International studio (36.1908/1909(1909))

PORTRAIT BY LARGILLIERRE

one-time historical painter but now
recaliedoniybyhisportraits. In
his day he iimned in Engiand a por-
trait of Charles II and many of the
English nobiiity, as weil as one of
James II and the infant Prince of
Waies. He iived a long and honor-
abie life, to be ninety years of age,
and was a great friend of Le Brun.
This canvas, which is representative
of his best manner, is of the Comte
de Puysegur, a distinguished French
nobie of his day, who is depicted in
one of the stilted poses of the time,
one hand at his hip the other ad-
vancing. He is bewigged and dressed
in gorgeous habihments, with a green
veivet robe of some sort about him,
against a dorid background of coi-
umns, sky and draperies. It is aM
very clever, technicaMy dexterous
and decorative in coior, a very epi-
tomeoftheepoch. Appeaiingin
an entireiy different manner is a
portrait of a doge of .Venice by
Jacopo da Ponte, known as "H
Bassano," after the little town on
the Brenta. The man was a pupil
of his father of the same name and
settled in Venice, where he was em-
ployed to paint a series of historical
pictures in the doge's palace, and
he also worked much for the Vene-
tian churches. His style was formed on the ex-
ample of Titian and his sitters included many im-
portant men. He was a most fecund painter and
with the help of his sons produced a mass of work.
This example at the Glaenzer galleries is of sur-
passing exceMence, being painted withgreat breadth
and directness, the face and hands of the noble sit-
ter coming out luminously from a rich dark back-
ground. There is a whole epitome of humanity in
the beautifuMv rendered face and the work is of
raredistinction.
GERMAN art, exploited as it is in the present exhi-
bition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will fur-
ther appeal to this public through a display arranged
by the Berlin Photographic Company, which the
manager, Mr. Lesch, has arranged at the gaileries,
14 East Twenty-third street, and which is most com-
prehensive as weM as educational in its selection,
for there is much to be seen here that unfortunately
is not available in the institution in Central Park.

Not alone are there a multitude of prints in the
black and white, but the Berlin Company has
many reproductions in color, the latest achieve-
ments in that direction, and these are highly satis-
factory, marking an era as they do in the new proc-
esses. Visitors to the Metropolitan Museum will
recall with pleasure the remarkable composition by
the great Menzel, the BaM It is an ar-
rangement of hgures to dismay any but the most
consummate craftsman and it is replete with life and
incident. There seem literally hundreds of men
and women attending some royal function. Most
of the men are in gorgeous uniforms, while the
women are elaborately attired, and it is all like a
snapshot of the event, with no end of entertaining
situations, a couple talking here, a group eating
there, the pushing, crowding and confusion incident
to such an occasion. But the difhculties of limning
all these are passed by apparently with ease and
facility and the master presents aM with the trained
touch, the marvelous power of observation that

CXLI