New-York tribune., 1921-01-25
Rork of Degas
line Feature of
Unique Display
IA Objects Collected by
Henry c. Lawrence Make
Extraordinary Exhibition
= American Galleries
for Its Unity
french Cenius's Paintings
The Ones Bought in Paris
BY jacques Seligmann
By Royal Cortissoz

n;s m extraordinary exhibition that
Ia. the American Art Galleries, one
[, he most extraordinary ever seen
.r Or, for that matter. anywhere
Il,s Part Of the space is given to the
;osAie and other ancient objects of
4 brcueht together by the late Henry
lawrence. Three Of the remaining
..om, are hung with the works of
o.,,s which NJ. jacques Seligmann OBJ
.,;ssd from the sale Of the ARTISTS
y,,uSjc effects in Paris two years or so
R,es Ordinarily, such a collocation of
Aims would make only a doubtful
,umony. In this case we have sim
saf unity.
nj d due to the unity of the French
.,s.u, IN all ages. These two collec-
,ss illustrate 3 perfectly natural
r,asisien from the Middle Ages to
,odeyn Paris. 1t is as though one
nrs 70 pass from the Mus&e de Cluny
the Luxembourg. Two nominally
Mersnt atmospheres are involved,
ht = . matter Of fact, what we OBJ
mn q . kind Of sequence in the
,cg!d Of the spirit, q sequence which
.dns With the cathedral and ends
ths coulisse, illustrating in both the
ans racial temperament.
Mvrfey{nu. Glamour
me sre Of faith in France produced
Ihat miracle of form which we identify
b Gothic structure. The age of some
Atns like deeadence in Paris produced
i Desas kindred type of form, a type
Ad;ested, as were the medieval archi-
.sa. to An ideal Of art that could be
wen and touched and handled. Gothic
architecture has mysterious glamour,
lint at Its heart the principle holding
b together is q principle determined
y exset science, the principle of
sYun and counter-thrust, achieving
Hrfeet eQuipoise. The art of Degas
lika that. He is a painter with the
pirit Of the experimental scientist
as snatom;st. He. too, is interested
n Thas he can see and touch and
'sndls. he Is the master of things in
he visible world. Hence he nCs only
attributes sympathetically to the en-
enhls on this occasion, but makes it
saIy more interesting through the in
innate relation he has to the old
aussrs WITH whom he is shown.
We have alluded to the Cluny. One
'nsan why the allusion is opposite is
ia. Mr. Lawrence formed varitable
auieum in his house. and, like tht
luthorities in the French institution
NJ s1acting as to the quality of what
rs he admitted. Antiquities are
sastmes lightly designated Junk
lasrs is no junk here. On the con
M, the average throughout Nigh,
ailly be described IS a Cluny avez4ge
Glorious Tapestries
We have been struck by this, in the
irst plscs, on traversing the tapestries
!hsse embrace some fairy g.orious
uamples. We may cite in illustration
ae lsng piece Of late Gothic mile
aurs tapestry (No. 573), the one in
shieh moving animals are scattered
Hsr the field. 1t is typical in it's sub
ued splendor of nearly the whole de-
astment which it adorns. Over and
ner again, as certain sixteenth century
N,ture tapestries come into view, and
sxaer. more pictorial designs, such as
= Two Gothic pieces (Nos. 57S-579)
fsel that We are in the presence OF
as sery hne flower of q great medieva
" Mr. Lawrence was as fortunate in
9 fsnaissance tapestries. The two OF
flemish origin (Nos. 5S0-5S1), are
nsnlneent productions. The objects
~ msntlcned, che Flemish tapestries
re % momentarily away from French
3esia, but these prevail In the Law.
nnss esIlection.
They are disclosed particularly in q
saH rsat assemblage Of early stained
- panels. some of them coming
ssu from the thirteenth century
o.fe almost more vividly than in the
A1espseees Of woven beauty one may
vpseaend n its essence tina: French
ssaas to which we have referred. 1t
aoose all. the genius Of . powerful
sssuuaiiy affirmative type Of crafts
sAasl,p. Let the student standing be-
.oN ness relics of old French church
.sccvs revert for a moment to the
:;s'aeseristic note Of the Italian Rem
.nhnee. That Is . note Of gracious
srnstlnes melting, lovliness. In
.naea primitive art there is a more
asent quality, there is more force
lee designers have a fairly monu-
~aua feeling for form, and in gesture
= NE facial expressions they seel
Aerprst, there is q certain simple
sness, the realism which We fnc
sa'afses afterward in the drawings ol
A In their color, too, there i:
:" sane reality.
Medieval Realism
.ssss are many pieces Of glass in
srenee collection, flung liks
~ ss amid the furniture, tapestrie.
On. Wherever they are placec
~y eeam like beacon lights. This
Is as pure as it is rich. ane