The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-20

this medium only a method Of pro-
ducing an effect more exquisite than
can be achieved by other means. But
the first quality Of the etching is that,
in no medium other than this, OF a
thin waXed surface upon a metal
plate, has the sensitive hand of the
artist the same freedom of movement,
the same capacity for instantly trac-
ing the conception Of the mind. The
wonderful quality of a superlative
craftsman such as Bracquemond
stands at one end Of the scale, but the
rapidly, the force, Of Forain is IS
much, or even more essentially. the art
of the print. Another fact which con-
duces much to the fascination of etch-
ing to the artist is that at no part OF
the process until the print is taken
is his result visible to him. He is
drawing his picture in his brain the
thing remains conception until, sud-
denly, ii is complete-and thus we find
that an artist such as Manet, who
works directly from Nature, whose
painting as 1t were grows from what
he has already placed on the canvas,
such as Rodin, who is bound to be
more pre-constructive, handles the
etcher's needle as II by instinct. The
collection includes also the work CT
Ribot, Degas, Legros, Steinham and
others, and one semi Photographic
"Cliche- Glace" print by Daubigny.
Lithography, not being such an art
by itself as etching, is run hard by the
advance in Photographic reproduction.
Probably only the somewhat elusive
fascination of possessing a work al
most touched by the artists hand
keeps the Autograph alive to-day
though it does, as Redon says, possess
a quality of black unapproachable by
any other medium. The interest in
this exhibition will concentrate upon
the work of this mystic, Odilon Redon.
1t is a curious fact, shown nowhere
more clearly than in pictorial exam
pies. that the mind of the mystic is a
compound of large congratulations and
small detail imperfectly blended. The
drawing of a tree (4S) is a perfect eX-
ample of the one side, the Serpent
son says, HE was fascinated by the
immensely large and the immensely
small. the saurian and the microbe,
but this is not only typical of Redon.
Because, however. like Blake, he was
quite as much plastic artist as
visionary. he contrives to make his
conceptions credible. The fine head of
Christ (70), and the perhaps even
more spiritually conceived Buddha
(66) are examples of his art at its
best. -
Roland n. Moore has lent to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, in mem
DRY OF Mrs. Abraham Lansing of AL
bany, three family portraits which
formerly belonged to Mrs. Lansing
One of these is a remarkable painting
by Gilbert Stuart. 1t represents Cen
Peter Gansevoort, Jr.. of the Cont
mental Army, who in 1777 successfully
defended Fort Stanwix against the
British and Indian forces, thus dealing
against British strategy a blow that
eliminated at Saratoga. AS a result
OF his expedition with Gen. Sullivan in
1879 against the Indians the State OF
New York appointed him Brigadier-
General, and he held among other
Offices the position of Commissioner
OF Indian Affairs.
The portrait of Catherine Van
Setback, wife of Gen. Peter Ganse-
WORT, was painted by Ezra Ames. an
Albany artist who started his career
as a coach painter. He painted quite
a number Of portraits, the best known
being OF Gov. George Clinton. which
j. now in the cap1ni n Albany