The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-18
irst hand knowledge of italian paint

first hand knowledge or italian paint
ings.
Although the publications Of the So
ciety owe their greatest importance TO
its publications of frescoes, not only
were very large number OF panel
pictures and oil paintings by Italian
artists included but the work was also
extended to the Flemish, Dutch ana
German schools of painting. which
were always limited to panel paintings
(In northern countries during the
fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth CEN
turtles the wall space which was taken
I'D by fresco in Italy was taken up In
the northern churches by stained glass
windows. OF course II Is also to De
understood that the painting art OF the
given period in all European countries
was almost wholly religious and al
most wholly confined to the decora-
ton Of churches, chapels and ecciesias-
teal buildings. Notable instances In
the case of certain Italian secular
buildings must, however, be made, but
here again the pictures in question
we're wall paintings) q,
1t has been mentioned that the
choice;of subjects made by the Arun-
del Society was comprehensive. IL
was by no means encyclopaedia and
It never made professions In this d.
rection. 1t was well defined aim OF
the society to choose first and fore
most pictures which were exposed to
decay and which were consequently
disappearing or losing their quality.
Here again the italian wall paintings
= a. NnnGtdQTad
Aside from this special purpose, the
subject chosen was naturally always
one of Importance. s. 30
The process of reproduction en-
ployed was, in the first instance, the
production of a water color copy by
first class artist, following the color
and form as carefully as possible, be-
cause 1t had been found that water
color or .gouache offered the best
means of reproducing the colors used
in > fresco. Chromo-1ithography was
selected for the final reproduction.
each stone being carefully treated for
the transmission of color. OIL colors
We're used for the final printing. be-
cause the stones gave a softness to the
color which preserved, its resemblance
TO fresco. A finished Arundel produc-
ton Is therefore really an oil picture
without the usual glaze. Commercial
hromo-lithography has a glazed sur
face and differs therefore from a real
Arundel.
When the Arundel Society closed
its career in 1897 the then unsold
copies of its publications were taken
over by the Society for the Promo
ton OF Christian knowledge, which
has since remained the chief owner,
although some dealers have since made
denominations in trade. The present
rarity OF unbroken sets Is attested
| by the fact above mentioned that no
other public institution in Greater
New York has obtained one.
The Brooklyn Museum is indebted
for its own complete set to the gen.
crosby of Mrs. Joseph Epes Brown,
who presented the collection. together
with a valuable collection OF books
and other prints. in memory of her
husband the late Joseph Epes Brown.
who was a member OF the Arundel
Society. The total number OF Arundel
photographic prints of old mas
ters is pol. and such subjects as may
not be hung owing to lack of space
will be accessible to the public on APP
| plication to the librarian.
| The library also owns the hand book,
or Catalogue Raisonne. OF the collec-
| ton, published for the Arundel So
ciety by the Manchester Whitworth
! institute in 1907, written by w. Noel
Johnson, and published in 100 copies:
| a quarto volume of 1877 pages, with
| many photogravure illustrations.