The Mentor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art 4

The Mentor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art 4

Gerard Dou (dow) worked under Rembrandt in the “gray” period. The

small, crisp “Portrait of the Artist” shows his change of style

after leaving the studio. Dou trimmed his sails to catch the wind

of fashion, a thing that Rembrandt refused to do. Another pupil,

Nicolaes Maes, worked with Rembrandt during the “golden” period. He

gives us a brilliant piece of color, a “Young Girl Peeling Apples,” in

which the glow of red warms all the panel. Aert de Gelder portrays a

sturdy “Dutch Admiral,” and there is one of the far-stretching Dutch

landscapes by Philip de Koninck.

 

[Illustration: A VISIT TO THE NURSERY. By Gabriel Metsu]

 

 

_Dutch Masters_

 

The “Little Masters of Holland” are present in strength. Metsu’s

“Visit to the Nursery,” which came from the Morgan Collection, is his

masterpiece. It is an intimate glimpse of home life that attracts

everyone, and is painted with a mastery that strengthens its human

appeal. But Metsu is far surpassed by Vermeer. Less than two score of

his pictures are known; the Metropolitan Museum already owns two of

them, and of these, the “Young Woman with a Water-Jug,” is of first

rank.

 

The landscape men should not be overlooked. Cuyp (koip) has three

of his cattle pictures, filled with sunlight; and Hobbema, one of

the rarest-met of the Dutchmen, has a view of a Dutch village.

“Wheatfields,” by Jacob van Ruisdael (rize´-dale), shows him at the

summit of his powers. It is superior to anything by him to be found in

the European collections. With its low-lying horizon and broad sky, it

is typical of the best in the Dutch treatment of landscape.

 

[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF A MAN. By Dirk Bouts]

 

Next to the Dutch, the Flemish is the one best represented among

the older schools. High finish and purity of color are the chief

characteristics of these careful brushmen. There is a tiny fragment

by Jan van Eyck (ike) (?-1440), usually identified as a portrait of

Thomas à Becket. A monumental “Annunciation” is by Roger van der

Weyden, with rich velvets and brocades and careful painting of details.

In the Altman Collection there are four panels by Memling. All are of

superior quality--in fact, the “Portrait of an Old Man” was for a long

time attributed to Jan van Eyck. Another portrait, by Dirk Bouts, has

the same directness and force, and is almost equally fine. This is

portraiture of the highest order.

 

[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF AN OLD MAN. By Hans Memling]

 

Rubens (1577-1640) brought a new spirit to the school. One may obtain

at the Metropolitan a fairly clear idea of his power and of the

influence of his style upon his fellow-artists, although there are none

of his finest creations present. Rubens relied upon the help of his

assistants more than most other artists. Indicating his intentions,

whether by a small sketch or roughly on the canvas itself, he would

leave the carrying out to his pupils, and afterwards correct or retouch

the parts that did not satisfy him. The large “Wolf and Fox Hunt” was

probably handled in some such way, as were a number of these hunting

pictures. The “Holy Family,” nearby, is in his first style, and some

of Rubens’ brushwork may still be recognized in the figure of the

Christ-child. Rubens’ skill in another field is upheld by two good

portraits of men. There are several school pieces[1] of merit, and an

early copy of his “Susannah.”

 

[1] A school piece is a picture done by a pupil, closely

following the style of his master.

 

[Illustration: THE ANNUNCIATION. By Roger van der Weyden]

 

Van Dyck, Rubens’ best pupil, is even better represented than his

master. We may trace his development in no less than eight portraits.

Two in the Altman Collection were done during his visit to Genoa,

and betray some of the influence of Italy. But Van Dyck hardly ever

surpassed the full-length of James Stuart, Duke of Richmond and Lennox.

 

 

_Italian Masterpieces_

 

Most of the masterpieces of the Italian School had been absorbed into

Europe’s national collections before the Metropolitan Museum entered

the field. It is quite remarkable that the present showing is possible,

in view of the difficulties in the way. Most of the works of the

“primitives”[2] are fixed on the walls of the palaces and churches

of Italy, but there is a scattering of them here. In the case of

Pollajuolo’s (polla-yoo-o´-lo) “St. Christopher,” the whole wall has

been transported. It has great value for the study of fresco technic.

An “Epiphany,” simple in its appeal, attributed to the School of Giotto

(jot´-to), but possibly by Giotto himself, has great charm of color and

composition.

 

[2] The pioneers of a nation’s art. In Italy, Giotto and Duccio

are the two great primitives.

 

One of the most important possessions of the Museum is Raphael’s

“Madonna of St. Anthony,” the gift of Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan. It was

painted before the artist had fully developed, and lacks the spirit

and brilliancy of his later productions. But study its composition.

Note the dignity in the single figures of St. Peter and St. Paul. How

exquisitely the adoring angels fill the lunette![3] The picture was

intended for the high altar, and, in its original position, it would

have been possible to see it only from a distance and from below, and

not close at hand as now. The central group shows some of the promise

so richly fulfilled in the years that followed.

 

[3] The upper, semi-circular portion. The word refers to the

half-moon shape of the composition.

 

[Illustration: VIRGIN AND CHILD ENTHRONED WITH SAINTS. By Raphael

 

Also called “The Madonna of St. Anthony”]

 

[Illustration: MADONNA AND CHILD. By Andrea del Verrocchio]

 

[Illustration: GIRL WITH CHERRIES. By Ambrogio de Predis]

 

Of the other Florentines, the pensive “Madonna” by Verrocchio

(ver-roke´-kee-o) is very attractive, and the Fra Angelico panel

and the circular composition by Mainardi should not be overlooked.

