The George A. Hearn gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the city of New York in the year MCMVI
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). George A. Hearn Collection | Hearn, George A. (George Arnold), 1835-1913
,^^ ii^ ^\' '^"'I^t' ^ *.^j) P^^^j :KT .s^':< "^^.^ ■^■«.*^v^* ..^' iir.^) JxMVl.IMKXTS OV MKOKORtW*^ A.HKAHN M G {^^^- Of ArcWtecture Ut,r.ry j_j J^ Cornell Universityv' (UotncU UnioerBity Etbrary m atljara, SJfW llnrk m.'^ •'iv r *p^-- m /"■ j ■ .n nk'^ ^O"^**^," >}y FROM Henry Woodward Sackett, 75 A BEQUEST 3 1924 097 495 109_ Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924097495109 THE GEORGE A. HEARN GIFT TO THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK THE GEORGE A. HEARN GIFT TO THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN THE YEAR MCMVI NEW YORK PRINTED FORTHE MUSEUM MCMVI u l; R i CORRESPONDENCE THE following letters which passed between Mr. Hearn and the President and Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum set forth the wishes of the donor and the conditions under which the gift was made and accepted. THE OFFER December i8, 1905. J. PiERPONT Morgan, Esq., President, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, New York City. Dear Sir: According to my recollection there are fifty pictures in Gallery 15, twenty-two of which have been given and twenty-eight loaned by me. Instead of four of these, I wish to substitute four others, being better pictures, namely: " Lady Hamilton as Daphne," by George Romney; "Peg Woffington," by William Hogarth; "Mrs. Pulham," by John Constable, and " Master Hare," by Sir Joshua Reynolds. After the changes are made I desire to present them all to the Museum, on condition that they shall all remain together in the gallery they are now in or some other of equal size and importance, equally well lighted. In connection with the above I will also give One Hundred Thou- sand Dollars, income to be used in purchase of American pictures. If this is agreeaible to the Trustees, I will either have the four pictures sent to the Museum or show them to the Committee on Paintings at my home at such time as may be convenient to them. On notification that these gifts will be acceptable, I will make offer formal. Yours truly, George A. Hearn. vii To THE Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Thursday, January ii, 1906. Gentlemen: Objection having been raised to the condition accompanying my offer of pictures and money to the Museum, 1 deem it but due to myself to oflFer justification therefor. It having been said that it is difficult to meet the demand that gifts of paintings be kept together permanently, because such collec- tions represent different nationalities and periods, I would reply, that while such difficulty might arise where the gifts number a dozen or so, it cannot be true where an entire gallery is harmoniously filled from a definite standpoint, for then the collection becomes a unit, or, let us say, a small museum in itself, the separate works contained therein, holding consistent relation to each other, completing the roundness of the whole. This collection is not simply a number of unrelated pictures that happened to please the fancy, brought to the Museum from the walls of my home; on the contrary, it is a collection formed in the gallery where it now hangs, during a number of years, having been subjected to frequent changes, always with improvement, and, by consent and approval of the authorities, until the present harmony was secured. To scatter these paintings through different rooms would be to undo the result I have desired to attain, and the artist or art lover will find nothing in Gallery 1 5 to interfere with his enjoyment, nor can the effect be said to be disturbing to the Museum. It is but natural that donors should prefer to have their gifts assembled where they maybe seen at their best, rather than scattered through various rooms. Certain collections of paintings, porcelains, jades and musical instruments, now in the Museum, are far more interesting shown by themselves, than if broken up. Furthermore, they are gifts no Museum can afford to refuse on the ground that they are to be kept together permanently; for it is to the generosity of private individuals that we must look for the constant growth of the institution. To distribute this collection now according to schools would be to substitute a mechanical subdivision for an arrangement arrived at after years of loving study. The objection raised to keeping together individual collections has not disturbed European Museums. For example, in the Na- tional Gallery we find the Peel Collection, though purchased in 1871, is still kept together; then there are those notable examples of Turner, which were accepted by the Trustees with the condition that they should hang with the Claudes. In the South Kensington we find the Sheepshanks Pictures kept together, as well as the Forster, the Dyce and others; also the admirable collection of Furniture, Pictures and Art Objects bequeathed by Mr. Jones. In the Louvre hangs the La Caze Collection. In the Ryks Mu- viii seum at Amsterdam we find the Van der Hoop Collection occupy- ing rooms by itself; and in this same Museum we note the Dapper Collection, the Van de Poll Collection, as well as four lesser ones, kept together as harmonious units. It is worthy of remark that the Reid Collection bequeathed to the Glasgow Gallery with the same condition, numbers but ten paintings, divided between four nationalities; others