The work of restoration of the fine church of Nieuport is being actively carried out. In consequence of certain demolitions effected since an earlier inspection, it has been ascertained that the cross-vaulting of the transept was originally in wood, as were all the other vaults of the building. A portion of the wooden ribs is still in position, as is also the case with the remains of the shingle roofing. All doubt being now resolved, this vault will be reinstated in wood. In the wall of the south transept, a primitive window has been laid bare. It was built up at the time of a general alteration of the edifice and replaced by a larger bay. The window will be restored to its first state. The removal of the covering of the south transept has shown that the ridge of that portion of the monument is higher by about 50 cm. than that of the adjacent roofings. As no alteration has taken place in this part, the actual height of the roofing and of the south gable will be maintained. Pains have been taken to restore the primitive buttresses of the south nave, beside the choir, of which the old sites have been found.
R. PETRUCCI.
FROM BERLIN[121]
Within the last few months the picture gallery of Berlin has had the opportunity of making some very fortunate purchases which supplement the collection of pictures of the northern schools in a way that is particularly desirable. The acquisition of the large picture by Hugo van der Goes was an event for the Berlin gallery, one of those purchases which may suffice to reconcile an acquisitive curator with the chances of a restless profession for another year or two. ¶ Of the pictures of older German masters the gallery had the opportunity of buying two striking works. The Rest on the Flight of the year 1504, always acknowledged as Lucas Cranach’s best picture, passed from the hands of Frau Fiedler of Munich, the widow of its last owner, into the possession of the Berlin gallery. The picture, enamel-like in painting and in excellent preservation, was formerly in the Schiarra gallery in Rome. Further, they succeeded in acquiring one of the few authentic panels of Martin Schongauer, a painting of moderate dimensions, very near akin to the Münich, and still more to the Vienna Madonna pictures. Of particular charm is the sunny bright landscape in the background. ¶ The gallery hitherto lacked a great religious painting by Rubens; this default is now very happily atoned by the acquisition of the Conversion of Paul. The picture, that dates from about the time of the great religious pictures of Antwerp, reveals stress of emotion and very penetrating harsh illumination. Of the recently acquired Italian pictures only one deserves comment here; but this is a master work—the Resurrection of Christ, by Giovanni Bellini, of the earlier period of the master.
I. S.
FROM VIENNA[121]
To-day Vienna has its modern gallery. The old possessions of the municipal art gallery and of the academy of the graphic arts furnished the foundations for this new institution, and the works acquired of late years in behalf of the state and of the province of Lower Austria supplement this nucleus in such a way as to give us to-day a fairly comprehensive review of the evolution of art in Austria since the year 1848. Some 200 well-chosen paintings adorn the old and venerable apartments of the Lower Belvedere—in the palace, that is to say, which Prince Eugene of Savoy commissioned Lucas von Hildebrand (1668–1745) to build for him. ¶ Some few masters, such as Rudolf von Alt, Hans Makart, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, who have carried their names and the fame of their art far beyond the boundaries of their native land, are represented by a considerable number of their works. Other ornaments of the Vienna school, such as Moriz Schwind, Joseph Danhauser, Joseph Führich, E. Jacob Schindler, are unfortunately by no means represented in proportion to the claims of their art or fame. Whether in these cases mistakes in selection—for the storehouse still contains great treasures—or actual dearth of the works of the one or the other was the cause we are not in a position to decide. In any case the authorities of the new museum of the town of Vienna, whither on its completion the modern gallery is to migrate, have their work cut out here to make good all the mistakes that have been committed in their time, and to restore the monuments of eminent men which have slipped somewhat into the background of the temple of fame to their proper places. The right wing of the palace is devoted to foreign artists. Germany is represented by Klinger, Böcklin, Stuck, Uhde, Achenbach; Italy by Segantini; France by Monet, Rolt and Dagnan-Bouveret; England and the Netherlands by Alma Tadema; and Spain by Zuloaga.
J. M.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor of THE BURLINGTON MAGAZINE.