DOI Heft:
Nr. 143 (February 1905)
DOI Artikel:Reviews
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20711#0097
Reviews
REVIEWS.
Pictures and Engravings at Houghton Hall.
(London : George Allen.) £4 4s. net.—Haughton
Hall, Cheshire, that passed from the possession of
the family after whom it is named in 1740, and
was acquired by its present owner, Mr. Ralph
Brocklebank, in 1891, contains an exceptionally
fine collection of paintings scarcely known to the
general public, from which a careful selection has
been made for reproduction in the present volume.
Exquisitely rendered in photogravure, and accom-
panied by full particulars of their origin, with
biographical notes on their artists from the accom-
plished pen of Mr. Radcliffe Carter, they are,
without a single exception, true masterpieces of
the best periods of art production, chosen for
their intrinsic excellence alone, not for any adven-
titious circumstance, such as the greatness of the
names to which they are attributed. They include
several noteworthy examples of Turner at his best,
such as the Marriage of the Adriatic, the Beacon
Light, and An Autumnal Morning, London;
Linnell's fine Woodcutters, De Wint's beautiful
Dover from the Deal Road, with several extremely
characteristic works by Flemish masters, amongst
which are specially noteworthy the wonderful Por-
trait of a Lutheran Minister by J. G. Cuyp, father
of the more celebrated Albert; the Portrait of a
Lady, from an unknown hand, a marvellous creation,
though perhaps somewhat spoiled by the formal,
highly finished background, and Memlinc's Group
of Heads of fews and Roman Soldiers, long wrongly
attributed to Metsys. Two Portraits of ladies by
the Frenchman, Francois Clouet, and two Holy
Families by Filippino Lippi, are also thoroughly
representative. Mr. Carter's notes give full par-
ticulars, not only of the paintings reproduced, but
of all those in the collection, which it is greatly to
be hoped may long be kept intact, so that his book,
which is handsomely bound and printed on hand-
made paper, will be of real service to the future
student of art-history, as well as to the connoisseur
and collector.
Modem Painters. By John Ruskin. (London :
George Allen.) 18s. the set.—A practical refuta-
tion of the assertion that the popularity of Ruskin's
writings has been on the wane since his death is
proved by the number of editions of his works that
are now finding a ready sale. The issue of "Modern
Painters " in a pocket edition, with all the original
illustrations, at a price ' that brings it within reach
of the most modest purse, will be welcomed gladly
by all who still value beauty of literary style.
Friih-hollander. Parts I. and II. (Haarlem :
H. Kleminenn.) 40 marks each.—The prohibitive
price at which these reproductions of masterpieces
in the Leyden Gallery are issued will probably
militate against their wide circulation, but those
who can afford to pay for them will find many fine
renderings of the work of Cornelis Engelrechts-
zoon, Lucas van Leyden, and other famous artists
of Northern Europe.
The Gate of Smaragdus. By Gordon Bottom-
ley. Decorated by Clinton Balmer. (London :
Elkin Matthews.) 10s. net.—The author of the
poems in this daintily got up and quaintly printed
book is to be congratulated on the thorough
appreciation shown by his collaborator for the
distinctive characteristics of the text. However
much opinion may differ on the merits of the
various poems, the illustrations with which they
are enriched will no doubt be received with a
chorus of praise. Specially beautiful are those
facing pages xxv. and xxxvii., which combine with
true decorative feeling great poetic insight, although
they would have gained by being printed in a
somewhat deeper tone.
The Cathedrals of Modern France. By Francis
Miltoun. With Illustrations by Blanche
McManus. (London : T. Werner Laurie.) 6s. net.
—It is difficult to concede the claims put forward
by the publisher of this new study of the cathedrals
of modern France that the " text is authoritative
and scholarly," and that the illustrations of Miss
McManus are sure "to make it one of the most
beautiful books of the year." The author has
evidently a real enthusiasm for the exquisite build-
ings described, but can scarcely be quoted as an
authority on ecclesiastical architecture, and his
style leaves much to be desired. Some few of
the illustrations, notably the view of Notre Dame,
Paris, and that of St. Etienne of Auxerre, are in-
teresting and poetic, but the remainder are too
sketchy and wanting in atmosphere to be very
convincing.
The National Gallery. By Gustave Geoffroy,
with an Introduction by Sir Walter Armstrong.
(London: F. Warne & Co.) 25s. net.—M.
Gustave Geffroy's essays are one and all marked by
the keen insight into peculiarities of the style that
distinguish him; and they have about them a
freshness and originality that is, alas, daily be-
coming more rare. After the English school
M. Geoffroy passes in review, the Italian, Flemish,
Dutch, German, and Spanish masters repre-
sented in the National Gallery, completing his
valuable work with a very brief notice of the
few good works of French origin it contains.