might be named if further examples were needed. In fact, if there be any ground for such objection, does it not seem strange that the fore- most European Museums deliberately create such collections by assembling conspicuous pictures of difi^erent periods and nation- alities in single rooms. In the Tribune of the Uffizi in Florence do we not find works by Van Dyck, Diirer and Cranach hanging with those of Titian, Raphael and Correggio? In the Salon Carre of the Louvre we find Rembrandt, Dou and Van Dyck hanging with Bellini, Titian and Leonardo, or touching shoulders with Murillo, Paul Veronese, Memlinc, Rubens, Holbein and others. The same assembling of varied works appears in the great Gallery of the Wallace Collection, the latest European museum opened — one of the great rooms of the world — where Dutch, Flemish and Eng- hsh, ItaHan and Spanish pictures hang side by side to the advantage of the whole. The great room of the Hermitage Gallery contains works by I talian, Spanish, Dutch, Flemish and other nationaHties. On the other hand, anyone who has visited the exhibitions of the work of a single painter, must have felt the loss which such a painter sustains in the ordeal, whether it be the great Rem- brandt and Van Dyck exhibitions of a few years ago abroad, or the shows of modern painters, like Cazin and Inness, held in this city. It is an indisputable fact that two pictures, both good, by the same artist, may be hurt by being hung together; this is recog- nized in the best arranged galleries of the world. Who has not felt disappointed on first visiting the room in the National Gallery where the Turners hang, or upon entering the great room in the Hermitage, where forty-one examples of Rembrandt are to be seen? If paintings are only to be enjoyed and studied when arranged in chronological sequence, the same rule would apply to exhibits of sculpture, bronzes, porcelains and other objects shown in these halls. But will any one claim that such is the case? The proportion of visitors that demand such a condition for their enjoyment is small indeed. /Esthetic pleasure derived from a work of art is not dependent on any such chronological or mathematical arrangement. While considerations of size, color and tone, and space to be oc- cupied, must enter into any arrangement of pictures, it is essential, first and last, that the works shown be of good quality and repre- sentative of their authors. The fifty-one paintings in this collection in Gallery 1 5 embrace only four nationalities, 34 of them being English, 8 Dutch and Flemish, 3 French and 6 American. The EngHsh pictures are arranged in two groups, facing each other on the east and west ix walls. The Dutch and Flemish, by making one change, can be practically brought together, namely, by transposing the Van Dyck and the Vincent and the Romney; but this, in my opinion, would not be an improvement, as the light is more favorable to the Van Dyck where it now hangs. The Americans were purposely hung in the Gallery to show that good American pictures can hold their own against the foreigners; I never having discriminated in making purchases, the test always being, " Is the picture good?" and the only preference being to buy the American when quality and value were equal. While under the impression that my gifts of pictures and money, as offered at the December 1 8th. meeting of the Board, had been unanimously accepted by the Trustees, nevertheless, in deference to views of those who think that the Museum should not be bound to perpetual conditions, I have amended the offer, in full expec- tation that the authorities of the Museum, as now or hereafter constituted, will consider themselves under moral obligation to conform to wishes expressed. Very truly yours, George A. Hearn. THE AMENDED OFFER Thursday, January 1 1, 1906. J. Pierpont Morgan, Esq., President, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, New York City. Dear Sir: I have heretofore presented to the Museum twenty-four pictures, and now desire to present in addition twenty-seven pictures with the full expectation that the authorities of the Museum as now or hereafter constituted will consider themselves under moral ob- ligation to keep the fifty-one pictures (see list below) together, for the period of not less than twenty-five years from the date hereof, in the gallery they are now in, or all together in some other gallery of the Museum of equal size and importance, equally well lighted. Should the pictures of the Museum, after the twenty-five years have expired, become so numerous as to make it desirable for them to be grouped according to their respective schools of art, while I should prefer that they should remain in a gallery by themselves, as above stated, it will be deemed, compliance with above expressed expectation, if all of the pictures belonging to each school are hung together as a group, in galleries with others of the same school with a group label above each group, designating the pictures as belong- ing to the "George A. Hearn Collection," and each picture neatly labeled, in addition to the name of the artist, "George A. Hearn Gift." *Inness, George, N. A. Peace and Plenty *Gainsborough, Thomas, R. A. Portrait of Mr. Burroughs, Uncle of the Artist *BoNNiNGTON, Richard Parkes Coast Scene, Normandy *Stark, James Willows by the Water Courses *WiLSON, Richard, R. A. The Storm *Callcott, Sir Augustus Wall, R. Landscape *Harlow, George Henry Portrait of the Artist *Reynolds, Sir Joshua, P. R. Portrait of Mrs. Arnold