Studio: international art (59.1913)

Studio-Talk

The Carracci was purchased at the Orleans sale of
1798 by the then Earl of Carlisle for 4000 guineas,
a very high price in those days ; hence its selling
value now must be enormous. The Gainsborough
is an unfinished work, nearly 8 feet high, and it is
said was left unfinished at the express desire of the
Earl of Carlisle, to whom it was sent in that state;
but it is of superlative interest as showing the
painter’s methods of work. The portrait of
Descartes is a valuable document apart from its
merits as a work of art, for the painter was a
personal friend of the great philosopher, and we
may conclude therefore that the presentment is as
veracious as it is possible for any portrait to be.

In the letter by which Lady Carlisle signified her
intention to present these valuable^pictures to the
nation there is a passage which should be treasured
as much as the gift itself: “It is with the utmost

gladness that I transfer
these pictures from my
keeping into the hands of
the nation, as they will
find a safe and lasting
home in the National
Gallery. Therefore, it is
with eager pleasure that I
hand them over. The
more one thinks over the
happiness of the pictures
going home to their right-
ful place—where all pic-
tures that have stood the
test of time and secured a
verdict in their favour
should go—the more one
wants to speed them on
their way.”

The recent exhibition ot
Mr. P. A. de Laszld’s por-
traits at Messrs. Agnew’s
gallery in aid of the funds
of the Artists’ General
Benevolent Institution
effectively demonstrated
the capacities of an artist
who has attained a position
of great distinction in the
modern art world. It
showed admirably both
the power and the
variety of his achieve-
ment ; and it was particu-
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larly significant in its revelation of his shrewd
insight into character and of his skill in realising
subtleties of personality. Mr. de Laszlo, indeed,
is a painter of rather rare gifts, and his work is
fascinating in its acuteness of observation and its
frank directness of interpretation ; he seems always
to know so well what he has to do that he is able
to solve with certainty the most difficult problems
of technical procedure. The straightforwardness of
his method never degenerates into mere executive
display; the vehement actuality of his canvases is
consistently tempered with refinement and grace
of style and the brilliancy of his handling is always
controlled by a true sense of artistic fitness. The
examples which are given here of his more recent
practice show effectively various phases of his art—•
the vigour and vitality of his portrait of Lord
Roberts, the elegance and distinction of his paint-
ing of the Baroness de Baeyens, the dainty spon-

“ MRS. HALDANE MACFALL ” BY P. A. DE LASZL6