ART-BOOKS.
Four new volumes have appeared of the " Great Masters Series" (Bell and Sons, 5s. each.) The most interesting of these is the Giorgi,ate, by Mr. Herbert Cook, for the reason that it shows that in the criticism of Giorgione "the wheel has come full circle." In the past each critic made it a point of honour to lessen the ad- mittedly authentic pictures by one or two at least. This process had reached the point of there being left only three pictures with their authenticity unassailed,—the Castel Franco Madonna, the "Adrastus and Hypsipyle" at Venice, and the "Eneas, Evander, and Pallas" at Vienna. The names of the last two Pictures are changed freely according to the whims of the Pro- fessors. These three may be said to be the three rocks which the tide of criticism has failed to swamp. But the tide shows Signs of ebbing. Beside the moderately dry rocks of "generally admitted works" there is now appearing above the receding waves a somewhat indefinite lowland of "additional pictures hitherto unrecognised." These last are very fully considered in the volume before us, and although it is impossible to agree off- hand with many of his ascriptions, the author is no doubt quite right when he points out that in the past the critics have been led astray by their refusing to accept as authentic any picture. which did not reach their standard of ideal perfection. There is no reason to suppose that Giorgione was always at his very best. Yet this is the assumption upon which most of the criticism is based. For instance, Crowe and -Cavalcaselle refuse to admit the "Concert" in the Louvre because what they call the "ex- tremities " are bad. But Giorgione never drew hands like Leonardo. The old critics began by distributing many so- called works of the master among contemporary painters, the young Titian coming in for a good share. Now not only are these pictures restored, but numbers of others are ascribed to Giorgione. The picture in the National Gallery that used to be called Titian's portrait of Ariosto, and now goes by the name of Palma Vecehio, is believed by Mr. Cook to be an authentic Giorgione. He also takes away the Cobham Hall portrait from Titian. We do not suppose there will be any end to the controversy, as the taste of the critics is the chief determining factor, though occasionally a decision will carry universal conviction, like Morelli's identification of the Dresden Venus as an authentic work of the master.— Luca della Robbia.—The Marchese Burlamacchi, who writes this study, has no doubts as to her qualifications. She seems to have taken great pains to collect information, and has written a very readable book, though without any profound study of the art of Luca and his associates. The spirit of these wonderful Florentine reliefs seems to have in it something which is akin to the finest of the little Tanagra figures,—a perfect naturalism of beauty, without that aloofness which separates ideal art from ourselves. —Sodoma. By the Contessa Priuli-Bon.—This painter was one of those tantalising people who always seem on the eve of greatness. But in his work there was a something which marred the great qualities which were undoubtedly present. Contemporaries described the wayward, quarrelsome man of genius, who loved to blacken his own character. He was certainly a great fresco painter, though his tendency to improvisation induced a certain thinness in the result. But perhaps the painter was wise, for a more studied manner might have resulted in the loss of the charm which is present in so large a degree. Readers who wish to study this painter will find a well-written account in the volume before us.— Mem/inc. By W. H. Weale. — The author writes both with great knowledge and enthusiasm, and in comparing Memlinc with John van Eyck believes that the former was gifted with a nobler imagination, if not with quite such great technical powers as the latter. Looking at the works of Memlinc is like reading an old chronicle. The idea of unity does not exist in his pictures, for the painter loves to fill his panels with a multitude of succes- sive incidents. For instance, the important picture at Munich which the author calls "Christ, the Light of the World," con- tains the whole story from the Annunciation to the Ascension. Even when the pictures are not complicated in the incidents they illustrate, they are made complicated by wealth of detail and marvellous invention, so that they are most enjoyable when we look at them bit by bit. The frontispiece is an excellent photo- gravure of a donor—Martin van Nieuwevhone—of one of the Bruges pictures; it is a marvellous piece of portraiture.
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