A. *Constable, John, R. A. Bridge on the Stour *PrNE, Robert Edge Portrait of Mrs. Raid, in Character of Sultana *Hoppner, John, R. A. Portrait of a Lady known as the Lady with Coral Necklace *Lely, Sir Peter Portrait of Sir William Temple Hogarth, William, Peg Woffington *Kneller, Sir Godfrey, Bart., Portrait of Lady Mary Berkeley *Raeburn, Sir Henry Portrait of William Forsyth ♦Reynolds, Sir Joshua, P. R. A. The Duke of Cumberland *Morland, George Midday Meal. *Cottman John Sell Coast Scene *Beechey, Sir William, R. A. Portrait of a Lady *Claude, Le Lorrain A Seaport *WiLsoN, Richard R. A. Landscape and Figures *OsTADE, ISACK VAN Winter in Holland *Hooch, Pieter de Dutch Interior Willaerts, Adam River Scene with Boats EeCKHOUT, GeRBRANDT van DEN Destruction of Sodom and Gommorah. Murant, Emanuel The Farm PoussiN, Gaspard Landscape and Figures CuYp, Aelbert Landscape with Cattle Reynolds, Sir Joshua, P. R. A. Portrait of a Lady Vincent, George Landscape Romney, George Lady Hamilton Crome, John (called Old Crome) The Landing Cotman, John Sell English Village Nasmyth, Peter (called Patrick) Landscape Van Dyck, Sir Anthony Baron Arnold de Roy Wilson, Richard, R. A. Italian Landscape Jongkino, John Barthold Sunset on the Scheldt Reynolds, Sir Joshua, P. R. A. Master Hare Reynolds, Sir Joshua, P. R. A. Portrait of Mrs. Angelo Blanchard, Jacques Venus and Adonis Huysmans, Cornelius Landscape with Figures ♦Indicates pictures heretofore presented XI Constable, John, R. A. Blakelock, Ralph A. Mrs. Pulham Indian Encampment Lawrence, Sir Thomas, P. R. A. Martin, Homer D. Lady Ellenborough Sand Dunes, Lake Ontario Gainsborough, Thomas, R. A. Wyant, Alexander H. English Landscape Looking Towards the Sea Philip, John, R. A. Wyant, Alexander H. Gossips at the Well Landscape Mytens, Daniel Wyant, Alexander H.. Portrait of King Charles 1 Broad Silent Valley I would ask the privilege, from time to time, to exchange for others in the above-named collection such paintings as I may now have, or may hereafter acquire, that may improve the harmony and quality of the collection, each of such exchanges to be made with consent and approval of the Trustees. In connection with the above, and for the encouragement of the art of painting in this country, 1 will also give One Hundred Thousand Dollars in cash, to be invested by the authorities of the Museum in such securities as their judgment may deem advisable, the income to be expended for paintings by persons now living who are, or may be at the time of purchase, citizens of the United States of America, or by those hereafter born, who may at the time of purchase have become citizens thereof. And I desire to empower the authorities of the Museum, as now or hereafter constituted, to exchange or sell any painting or paint- ings purchased with the income of the fund of One Hundred Thou- sand Dollars; such paintings to be exchanged for, or proceeds of paintings sold to be expended for, another painting or paintings by citizens of the United States of America, as limited in last preceding paragraph. To make the One Hundred Thousand Dollars immediately available, and to insure an income of five thousand dollars for some years to come, I desire to give an additional Twenty-five Thousand Dollars, so that five thousand dollars may be spent for paintings' during the year 1906, and from the twenty thousand dollars remain- ing there may be taken sufficient to make up each year such amount as the income of the One Hundred Thousand Dollars may fall short of five thousand dollars. In connection with the above, I also offer the choice of all of the following twelve paintings by living American artists, to be hung as the authorities of the Museum may elect: Two by Winslow Homer, choice of two out of three, "Northeaster," "Search Light, Santiago de Cuba," "Cannon Rock"; one by Horatio Walker, "The narrower"; one by J. AldenWeir, "Green Bodice"; one by Elliott Daingerfield, "Slumbering Fog"; one by Abbott H. Thayer, "Young Woman"; two by George H. Bogert, "Chale Church, Isle of Wight, England," "October Moonlight" (Hallgarten prize) ; one by Henry W. Ranger, "Spring Woods"; one by Louis Paul Dessar, xii "Evening"; one by F. Ballard Williams, "Passaic River"; one by D. W. Tryon, choice of "Moonlight" or "Autumn." 1 believe the paintings in Gallery 15 are all worthy examples of and executed by artists to whom they are attributed. Never- theless, to provide for contingency of dispute as to authenticity, 1 will, in connection with the above-named gifts, present to the Museum an additional Twenty-five Thousand Dollars, to be in- vested as the authorities may elect, and, in case of dispute and unfavorable decision by experts (to be selected by the Museum) in regard to any painting or paintings, during ten years from the date hereof, I will, with the consent and approval of the authorities, withdraw and replace with others such disputed and discredited painting or paintings, if any; and in case I cannot find the painting or paintings in my own collection, or cannot remove them without disarrangement of my home, I to be privileged to use all or part of this fund of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars toward the purchase of the newly selected painting or paintings, allowing the Museum such amount as the disputed painting or paintings can be sold for. In case of my death, the authorities of the Museum shall be like- wise privileged to sell such disputed and discredited painting or paintings, if any, using the proceeds thereof and the fund of