The New York herald., 1920-01-12
MONET, REN0|R
AND OTHER ARTISTS
IN GREAT SHOW
Works of French Masters of Impres-
sionism and of English Portrait
lists Here for Auction.
By FREDERICK JAMES GRAGo.

1
! Anybody with the slightest interest in
modern painting and painters who misses
the present exhibition of the French mas
ters of impressionlsm and early English
masters of portraiture in the American
Art Galleries In Madison Square win have
collection moro impressive. in certain re-
spects. Of the art Of France IN the nine
teenth century has ever been placed on
view In this city. So far for the material.
| AS for the arrangement of the treasures
1T is a Joy to go around the big gallery
ting down to the pictures in detail. 1t is
q real example of genius in arrangement.
Somebody ought to be congratulated!
A few years ago there was u show of
Manats in the Durand-Ruel Galleries. A
beautiful, old lady came In with her
grand daughter.
"Just imagine, my DEAR" said she. 81
remember the time when the acadamici-
ans and students in Paris stood before
those beautiful things in Paris and laughed
lat thern.'
But. grandmother, why should they?"
asked tho little girl, who, no doubt, lived
in house full of masterpieces. They
are very lovely to me-
On Saturday afternoon a talkative per-
son Of academic or architectural appear
ance, arrived on the scene at Madison
Square South. He proceeded to dispense
information to a young man who did not
know that a fine Renoir was not a Monet
lin the following manner:-"Those things
were once worth fifty dollars apiece. Now
they cost fortune because of tho names.
When the glamor has departed each one
will be worth at least SO, if it has good
frame on it." And SO on
Then and Now.
When it Is considered taht this blatant
Ignorance was displayed cora.m publico, in
the case Of some of the best canvases that
ever came from under the hand of Claude
Monet and Pierre Auguste Renoir, it is
natural to speculate to what an extent
the judgments of so many of our profes-
s!onal artists are worth-simply nothing.
For it is fact that, with some few ex-
Iceptions, the French impressionists estab-
llished their influence here, not with the
assistance of our painters and scuiptors,
but in spite Of them. Furthermore, II the
academies have not caught up with Monet
and Renoir, what chance in the world Is
there of intelligent judgment being shown
on their part in the case of, say, Cozanne,
Gaugun and Van Gogh?
AS for the show in detail. it is stagger-
ling! There are twenty paintings by Monet
and four by Renoir from the collection OF
Mr. Arthur IS. Emmons, of Newport. with
important works by Manat. Degas, Monet.
Renoir, Sisley and Pissarro belonging to
Mr. Joseph F. Flanagan, of Boston. Other
pictures by these masters are from the
collection Of Mr.. Henry Sayles. Of the same
city: Mr.. Harris b. Dick, of New York,
and other collectors. Among the works
from the Thatcher 3. Adams collection
are included canvases by Gainsborough,
Reynolds, Romney. Lawrence. Raeburn,
Mas, Cuyp and Van Mierveldt
There are two good Corots. one the suave
.Tandscape with Cows" A Courbat. the
''Bords du Doubs." an autumn scene, is
lsolid and powerful "Old' Crome' $
wooded Landscape represents the Eng
llish school very satisfactorily. Cuyp' S
Portrait Of Girl has certain modern
ist" qualities. One Of the two Degas
pastels is the notable "Dancouses Roses,
with six figures. A Fantin-Latour. Pas
toral." was a present from the painter to
another artist, Regamey. Jean Francois
Millat. Henri Herpignies, Wilem Maris,
Maxine Maufra, Adolph Monticello. Alfred
Stevens, Fritz Thaulow and Emile Van
Marcke are finely represented.
The Big Three.
But of course it Is to the Monets in all
their radiant beauty, to the portraits by
Monet and to the Renors that the visitor
returns again and again. These make the
whole affair, not a show, but, TO use the
cant phrase a liberal education. Every
side of Renoir is shown in the lovely nine
that bear his name. 1t is had to choose
between Lies Deux Seuras' and the
Femme ct Enfant." Then you forget
both before the Femme rOmbrele."
Among the Monets are no less than six
lof the magical canvases on which the
French master revealed London to herself
and four of the Venetian pictures. II
would be impossible to describe the works
of this genius, ranging as they do all the
way from the lovely peacefulness of the
Matinee sur le Seine TO the decorative
beauty of Les Nymphees: Paysage
d Eau"
The sale will begin in the Plaza Hot,I
on Wednesday evening, and IL bound ia
be one which will be remembered. In the
meantime all wise persons ought to visit
the galleries early and often. II will be a
long time before they get such another
q