Evening star., 1923-10-11
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN

i
A few months ago an astonishing
statement made in Paris that certain
works Of art of the French renais-
sance period in the Metropolitan Mu-
| scum, New York. and in other great
| public collections were not genuine
| created no little sensation; but more
| remarkable and disconcerting Is the
reported pronouncement of John G.
Way Dyke, professor OF art and arch
eology at Rutgers College. that the
majority Of the paintings attributed to
Rembrandt, not only in this country
but abroad, were not painted by Rem-
| brandt. but by certain of his pupils.
/ Prof. Van Dyke makes this sweep
ing charge in volume entitIeo
! Rembrandt and His school, just
published by Charles Scribner's Sons.
dition and removes from some OF the
most famous Rembrandts the honor OF
| authenticity. Not one OF the paint
ings catalogued as RembrandtS in the
this master. In fact. there is not a
Rembrandt in any American public
gallery, according to his list. or the
$50 paintings by Rembrandt cata-
logued by the foremost OF his biog-
raphers he seems to think that less
4
1 X Y 4 y
| Perhaps Prof. Van Dyke is correct.
but II so, how much more remarkable
IL would be that instead Of bringing
forth one genius little Holland In
| the day in which Rembrandt lived
actually brought forth half dozen
of practically equal caliber.
4 par hra nd "
was celebrated in 1905 Royal Cortis-
soz, in an article in Munsey's Mag
azine on THE Master and His Work"
| said: "1f you ask an artist to tell you
opinion, knew how to paint. he will
name at the outside only four or FIVE,
| and perhaps not so many, but three
at least he Is sure to name-Felas-
quez, Rembrandt and Halls" Now
Prof. Van Dyke would add three or
four names to this group, FOR II Boi
and Macs and Flinck were capable OF
producing paintings so nearly like
iRembrandt's that they have passed
las Rembrandt's work for over two
centuries as painters they were
scarcely less great.
There is a difference between the
charge brought against the French
renaissance sculptures by the Paris
dealer and that which Prof. Van Dyke
makes against these so-called REM
brandt paintings. In the first in
stance the claim was that the works
were imitations--delibera imita-
tions. Now Prof. Van Dyke does not
say that these paintings. supposedly
by Rembrandt, are copies of Rem
brandts works, but that they were
done by his pupils quite indepen-
IDENTIFY, and in some instances. II not
most instances, from self-selected
models.
| II is true that for some years ex-
perts have disagreed in regard to the
senu!neness OF certain paintings at
tributed TO Rembrandt. For instance
the famous portrait OF Elizabeth Bas
This portrait, it will be remembered
is In the Rijks Museum. Amsterdam
DR.. Bredius has attributed II 70 FER.
dinand Bol. though he first declared
that 1t was the work OF Jacob Backer
On the other hand, Prof. Six and
DR.. Jan veth dissent from this yer. 7.
dict, as does also DR.. Hofstede dc
Grote DR.. Bredius' reason Tor be-
!lieving that this portrait was not by
Rembrandt was the way the hands
were painted, and the reason he holds
the portrait to be by Boil Is because
he has discovered a hand in one OF
Bors portraits painted in the same
way as the left in this portrait Bu,
even here experts are not agreed
What DR.. Bredius calls BoTs stroke
DR. Hofstede de Grote calls Rem
brandts. -
prof. Van Dyke bases his i'm
peachments on the same argument
Studying the brush work of the vari-
GUS paintings. he finds what ne oe
lieyes to be dissim!larity. 1t is as II
one had examined various specimen
OF handwriting and discarded certain
documents as false. on the ground o.
dIssimilarity of character. ASIDE
from actual documentary evidence
such as bills of sale and contemporary
MANUSCRIPTS proving ownership, nc
painting can be authenttcated through
other medium, but of the 800 or more
paintings now attributed 70 Rem
brandt. the belief that a large mum
Der, or a majority, were painted BY
Rembrandt has been handed dowr
through numerous generations.
One Of the most recent works OF
iRembrandt's paintings came from th'
Edinburgh University Press less thai
a wear ago and was published in thi
country by Z. P. Dutton s. Co. Th
author is D. S. Meldrum. 1t is
monumental book, not only careful
jly written biography compiled from
the chief sources of information, boil
manuscript and published, but con
jtaining an index to his paintings. nv
hundred and forty-one OF whlch ar
reproduced as Illustrations. TestiIy
ling to the genius of the painter, Mr.
! Meldrum gives a translation from th'
Latin of a manuscript OF Huygens
the courtier poet, who was one O.
iRembrandt's first patrons. speaking
of the miller's son and marveling
his accomplishments, he says: Rem
ibrandt. with industrious self-concen
!tration, loves to attain within the linn
its of a small panel a condensation o
effect which one seeks in vain In tn
canvases of others" and cites nj
which he is willing ito oppose to th'
accomplishment of all the ages"
Apparently Rembrandts superio
genius was recognized by the grea
cotemporary scholar, who testihes II
the same breath to his brilliancy an,
to his industry. How strange, indeed
if there had been six such young men
equally gifted!
ON the other hand, there is n
doubt, and none need be astounded b.
, 1.-THE statement, that a fair number o
, the paintings now attributed to Rem
brandt were the works of his pupils
tNo one who has made study o
{ style and individuality OF techniqu
could examine the reproductions II
tthis late book on Rembrandt withou
feeling inclined to believe that som
of the attributions were false or tina
at times the master nodded"
Moreover, 1t Is fairly certain that falls
{ Rembrandts have been turned out an,
| marketed by those who had an evi
{ genius for Imitation. A genuine Rem
brandt may be worth hundred or nv
hundred thousand dollars. How great
therefore, the temptation to those wh'