Twenty- five Thousand Dollars, with its accumulated interest, or so much thereof as needed, to pay for the picture or pictures purchased. After ten years this Twenty-five Thousand Dollars (or so much as may not have been expended as above provided), together with its accumulated interest, shall be added to the heretofore named gift of One Hundred Thousand and so much as remains of the Twenty-five Thousand Dollar gift provided to purchase paintings during the year 1906, etc., and from the income, paintings by living American artists to be likewise purchased. Very truly yours, George A. Hearn. RESOLUTION OF ACCEPTANCE At a meeting of the Board of Trustees, held January 26, 1906, the following resolution was adopted in regard to the gift of Mr. George A. Hearn: Resolved, That the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art accept the munificent gift of Mr. George A. Hearn, upon the terms contained in his letter of January 1 1, 1906, and in accepting it they desire to put on record their warm appreciation of Mr. Hearn's generosity to the Museum and through the Museum to the people of this city. The collection of pictures, which has been assembled in the gallery of the Museum, and already bears his name, is a notable one. We recognize his generous intention of making it even more repre- xiii sentative from time to time. We particularly welcome his gift of American pictures, and the generous endowment which he has made for the' acquisition of contemporary American paintings. We recognize the careful forethought with which he has guarded his gift, by providing for the withdrawal of any picture which on expert opinion shall not be deemed authentic, and by permitting the exchange of American pictures hereafter acquired for those of greater merit, whenever the opportunity for such a favorable exchange shall present itself. We trust he may realize for himself some of the pleasure and satisfaction which his fellow Trustees and his fellow citizens find in this important addition to our collections and our resources. xiv CATALOGUE NOTE The illustrations are from negatives made ex- pressly for this catalogue by Mr. Charles Balliard BARON ARNOLD DE ROY OF ZUIDERWYN SIR ANTHONY VAN DYCK SIR ANTHONY VAN DYCK 1 599-1641 BARON ARNOLD DE ROY OF ZUIDERWYN (frontispiece) At fifteen Van Dyck entered the studio of Rubens, and soon became his principal assistant, remaining there four years. Then for five years, under the spell of Titian, he traveled and worked in Italy, where he was kept busy painting portraits of the nobility. Charles I invited him to England, where he remained for about seven years, industri- ously at work. He painted nineteen portraits of the King, seventeen of his queen, and several of his children. Notwithstanding the gayety and splen- dor of his life his productions are numerous, one half of which are held in England. He was dis- tinctly a portrait painter, giving a courtly grace and dignity to his sitters which found many imita- tors. He died at forty-two, and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Canvas. H. 76 in. W. 48 in. PEACE AND PLENTY GEORGE INNESS, N. A. GEORGE INNESS, N. A. 1 825- 1 894 PEACE AND PLENTY This picture belongs to the middle period of the artist's career, when his temperamental qualities were struggling for expression against the conven- tionahtyof the time. While there is abundant in- cident set down with care, the pastoral scene is marked by breadth, vigor and honesty and a lofty love of nature. He has invested it with his own sympathetic spirit, and its peace and harmony steal over the contemplative observer like an ex- quisite dream. Possessing the spirit of the in- vestigator, he looked below the surface of things, and his pictures are fraught with a message from the fullness of his heart. His art, in which he was wholly self-taught, was his life, and he was intensely in earnest in his effort to express what he saw and felt. His death, while on a visit to Scotland in 1894, assumed the importance of a national loss, so highly was he esteemed and so thoroughly did his art express the landscape ideal of the country. Canvas. H.yyin. W. 112 in. Signed. Dated 1865. 6 REV. HUMPHREY BURROUGHS THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH, R. A. THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH, R. A. 1 727-1 788 REV. HUMPHREY BURROUGHS Developing a talent for art at an early age, the future great rival of Reynolds was sent to London, at fourteen, to study, and after four years' stay returned to his native Suffolk an accomplished painter. He is one of the few painters that were equally great in landscape and portrait art. Ruskin called him the great- est colorist since Rubens, and found his hand as light as the sweep of a cloud and as swift as the flash of a sunbeam. Whatever he did was always marked by great sensibility and by a profound sense of beauty. The Rev. Humphrey Burroughs here por- trayed was a brother of the artist's mother, and presided over the Sudbury Grammar School, where the boy was sent in his youth. Canvas. H. 28^ in. W. 231^ in. 10 COAST SCENE, NORMANDY RICHARD PARKES BONINGTON 13 RICHARD PARKES BONINGTON 1801-1828 COAST SCENE, NORMANDY Of English nationality, Bonington's art was developed under French influence, his father hav- ing moved to Paris, where the boy came under the instruction of Baron Gros. He soon made a repu- tation by his water colors of street and river scenes, which sold rapidly. When twenty-one he visited Italy, which improved his reputation. Al- though