The sun., 1919-02-22
NONTROSS SEEN AS
ART CONNOISSEUR
public View Given at Last to
Collectors Cluster Of Gems
of Native Origin.
RYDER MUCH IN EVIDENCE
Important Works by Impress
sionists and Poet Painters In
cluded in Collection.

The public curiosity in regard to the
nriyate collection Of N. e Montross has
been lively and It viii be found by that
,or,ion OF the public that ventures into
the galleries Of the American Art Assoc
citation to-day to have been moro than
justified. Mr.. Montross Ia disclosed as
connolsseur Of uncommon powers. The
collection reaches high level Of taste
Il is interesting throughout--it il the
most important happening In the auction
mart that the season has disclosed, for 1t
will provide the chance to make new esti-
mates upon the leading artists of the De-
rod that may be said to have ended with
The war
For obvious reasons the auctions lag
invariably behind the taste Of construc-
tive critics. Mr.. Montross knew and
correctly gagged Albert p. Ryder more
than a dozen years ago, but the auctions
have not yet fully felt the dynamic force
OF the dollars that shall some day be
paid for Ryders. Perhaps this auction
may disclose a hint Of II, for there are
some Ryders of price in 1t. The half a
dozen greatest OF all Rydors, each of
which is easily capable of shocking In
experienced auction audiences with $780,
600 bide--as a Blackjack Moonlight
did a few years ago-fell long before
Ryder was known but to the few. into
fast locked and far away collections. go
that worth while records" while alone
make artistic regulations legible to the
average public, were not possible in Ry-
dsr's case. For the same reason the real
money vindication OF winslow Homer
has not yet occurred.
This will be one sale. for a wonder, In
which Illnesses will not figure. Inness
was already too old for Mr.. Montross,
whose collection has stronger bearings
toward American impressionism than
any, save Mr.. Mortens. to he sold here,
But Inness's place will be taken by the
popular J. Francis Murphy. OF whom
there are several examples. all In MT
Murphy's admired yellow mood.
Imaginative Faculty in Evidence.
But as to the Rydersi One Of them,
the landscape with an old mill in NOON
light Is of the weird. occult type
compounded in witchcraft. and OF the
family with the same artists Flying
Dutchman" and JONAH" though not OF
their relative Importance. The mighty
Imaginative faculty back of II. how
ever. is the same. and although the
panel is small there Is no limit to the
immensities Of mystery and space into
which We gaze. The moon glimmers
over the cleft between two rounded
hills and In the valley below fog banks
make parallel lines, giving a compost
ton so simple and strong that only q
genius could have conceived II.
Of even greater value to collectors is
Ryder's White Horse" meant doubt.
less by the artist as a simple essay In
realism, but which became unconsciously
remarkable poem in paint, all the
more remarkable as II Is a regular
tour de force In technic. The spottins
Of accenting shadows has been accom-
plished as in miracle. The eve pierces
the dingy depths of the subterranean
stable with delight in the translucent
tones, and the charm Of the color can
not he analysed. Then. too there Is
something very Touching in the artists
unconcealed love for the old white horse
which as a matter OF fact was al
shambling as the famous Rozinante OF
Don Quixote.
With Ryder still another poet painter
Arthur B. Davies. will he put to the
auction test Possibly because he 1.
younger than the Ryder we know Davie,
has never questioned the Sphinx. like
him, In regard to the mysteries of If,
but has been content to sing of its Joys
II IL the fashion to say that Davie,
10 Mozartian. but II Is equally true Il
say that he Is Greek. or anything els,
that is care free, young and melodious
There never was one of our men to bt
quite so eclectic as he. and even in tn,
present group of eight pictures no tive
respond to the same mood nor hav,
the same provenance
The Forests Festival" with the cleai
sound Of the trumpet calling to the revel
has the feeling OF a tapestry the littl,
Breath Of Autumn" is a Limoges
enamel; while Reluctant Youth" Nigh
he the young Emily Dickinson hersel