Neither of the subjects by Botticelli (bot-tee-chel´-lee) conveys

a fair conception of his artistic significance, although they are

well authenticated. There is a highly finished portrait of Federigo

Gonzaga (fed-er-ee-go gon-tha-ga) by Francia (fran´-cha), in perfect

preservation. The “Girl with Cherries,” now assigned to Ambrogio

de Predis, was for a long time thought to be by Leonardo da Vinci

(vin´-chee).

 

[Illustration: ST. GEORGE. By Carlo Crivelli]

 

There are several large and important altarpieces. One, by Correggio

(kor-red´-jo), was painted early in his career. It is rich in coloring

and is an important link in his artistic development. On the opposite

wall there is an “Entombment” by Moretto of Brescia, a leader in the

North Italian School. He is noted for the gray tone that pervades many

of his canvases. A “Pieta” (pee-ay´-ta), by Crivelli (kree-vel´-lee),

shows tragic power combined with great beauty of color and strength of

drawing.

 

The late Venetian is the most satisfactorily represented of the Italian

Schools. There is an early “Madonna” ascribed to Giovanni Bellini

(jo-van´-nee bel-lee´-nee), firm in drawing and harmonious in color

scheme, but failing to show the strength to which he attained later in

his career. Titian’s (tish´-an) portrait of Filippo Archinto (fil-ee-po

ar-keen´-to), Bishop of Milan, is fine as a study of character--we must

hope that some of the more decorative pieces by Titian will some day be

secured. Like most of the portraits painted by Giorgione (jor-jo´-nee),

the one in the Altman Collection has suffered from restoration, but

anything by this rare painter is priceless. Carpaccio’s (kar-patch´-o)

mystic “Meditation on the Passion” is very important historically.

 

[Illustration: SCENE IN VENICE. By Antonio Canaletto]

 

There are no less than three canvases by Tintoretto. “A Doge in Prayer

Before the Redeemer” came from Ruskin’s collection. Though only a

sketch, and therefore less finished than the pretentious “Miracle

of the Loaves,” it is for that very reason the more convincingly

Tintoretto’s own handling. Paolo Veronese’s (pah-o-lo vay-ro-naze´-ee)

“Mars and Venus” shows what a late Venetian could do with a subject

that gave full play to a love of color and gorgeous textiles. By

Canaletto there is a “Scene in Venice” which is unsurpassed by anything

that represents him elsewhere. The “Investiture of Bishop Harold” is

the finest of several paintings by Tiepolo (tee-ay-po´-lo) in the

Museum. There are excellent portraits by Torbido (tor-bee´-do) and

Montagna (mon-tan´-yuh), who do not belong strictly to the Venetians.

They are much finer in workmanship than pictures sometimes attributed

to their more famous brethren.

 

Both of the great men of the German School are well represented.

Dürer’s training as an engraver is very apparent in his “Madonna and

Child with St. Anne”--the sleeping Christ-child is delightful. Of

the three Holbeins, the early “Portrait of a Man” is perhaps the

best. According to the inscription, it must have been painted when the

artist was twenty years old. There are other fine portraits by Cranach

(kran´-ack) the elder and Beham.

 

 

_Early English Art_

 

The early English School is strong in numbers--it was greatly

strengthened by the Fletcher bequest. The large portrait group of The

Honorable Henry Fane with his Guardians shows Sir Joshua Reynolds

attempting a group on an ambitious scale. His half-lengths, especially

that of Elizabeth Reynolds, are more pleasant--in that particular

one he pays tribute to the style of Rembrandt. Gainsborough, Sir

Joshua’s most successful rival, shows his ability in the portrait of

“Miss Sparrow” and, in another field, in the “Landscape” in the Hearn

Gallery. He used to paint these landscapes as relaxation from the

portrait pieces. Romney and Opie (o´-pee) have attractively pictured

Lady Hamilton for us. One of the best pictures that ever came from

Lawrence’s brush is his portrait of the Reverend William Pennicott.

 

[Illustration: MARIE MARGUERITE LAMBERT DE THORIGNY. By Largillière]

 

[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF A LADY. By François Boucher]

 

There are some good canvases by the landscape men. Constable has an

unusual portrait, as well as the gorgeous “Glebe Farm” in the Fletcher

Collection. John Crome, in his “Hautbois Common,” shows the influence

of the principles of the Dutch School. Wilson has an unusually rich

“Italian Landscape.” Turner, the greatest of the English landscapists,

is responsible for three pictures. The early “Saltash” is rich and

luminous; the “Grand Canal, Venice,” is one of the best of his pictures

of the island city, and the “Whale Ship” is in his late style. There

are some wonderful water-colors by him on loan.

 

[Illustration: ARABS CROSSING A FORD. By Eugène Fromentin]

 

The French School of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is

represented by pictures few in number, but excellent in quality.

Boucher (boo´-shay), Largillière (lar-geel´-yare), Nattier

(nat´-ee-ay), Drouais (droo´-ay)--all these men show amazing strength

on the decorative side, and, always, exquisite taste. Chardin

(shar´-dahn) has a beautiful low-toned still-life, “Preparations for

a Breakfast.” David’s portrait in the Fletcher Gallery is a marvel of

directness. In the Morgan Wing there are eight decorative landscapes by

Hubert Robert well worth looking up in this connection.