the French contended for his pictures he was unknown in England until he returned to London to die, having contracted consumption. He accomplished much in the brief term of his life, being known both as a landscape and figure painter. One of his pictures is in the Louvre. Canvas. H. 3iin. W. 48 in. 14 WILLOWS BY THE WATER COURSES JAMES STARK COAST SCENE JOHN SELL COTMAN 17 JAMES STARK 1794-1859 WILLOWS BY THE WATER COURSES One of the best-known pupils of Crome, Stark, like his fellow pupil Vincent, is identified with the Norwich group of painters. After his period of instruction he spent some time in London, where he gained considerable success, then returned to Norwich, where he remained for twelve years and where he published a meritorious work on "The Scenery of the Rivers of Norfolk." He also lived for some years at Windsor, finding many subjects there to his liking. His style follows that of his mas- ter Crome, but lacks his force and richness of color. Canvas, H. lyj^in. W. 23 in. JOHN SELL COTMAN 1 782- 1 842 COAST SCENE The son of a linen merchant, Cotman received advantages of education in his youth, and being of handsome appearance and possessing agreeable manners, he was welcomed at the country houses of the gentry about Norwich, whose children he taught, and whose parks and country seats he painted for them. He was a man of great ver- satility. Early in his career he followed portrait painting; then for twelve years he settled at Yar- mouth, where he painted studies of the sea coast. Later he was afflicted with great ner- vous depression which brought on mental aberration. Panel. H. i6>^ in. W. i-jYz in. 18 THE STORM RICHARD WILSON, R. A. 21 RICHARD WILSON, R. A 171 3-1782 THE STORM Born in Wales, Wilson, until he was thirty-six years of age, devoted himself to portrait painting when he decided to visit Italy. There, upon the advice of Zuccarelli, he abandoned portrait for landscape art. Studying the old masters with enthusiasm, he formed his style upon that of Claude, Poussin and Salvator Rosa. During the six years he remained in Rome he devoted himself wholly to landscapes in the classical style, and achieved considerable reputation. His pictures do not follow nature closely, but are poetic remin- iscences of the land in which his spirit found de- light. He sought to convey an impression of grandeur by an agreeable arrangement of the parts of his composition and by the suppression of what he deemed ignoble. Sensitive to beauty, his pictures have an elegance that reflects the re- finement of his native taste. The examples in this collection are thoroughly characteristic and show his nobility of style and pleasing color. Canvas. H. 41 in. W. 53 in. 22 LANDSCAPE SIR AUGUSTUS WALL CALLCOTT, R. A, 25 SIR AUGUSTUS WALL CALLCOTT, R. A. I 779- I 844 LANDSCAPE In his boyhood Callcott was a choir-boy at Westminster Abbey, but at eighteen took up the study of art at the Royal Academy, being for a time a pupil of Hoppner. Beginning as a portrait painter, he soon turned to landscape as more con- genial, which he followed for the rest of his career save for the production of a couple of historical compositions. Of courtly manners, his studio was frequented by the fashionable world, and upon the accession of Victoria he was knighted. Call- cott's art was pleasing and easily comprehended and he was flooded with commissions, hence, to meet the demand, he turned out pictures with- out reference to nature. His best work, dealing with English landscape, was produced before his marriage at fifty, and shows serious study and firm technique. Canvas. H. 27}^ in. W. 35^4^ in. 26 PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST GEORGE HENRY HARLOW 29 GEORGE HENRY HARLOW 1787-1819 PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST Had not Harlow .died at the early age of thirty- one it is thought he might have become a power- ful rival of Lawrence. Giving early indication of great artistic talent, and being a handsome youth, he was much flattered, which brought a distaste for serious study, and retarded his development. After some time with lesser painters he was placed with Lawrence by his mother. After a stay of eighteen months they quarreled and Har- low at sixteen set up a studio for himself. During his term in Lawrence's studio, he had acquired something of that painter's manner of posing as well as his process of working, which served him well." He painted many portraits of actors and public men, and won a distinguished reputation in his day. Canvas. H. 29 in. W. 24 in. 30 MRS. ARNOLD SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, P. R. A. 33 SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, P. R. A. 1 723-1 792 MRS. ARNOLD The foremost of the great English portrait painters of the eighteenth century began to prac- tice his profession at twenty-three. At twenty- six he went to Italy, where he spent three years studying the work of the old masters. Upon re- turning to London, he established himself as a portrait painter, in spite of the denunciation of his style of work by other artists, and soon won fame and fortune. At thirty-six he was obliged to keep a list of applicants for portraits and take them in turn, receiving as many as six each day. All of the men and women prominent in English society in his time came to him. Mrs. Arnold, the subject of this portrait, sat in 1757. He painted with great rapidity between the hours of eleven and four. He allowed only about four hours to a portrait, and often sent the canvases home before