the like. IN the back Of his mind there
was always the hope that some day
ne might affirm himself. not simply as
a craftsman but as an artist. His am
bition had 10 be postponed; ~ slum-
berod, but 10 did not die. Three or
four years ago he tackled at last the
big. full dress plate about which he
had thought so much. and undertook 70
engrave "The Holy Family" by Rubens
in the Metropolitan Museum. The I'M
prcssion Of u which lies before us
shows how we'll founded was his dream.
lie knows how much the hardness
Of steel engraving has done 10 reduce
its appeal to the connoisscur. Win
extraordinary skill he has evadcd that
pitfaU. He has kept his line suaye
and supple; he has engraved not only
form but tone. and IN the rich grays
and blacks of his plate he gives US
really charming Interpretation OF the
painter's fervid color. We haven't any
illusions about the difficulties con
fronting Mr. Schlecht in his attempt
at the revival of distinctly unfash'
ionable art. The steel engraving IS
much too severe an affair, too mar
rowlv reproductive" for modern taste.
SELL this artists labor of love must
assurcdlv find its reward amongst
serious amateurs. They cannot Dut
kindle 20 his noble ardor, recognizing
tho fine feeling ~ well as the rare
ability which he has disclosed IN his
print. 49,, .,,- =; ,his
sold whose work IN portraiture mas
becn developed with a thoroughly ar
tstic emotion. is Mr.. Jacques Reich,
the ctchcr. He finished not long ago
. Ii.tle Mate of President Andrew H..
White. a smooth capable ormance'
done more particularly with a vic" 10
sccuracv in portraiturc. II wa en-
",roiy ADEQUATE. But Mr.. Reich Is no,
san.c,. 10 be adequate. He passed
from this portrait TO large pla,e
after a brilliant piece OF painting bo'-
S,ri's celebrated portrait OF Whistler
Tho canvas that hangs in the. BrooSlyn
Museum. That is piece OF oraNu
+. tour de force By one OF ths .A'-'