The New York herald., 1922-04-15
Three Treasures
of Early Gothic Art
ShOWn at Museum
Stained Glass Window Repre-
senting Tree Of Jesse in
Collection.

Three treasures OF early Gothic art
recent acquisitions which have been
placed on view at the Metropolitan Mu-
scum OF Art. A magnificent thirteenth
century stained glass window represent
ing the Tree of Jesse is perhaps the
most noteworthy of the three. A stone
sculpture representing seated king,
French work OF the first half Of the thir-
teenth century. and stone statue OF
tho Apostle st. Paul by an artist OF
the school of Claus Siuter. fourteenth
century are the other two acquisitions.
and all three are placed in the gallery
of medieval art on the second floor or
wing j.
The glass. which is the most beautiful
owned by the museum, is composed OF
six large medalllons with pairs OF
smaller medallions between. and meas
ures IL feet 10 inches in height and 1885
inches In width. The panel which It
originally formed was undoubtedly one
light OF a double or triple lancet win
dow. There Is very little restoration
and the glass Is in unusually good con-
dition for work of such an early period.
1t was the rarest item In the Costessy
collection, formerly at Costessy Hall at
Norfolk, England. collection made In
the late eighteenth or early nineteenth
century. The place of origin Of the Cos
tessy glass Is unknown. but the Jesse
window is ascribed rather definitely to
the early Gothic period of the Lower
Rhenisi School (about 1900. In its
new resting place in the museum IL Is
set up in three sections in a small chapel
| like structure with artificial illumina-
! tion.
Monumental in style.
| The Tree of Jesse was a popular
| theme with medieval artists and In the
| windows OF Chartres and the Sainte
| Chapelle may be seen similar treatments
OF the subject. The window Is monu-
mental in style. with drawing and design
| subordinated to the glowing areas of
| fiat color in which ruby red and apple
green predominate. The golden brown
stem OF the vineiike tree carries through
the entire design and unifes the window.
| The statue OF a seated king Is fine
example of the splendidly architectural
! sculpture of the early Gothic period. II
represents a bearded man seated on a
massive throne of Romanesque design.
| The left hand originally held a scepter,
| which has been destroyed and the right
| hand is missing. Traces of the restraint
Of the Romanesque period appear In the
stiff treatment of the drapery and in the
conventional delineation Of the locks OF
| hair. but with this appears the new free
dom and feeling for form that marks
the beginning of the Gothic style and
makes this period one Of the noblest In
the whole history of the art of the Mid
die Age. The exact origin Of this statue
| Is uncertain, but some thirty years ago
| it was in Avignon, the ancient residence
OF the Popes in France. and is quite pos
sibly work of the Provencal school of
the thirteenth century.
| The statue OF the Apostle Paul repre-
sents a heavily draped figure of an old
man with a forked beard and is work
OF great serenity and dignity Traces
OF color in the deep folds Of the drapery
! show that this was originally a poly
chromed figure, but nothing could be
more beautiful than the present stone,
the color of old ivory, darkened to gold
here and there or dusty white with the
| plaster ground upon which the painter
applied his pigments. 1t Is believed to be
| the work of Claus de Werve. the nephew
and chief disciple of Claus Suter. who
was the greatest figure in the Burgundian
school of sculpture.
Collection OF English Prints.
| III one Oh the pTlIlt BNiieIltS 10 5I'onii
charming collection OF English land
scape prints OF the late eighteenth and
nineteenth century The work shown
here, although for the most part by
relatively unknown men. Is of I'M
portancc in that It was produced during
period OF great technical proficiency
| In all the graphic arts and contains the
germs of practically all that has been
done by the more celebrated modern
school beginning with Seymour Haden.
There are, however. in the collection
such conspicuous names as Girtin,
Crome. Cotman and Turner.
! A collection OF sealstones and other
antiquities from Crete of the very first
Importance is an anonymous loan 10
the museum and is being shown In the
4 first classical room. Material Illus
trating the art and life of ancient
/ Crete, the center of one of tho most
|