they were dry. Canvas. H. 28^2 in. W. 24 in. 34 BRIDGE ON THE STOUR JOHN CONSTABLE, R. A. 37 JOHN CONSTABLE, R. A. I 776- I 83 7 BRIDGE ON THE STOUR While Constable's foremost contemporaries in landscape art built on foreign models, Crome following Ruysdael and Hobbema, and Turnerfol- lowing Claude, he himself was, first and last, dis- tinctly English in his art. He never visited Italy, but was content with the simple scenes with which he, a miller's son, had been familiar from child- hood — the streams and meadows, the locks and bridges of his native Suffolk. By close study of nature he freed himself from all influence of the traditional schools, and opened a way for modern landscape art. When forty-five he produced his masterpiece," The Haywain," which was exhibited at the Royal Academy without finding a purchaser. Three years later it was shown in Paris, creating a profound impression at the Salon, being awarded a gold medal. Thoroughly English, in that it ex- presses the spirit of rural England, Constable's art exerted great influence in the development of the group of landscape men of 1830. Canvas. H. 21 in. W. 32^ in. 38 MRS. REID AS A SULTANA ROBERT EDGE PINE 41 ROBERT EDGE PINE 1 742- 1 790 MRS. RE ID AS A SULTANA Pine, who was the son of an English engraver, • achieved brilliant popular success at eighteen by an historical painting "The Surrender of Calais," and two years later received a prize for his " King Canute." With this record, when forty-two years of age, he came to Philadelphia with the purpose of painting a great historical composition containing portraits of men who had figured conspicuously in the Revolution. He secured the consent of Wash- ington to give him sittings, but the work made little progress, and was finally abandoned. Re- ceiving but little encouragement for his project, he turned his attention to painting portraits, a field in which he was more successful. Canvas. H. 34^ in. W. 27 in. 42 LADY WITH A CORAL NECKLACE JOHN HOPPNER, R. A. 45 JOHN HOPPNER, R. A. 1758-1810 LADY WITH A CORAL NECKLACE The son of one of the German Ladies-in-Wait- ing, Hoppner's Hfe was spent in the shadow of the Court. As a boy he was a chorister in the Chapel Royal, and at sixteen took up the study of art at the Royal Academy where, three years later, he was given a medal for drawing and afterward the Academy's highest award, a gold medal for histor- ical painting. At twenty-two he was established as a portrait painter, and at thirty was styled painter to the Prince of Wales. For eighteen years there was the keenest rivalry for fashionable patronage between himself and Lawrence, who, though ten years younger, had been made court painter to the King. Possessing a winning per- sonality and agreeable social qualities, Hoppner achieved great popular success. While he met the demand that he should flatter his sitters, he did produce interesting and life-like portraits. The necklace of coral was resorted to by him for its brilliant color, and has important bearing on the tone of the flesh-painting; it also draws the eye to the face. Canvas. H. 28)^ in. W. 23^^ in. 46 SIR PETER LELY 1618-1680 SIR WILLIAM TEMPLE Coming to England in 1643, when but twenty- six, and in the train of WilHam of Orange, Lely, a native of WestphaHa, found an opportunity to step into the place left vacant by the death of Van Dyck two years before. He was made court painter by Charles I, holding the same position under Cromwell and the second Charles, until succeeded by Kneller. For thirty years Lely was the most popular painter in England. Sir William Temple (1628- 1699) was an am- bassador at Brussels and The Hague and nego- tiated with the Dutch and Swedes the triple alliance against Louis XIV, in 1668. He declined the position of Secretary of State, and retiring to his home in Surrey, spent the after part of his life in writing his Memoirs and political treatises. Swift the humorist, who afterward became Dean, acting as his secretary. Canvas. H. 47 in. W. 38 in. 50 PEG WOFFINGTON WILLIAM HOGARTH 53 WILLIAM HOGARTH 1 697- 1 764 PEG WOFFINGTON Hogarth, the great satirist of English painting, who loved to portray the foibles and frailties of fashionable life, was also successful as a portrait painter. The son of a school master, he was apprenticed for seven years to an engraver. When twenty-three he set up for himself, at- tracting attention by his departures from estab- lished lines. Instead of painting dead saints and martyrs, so long in fashion, he presented the drama of living sinners in a series of adventures, with great realism and interest, his work seeming like a novel in paint. His portraits are marked by the same vigorous truth. Margaret, generally called Peg Woffmgton, was a celebrated Irish actress, born in Dublin, who achieved success in London at twenty as Sir Harry Wildair, a part which Garrick had made popular. She was called the handsomest woman on the stage in her time, but when thirty-nine was stricken with paralysis on the Covent Garden stage, while playing Rosalinda. Canvas. H. 28 in. W. 24 in. 54 LADY MARY BERKELEY SIR GODFREY KNELLER 57 SIR GODFREY KNELLER 1646-1723 LADY MARY BERKELEY Kneller, who followed Lely as English Court painter, was born in Liibeck but studied in Hol- land, where he was a pupil of Bol, and for a time of Rembrandt, then later in Italy. He came to England when twenty-eight years of age, and through the patronage of Charles II became the fashionable painter of his time. So greatly was he esteemed that no less than ten sovereigns sat to him, including Charles II, James II, William III, Mary, Louis XIV, Peter the Great, Queen Anne, Charles VI, of Spain and George I. He undertook the portrait of the last named when he was nearly seventy years of age. The influence he exerted on the art of his time was very great. Canvas. H. 28 in. W. 24 in. Signed. Dated 1700. 