Rembrandt and Nicholas LanierAuthor(s): Julius S. HeldSource: The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Vol. 69, No. 405 (Dec., 1936), p. 286Published by: The Burlington Magazine Publications Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/866789 .

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Shorter Notices

excellent portrait of a man by Thomas de Keyser; a fine landscape by Salomon van Ruysdael; two interesting works by Gerard Terborch, and a newly- discovered picture by J. A. Beerstraten, representing the market-place at Amsterdam, which is of consider- able historical importance, as it shows the famous weigh-house (since pulled down), the Town Hall and the ancient Gothic church in the background.

Of other schools there is a remarkable Gothic West- phalian altarpiece with the arms of the Berswordt family of Dortmund, members of which were formerly rectors of Cologne University-a Crucifixion, which cannot be later than 1470. This is followed by an Antwerp Adoration of the Magi of about 152o. The Flemish seven- teenth-century painters are represented by Adriaen van

Stalbent, D. Verbrugh and Frans van Everbroeck, and a rare forest-scene by Gisbert Luytens. Of the Italian eighteenth century, there is a large classical landscape by Francesco Zuccarelli, remarkable alike for its composition and delicate colouring.

LETTERS " REMBRANDT AND NICHOLAS LANIER "

SIR,-With regard to the interesting article by Mr. A. de Hevesy in the October issue of THE BURLINGTON MAGAZINE, I should like to call your attention to a point which may be of interest for the identification of the Rembrandt portrait in the Corcoran Gallery at Washington.

From a close study of the original I am convinced that the hand with the music scroll was not painted by Rembrandt but must have been added later. Even from a reproduction one can see how awkwardly the structure of the hand and arm is rendered and how unconvincingly, for instance, the little finger is over- lapped by the scroll. The colours and surface structure of the original make the point unquestionable. I could not say for certain if the painting was added to below when the hand was painted in, but it is certainly important that in J. Stolker's mezzotint of the painting (reproduced in " Rembrandt," Klassiker der Kunst, Vol. I, p. 525) the canvas is somewhat shorter, while no hand is visible. The drawing in the Staedel'sches Kunstinstitut at Frankfurt, to which Mr. Hevesy refers, certainly does not prove anything to the contrary, as it is obviously a rather late copy of the Corcoran picture after the hand had been painted in. Although it is quite possible, despite this fact, that the Corcoran portrait depicts a musician, it would be inadvisable to stress the point in deducing the personality of the sitter.

The identification of the Corcoran painting thus rests mainly on the likeness of the face with Lanidr's self- portrait and Vorsterman's engraving. However this may be, there is another problem in Mr. Hevesy's article which I should like to clarify. Rembrandt's painting was executed in I633. Mr. Hevesy infers, if I understand him rightly, that Lievens's picture (if it was not only a drawing) was painted about four to five years earlier. He refers in another passage to H. Schneider's book, according to which Lievens is supposed to have left for England in 1629 or I631. Mr. Schneider, however, states clearly in several places, for instance, pages 4 and 42, that Lievens left for England in 1632 ; he stayed there until I635. It is, therefore, not probable that Lievens's portrait of Lanier was done years before Rembrandt's painting in the Corcoran Gallery, but on the contrary probably later-an assump- tion which could also be supported on stylistic grounds.

Whether after these notes it can be maintained that

Rembrandt's portrait is that of Nicholas Lanier, I should not like to decide. Yours faithfully,

JULIUS S. HELD

A DE LA TOUR-LE NAIN EXHIBITION.-A loan exhibition of the works of Georges de la Tour and Antoine, Louis and Mathieu Le Nain, held for the benefit of the Mus&e de Bldrancourt (France) and the Lycte FranCais de New York, will be held at the galleries of Messrs. M. Knoedler & Co. in New York from November 23rd to December I2th. An illustrated catalogue will appear shortly.

In the January number of this Magazine, we hope to publish a comprehensive account of this exhibition.

" MASTERS OF FRENCH NINETEENTH- CENTURY PAINTING."

SIR,-For those who know Mr. Pope-Hennessy from his writings, and still more for those who know him personally, the tone of his criticism in a recent number of the Exhibition of Nineteenth-Century French Paint- ing, will seem, with its paradoxes, enthusaisms, and condemnations, merely characteristic and refreshingly genuine. But his article contains some remarks that might be taken to reflect in an unfair way upon the selection committee. I do not think that they were so intended, and I wish to try to correct any un- favourable impression they may have created.

" The pictures," says Mr. Pope-Hennessy, " with two exceptions, were well chosen, well catalogued, and very badly hung. The Moscow Mardi-Gras which appeared in the Cezanne Exhibition in Paris this year, is an astonishingly weak picture, and as for Delacroix's Enlivement de Ribecca, it was criticized as senile when it was first shown at the Salon."

If Mr. Pope-Hennessy had confined himself solely to a discussion of Cezanne's strength or weakness as an artist, if the statement that the Mardi-Gras " is an aston- ishingly weak picture " had formed part of a studied attempt at a revaluation, there would have been no reason for this letter. But for those not familiar with Mr. Pope-Hennessy's style, he might seem to be com- plaining of the Committee for including such a work in the exhibition.

I am sure myself, whatever he may say if he notices this letter, that all he wished was to state in a specially emphatic way his opinion that the picture is weak, and not to criticize its choice. Its celebrity alone would justify that. It is needless to quote authorities to demonstrate the importance of this work in Cezanne's euvre, or to point out that a painting on which the artist clearly bestowed such loving care, a painting for which so many studies and drawings exist, cannot be regarded as anything but one of primary interest.

Again, the fact that Delacroix's Enlivement was criticized as senile when it was first exhibited is surely not a reason for not exhibiting it now. However, I am far from claiming to be a judge of Delacroix's work; conceivably there may be those who think this picture

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