REVIEWS.
Pictures and Engravings at Houghton Hall.
(London : George Allen.) £4 4s. net.—Haughton
Hall, Cheshire, that passed from the possession of
the family after whom it is named in 1740, and
was acquired by its present owner, Mr. Ralph
Brocklebank, in 1891, contains an exceptionally
fine collection of paintings scarcely known to the
general public, from which a careful selection has
been made for reproduction in the present volume.
Exquisitely rendered in photogravure, and accom-
panied by full particulars of their origin, with
biographical notes on their artists from the accom-
plished pen of Mr. Radcliffe Carter, they are,
without a single exception, true masterpieces of
the best periods of art production, chosen for
their intrinsic excellence alone, not for any adven-
titious circumstance, such as the greatness of the
names to which they are attributed. They include
several noteworthy examples of Turner at his best,
such as the Marriage of the Adriatic, the Beacon
Light, and An Autumnal Morning, London;
Linnell's fine Woodcutters, De Wint's beautiful
Dover from the Deal Road, with several extremely
characteristic works by Flemish masters, amongst
which are specially noteworthy the wonderful Por-
trait of a Lutheran Minister by J. G. Cuyp, father
of the more celebrated Albert; the Portrait of a
Lady, from an unknown hand, a marvellous creation,
though perhaps somewhat spoiled by the formal,
highly finished background, and Memlinc's Group
of Heads of fews and Roman Soldiers, long wrongly
attributed to Metsys. Two Portraits of ladies by
the Frenchman, Francois Clouet, and two Holy
Families by Filippino Lippi, are also thoroughly
representative. Mr. Carter's notes give full par-
ticulars, not only of the paintings reproduced, but
of all those in the collection, which it is greatly to
be hoped may long be kept intact, so that his book,
which is handsomely bound and printed on hand-
made paper, will be of real service to the future
student of art-history, as well as to the connoisseur
and collector.
Modem Painters. By John Ruskin. (London :
George Allen.) 18s. the set.—A practical refuta-
tion of the assertion that the popularity of Ruskin's
writings has been on the wane since his death is
proved by the number of editions of his works that
are now finding a ready sale. The issue of "Modern
Painters " in a pocket edition, with all the original
illustrations, at a price ' that brings it within reach
of the most modest purse, will be welcomed gladly
by all who still value beauty of literary style.
Friih-hollander. Parts I. and II. (Haarlem :
H. Kleminenn.) 40 marks each.—The prohibitive
price at which these reproductions of masterpieces
in the Leyden Gallery are issued will probably
militate against their wide circulation, but those
who can afford to pay for them will find many fine
renderings of the work of Cornelis Engelrechts-
zoon, Lucas van Leyden, and other famous artists
of Northern Europe.
The Gate of Smaragdus. By Gordon Bottom-
ley. Decorated by Clinton Balmer. (London :
Elkin Matthews.) 10s. net.—The author of the
poems in this daintily got up and quaintly printed
book is to be congratulated on the thorough
appreciation shown by his collaborator for the
distinctive characteristics of the text. However
much opinion may differ on the merits of the
various poems, the illustrations with which they
are enriched will no doubt be received with a
chorus of praise. Specially beautiful are those
facing pages xxv. and xxxvii., which combine with
true decorative feeling great poetic insight, although
they would have gained by being printed in a
somewhat deeper tone.
The Cathedrals of Modern France. By Francis
Miltoun. With Illustrations by Blanche
McManus. (London : T. Werner Laurie.) 6s. net.
—It is difficult to concede the claims put forward
by the publisher of this new study of the cathedrals
of modern France that the " text is authoritative
and scholarly," and that the illustrations of Miss
McManus are sure "to make it one of the most
beautiful books of the year." The author has
evidently a real enthusiasm for the exquisite build-
ings described, but can scarcely be quoted as an
authority on ecclesiastical architecture, and his
style leaves much to be desired. Some few of
the illustrations, notably the view of Notre Dame,
Paris, and that of St. Etienne of Auxerre, are in-
teresting and poetic, but the remainder are too
sketchy and wanting in atmosphere to be very
convincing.
The National Gallery. By Gustave Geoffroy,
with an Introduction by Sir Walter Armstrong.
(London: F. Warne & Co.) 25s. net.—M.
Gustave Geffroy's essays are one and all marked by
the keen insight into peculiarities of the style that
distinguish him; and they have about them a
freshness and originality that is, alas, daily be-
coming more rare. After the English school
M. Geoffroy passes in review, the Italian, Flemish,
Dutch, German, and Spanish masters repre-
sented in the National Gallery, completing his
valuable work with a very brief notice of the
few good works of French origin it contains.