58 WILLIAM FORSYTH SIR HENRY RAEBURN 6l SIR HENRY RAEBURN 1756-1823 WILLIAM FORSYTH In the beginning Raeburn developed himself against heavy odds, but at twenty-two, through his marriage, he acquired means to go to London where he was admitted to the studio of Reynolds. Recognizing his ability, Reynolds advised him to go to Rome. He remained in Italy two years, then at thirty-one returned to Edingburgh where he soon found full employment in portraiture, the foremost men and women of the time becom- ing his sitters. However, he was more successful with men than with women. Personally he was thoroughly well-liked and enjoyed uninterrupted success, receiving many honors after he had en- tered middle life, but these he did not live long to enjoy. William Forsyth was an eminent Scotch horti- culturalist who was appointed Superintendent of Kensington Gardens. He wrote a book on the Management of Fruit Trees. Canvas. H. 29 in. W. 24^4 in. 62 H. R. H. WILLIAM AUGUSTUS DUKE OF CUMBERLAND SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, P. R. A. 65 SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, P. R. A, 1 723- 1 792 H. R. H. WILLIAM AUGUSTUS DUKE OF CUMBERLAND Although portraying a, military commander, Reynolds presents here, as always, the refined and admirable side of English society. He never gives us the massive dullness of the Dutch por- traits, but infuses them with his own kindly na- ture, which may be taken as one reason for the unbounded popularity of the painter in his life- time, and for his portraits continuing to excite our admiration to-day. Through all the many changes of fashion in art, they still live on to delight us. The subject of this portrait was the second son of King George II, and commander-in-chief at the battle of Fontenoy, when he was defeated by Mar- shall Saxe; again he commanded at the battle of Culloden, defeating Prince Charles and the claims of the Scotch Pretender, and ending the struggle of the Stuarts to regain the lost throne. Canvas. H. 49 in. W. 39 in. 66 MIDDAY MEAL GEORGE MORLAND 69 GEORGE MORLAND 1 763- 1 804 MIDDAY MEAL The son of a portrait painter, George Mor- land's talent developed so early that he became famous at sixteen, receiving abundant patronage from engravers, dealers and collectors. To gain money from his work his father kept him a prisoner and a slave. His productivity was enor- mous, yet his technique shows refinement of touch and beauty of color. His subjects were always chosen from low life, and rendered with an air of truth and reality. He was the rustic painter for the common people, portraying what he saw with wonderful skill. So great were his powers of production that during the last eight years of his life his paintings numbered about eight hundred, in addition to hundreds of drawings. Although of great talent, he sank to the grossest dissipation, which ended his life at forty-one. Canvas. H. 27>^ in. W. 35 in. Signed. Dated 1795. 70 PORTRAIT OF A LADY SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY, R. A. 73 SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY, R. A. 1753-1839 PORTRAIT OF A LADY Commencing with the law, Beechey abandoned this for the study of art, entering his career as a portrait painter. Later he tried his hand at several subject pictures, or conversation pieces, as they were called, after the manner of Hogarth, which he soon abandoned for portraits, which were more in demand. Having been brought to the notice of King George III, through the rejection of a portrait sent to the Academy, he painted in 1793 a full length of Queen Charlotte, who ap- pointed him her portrait painter. This settled his fortunes by bringing numerous commissions. He was knighted at forty-five for a large eques- trian group of George 1 1 1 reviewing troops, which is now at Hampton Court. He excelled in por- traits of women and children, his sitters including many of the people of fashion of his day. Canvas. H. 49 in. W. 39 in. 74 A SEAPORT CLAUDE LORRAIN 77 CLAUDE LORRAIN 1600-1682 A SEAPORT From the humblest origin Claude rose to the highest position of fame and wealth, being hon- ored at thirty-five as the most distinguished painter of his time. Though a slow worker he was an assiduous one, and left about four hun- dred paintings besides a large number of drawings and etchings. He was not a man of robust health, and after forty suffered greatly from gout, which interfered with his long tramps in the country. He received numerous commissions from kings, popes and princes, but suffered from frequent illness, and in the latter part of his life was only able to work two or three hours a day. The greatest part of his life was spent in Rome, where he died. His influence on landscape art was very great and he had a host of imitators, but his influence has long since departed for the reason that he preferred superficial effect to truth. Canvas. H. 37^ in. W. 47}^ in. 78 ITALIAN LANDSCAPE RICHARD WILSON, R. A. 8i RICHARD WILSON, R. A. 17 1 3-1 782 ITALIAN LANDSCAPE Though he was the principal contemporary landscape painter of Gainsborough, and one of the thirty-six founders of the Royal Academy, Wilson found patronage of his art so low that he was hardly kept from actual want. Had he re- mained in Italy he would have been highly honored, but returning to England, this Welsh painter died broken-hearted from neglect. Only after his death did his pictures find appreciation, and those poetic dreams have influenced many painters since his day. Through all his land- scapes runs a sense of peaceful quiet, touched with sentiment. His marble temples, often in ruin, recall the stories and legends of classic Italy, and his wooded hillsides with silvery water- falls suggest the abode of fauns and wood nymphs. Although he suffered pitiable neglect during his life, his talent established him in the first rank of English landscape painters, and in recent years he has become highly esteemed. Canvas. H. 34 in. W. 51 in. 82 ^m WINTER IN HOLLAND ISAAC VAN OSTADE 85 ISAAC VAN OSTADE 1621-1649 WINTER IN HOLLAND Isaac was the youngest of several brothers of the celebrated Dutch painter, Adrian Van Ostade, and also his pupil. In the beginning of his career Isaac likewise portrayed the village carousals for which his master had gained great reputation, but later he turned his attention to Dutch country scenes or the frozen canals enlivened with figures which he presented with truth and power. During his brief life of twenty-eight years he produced a considerable number of works — Smith catalogues one hundred and twelve — some of which are to be found in the foremost European museums. His pictures always exhibit careful draughtsmanship and pleasing color, and carry conviction as to their accuracy. Canvas. H. 40 in. W. 60 in. A DUTCH INTERIOR PIETER DE HOOCH 89 PIETER DE HOOCH 1 632-1 68 1 A DUTCH INTERIOR From the number of conscientious painters at work in Holland during the middle of the seven- teenth century, we are more familiar with Dutch domestic life than with that of other nations. De Hooch, like his fellow artists, Ter Borch, Metsu, and Dow, devoted himself to portraying the placid domesticity of Dutch interiors, which he rendered with exactitude and almost classic repose. His pictures show fine draughtsmanship, refinement and sincerity, and there is an absence of that superfluous detail which marks the compositions of some of his fellow painters. When still life is introduced it is managed with great delicacy, while in the treatment of light with which he envelops his interiors he was only rivaled by Vermeer. He placed his figures at their daily tasks in marble-paved interiors, with sunny vistas beyond. Note how well balanced his composition is. The space required for his little domestic drama is never large, his color is always warm, and the architectural lines are sufficiently intricate to interest the eye. Panel. H. 21 in. W. 26 in. 90 RIVER SCENE WITH BOATS ADAM WILLAERTS 93 ADAM WILLAERTS 1 577-1 664 RIVER SCENE WITH BOATS In the sixteenth century Antwerp held fore- most place as a School of Art. Here Adam Willaerts was born the same year as his great fellow townsman Rubens, whose after career was so brilliant as almost to obscure the light of all other painters of his time. Although born in the Flemish city, Willaerts is classed with the Dutch painters, having early taken up his resi- dence at Utrecht, where he pursued his studies. In Utrecht he won his artistic honors and there he finally died at an advanced age. The date of his death is somewhat uncertain. He became a member of the Artists' Guild of that city, and was one of its influential managers for nearly twenty years. He devoted himself to painting land- scapes, river scenes, village markets and merry- makings. Panel. H.2oin. W. 33 in. Signed. Dated 1645. 94 THE FARM EMANUEL MURANT, DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH GERBRANDT VAN DEN EECKHOUT 97 EMANUEL MURANT 1622-1700 THE FARM Murant, who belongs to the minor class of Dutch painters, was born at Amsterdam and be- came a pupil of Phihps Wouverman. For his sub- jects he chose dilapidated farm buildings and street scenes, which he rendered with the careful exactitude manifest in all Dutch painting. His works are somewhat rare. Canvas. H. 14 in. W. i8>4 in. GERBRANDT VAN DEN EECKHOUT 1621-1674 DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH When misfortune overtook Rembrandt and he found himself involved in financial difficulties, to add to his income he opened his studio to pupils, receiving considerable sums for his instruction. Among the many talented pupils who sat at his feet was van den Eeckhout, whose works of all the school most nearly approach those of the master in subject and composition. So closely has he fol- lowed him in some of his Biblical subjects that the works of the pupil have been taken for those of the master, though he lacks his gifts of color. Panel. H. i4in. W. 20 in. 98 LANDSCAPE AND FIGURES GASPARD POUSSIN lOI GASPARD POUSSIN 1613-1675 LANDSCAPE AND FIGURES When Nicolas Poussin, the great French painter, had won success in Rome, he married a daughter of a French family Hving there by the name of Dughet, and, at the same time, adopted Gaspard, the young brother of his wife. Taking the painter's name, Gaspard became his pupil as well, and by painting landscapes in the style of his master won great success. Later his manner became less severe and was marked by greater freedom and warmth than that of Poussin. He strove for vivid atmospheric effects, which led him to paint land storms which became celebrated. He worked rapidly, and left a large number of pictures at his death. His life was spent in Rome, his na- tive city. Canvas. H. 35 in. W. 57 in. 