Show THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART f NEW YORKS MONUMENT OF MUNIFICENCE j J HE liE oft oct quoted Art At Ati i longa vita Art la Is long lOll T but life lite la Is short receives Its In tho monuments ments erected to at nt tho ex ox expense pense of the Individual Men Ien are born live awhile then pass nII perchance f leaving tho Increment of or their tolls to fJ art sometimes H unwittingly sometimes with direct III ct Intention In Us lis sense art may be taken tallen to fa mean 1 all knowledge or till tho Hum mun of ot knowledge Z though generally to a nar narrower rower At ull Us n while pen men ona nations und thus hUI Iho ll ln pf bi la I IT T II thoughts are r j and the tram embodied Is eU by the t b lIt lo Q the eM Metropolitan l UI l t ur Art Mt la III New Kew York city j Which Is III li It noteworthy example of the absorption of oC human energies di dl directed I toward tho building of oC a n monument ment destined to endure for Cor all time Other museums have found founded ed etl have advanced to tho dignity of na nil national 1 repositories rC O In tn which tiro 1110 stored th records of mans limns most f achievements in the world of oC art but Lul m few It uny un have h c reached no 1 r find and commanding ft n position In hI so short a II tiro I Incorporated only 31 years ngo and really t Ily dating from the of ot the tho thoi i collection of oC antiquities In thu spirited citizens who stood i Its sponsors their steadily Kept Jt In cv their grand Ideal Idl I until now after nearly n generation has passed away the museum contains a II 1 I surpassing art collection 1111 1 la Ie nn In Influence fluence In culture everywhere u rec recognized d During tho Iho first nine year of ofUs i Us 1111 existence the museum occupied a II f small building on street t New York city but In 1873 It tool took pus session of ot tho palatial structure situated I ed cd aa 1111 millions arc 1110 aware In ono one or of tho th r most beautiful sections of oC Central park I opposite Fifth 1 avenue Kant Highly f second street Compared with the magnificent structures since erected c as W additions It Is III dwarfed almost t Into sig significance sl f for tor during tho Ih yearn u I 1 G I southern extension was Willi added amI amIi i J a n not northern them wing t the museum ns all then completed a front frontage t age ge toward Firth Fifth avenue of or feet i a n width north south of ut 33 feet teet t Dut Dul even Ien those additions by liy no r completed the plans lans for tor extension de designed signed by hy the famous architect th late M 1 Hunt which provided for n of ot buildings to cover an area uren o 01 18 acres Only the th area was waH covered by liy the structures structure up to 10 the tho end of 1891 and as al goon Joun at IU funds another extension was begun In III accordance with the win winand and comprehensive plans Of oC the th talent talented ed architect w Jacob Main Entrance of r r I The Iho latest development rIho of ot the archi architectural scheme was the beautiful mil lion dollar hall completed last la t Novem November November ber a n building the tho general fornof a n parallelogram feet teet long and ICO foet Coet wide connected by a gallery IDS 10 feet f t long Ion and 66 teet with the tho original orInal or central structure of ot the mu I Museum of Art js This new erection Is Intended as I the main entrance to tile entire group 7 oT of or buildings and Is not nol only the finest product of at the architects skill beautiful ful rul and magnificent m cent but Is In harmony with the design de as a whole Even now It Is estimated that but of tho completed has been erect 1 ed cd and that another generation may elapse before It will exist In Its entirety and may necessitate the expenditure of ot at for Cor completion The present value of ot the thu museum property and assets Is placed at about exclusive of at tho bequest which Is la estimated at a most remarkable showing when It Is consid considered ered crell that the tho total valuation nt at the time of or removal to Central park was As s to the arl collections of ot the mu museum museum seum columns of ot space could bo be filled with tl i meic enumeration The nucleus of at the aggregation Its chief treasure perhaps Is the tho unique and unrivaled Cypriote collection Then there are the Assyrian antiquities comprising It is mid the largest num number ber bel extant there are and cera ceramics sculptures ancient and modern Kohl gold and sliver silver Jewelry orna ornaments ornaments ments Egyptian E mummies nn unsurpassed passed pass aeries of medals tapestries A ivories lacquers laces Jn special donative collections this museum has lias been exceedingly fortunate and It Is no figure of ot speech ape oh to allude to the mu museum seum and Us Its contents as a 11 monument of ot private munificence A dozen years ago alO the museum was enriched by the tha fins collection of ot old masters presented by Henry 0 O comprising works by Vandyke Gainsborough Turner Velasquez Rembrandt Van der Meer and The old painters are aro well represented d In the general collection and also American artists ns IS West Peale Stuart and Trumbull anti the modern European Mr Mar Marquand alone has hns added moro more than a million dollars to the museums value niue and ills his example hns been en followed by hy Miss Wolfe Sirs Irs Coles Mr Moore others whose names appear as generous donors The flu Vandyke presented by Mr Marquand Is valued at and llosa Horse Fair cost Cor Cornelius Cornellus nelius nellus at nt tho Stewart sale In 1887 Tho Thu museum hast Indeed been bren fortu tortu fortunate nate nale In Its lis friends and though few tew of ot them cnn can be mentioned In this connection con nee tion two at least stand out prominent prominently ly Iy one of these the man who been longest Identified etl with the Institution r I A General Louis P Dl DI and the tho theother other Jacob S Rogers who recently left lert tho museum the tho princely bequest of General D DI Gyp Cyp Cypriote collection as a has been said form torm formed ed the nucleus of ot the Metropolitan mu museums museums aggregation a and his hIli services during the past 30 years ears have been In Invaluable valuable He Ile was paid for tor his collection tion to bo 00 sure and ll also has hM received a salary as IS curator but In the best beat sense his es have been disinter disinterested ested and It Is acknowledged that the museum owes to t nore than U It can canever ever cv r repay Born In Italy taly In 1832 and be belonging longing lo 10 a n noble family fought three yeara In tn the tho Ital Italian ItalIan ian army including the Crimean cam nm campaign and coming to New York In 1660 1560 married nil American lady and an l served with distinction through tha civil war WU being hr brigadier general by President Pr Lincoln a n few tew days before the latter assassination He lie was United States consul at Cyprus from 1865 to 1877 during his term of ot office conduct conductIng conductIng Ing those explorations which resulted In tho collection ho hil afterward brought to tho United States anti and sold to 10 tho Util museum He has hils been honored by kings abroad and by colleges In this country countr his books having made matle him famous Elected n a trustee and secre secretary tary of ot the Metropolitan museum In 1878 ho he has Ims devoted nil all his energies ever eyer since to the promotion of ot Its In Interests and Is the moving spirit of at Its lis development l lA A man of different mold was the thc lat Int latest est benefactor of ot the museum Jacob S Rogers the millionaire locomotive hull er of ot N J who ho has hM be bestowed stowed upon Ullon it the fortune accumulated through the business energy nud aud sa sagacity of ot n lifetime and who during his career manifested little interest In art save sale as an amateur A bachelor re recluse recluse cluse eccentric and reputedly parsimonious Mr Rogers divided his hili time Um be between between tween his elegant home In Paterson surrounded by a park filled with red deer as pets his farm at nl Pompton where he raised blooded cattle hU club In New York whore he died and Paris lili hili favorite city Tho contrast be between betWeen tween the lives of ot these two men the theone theono ono one devoted to during his life anti directing his Jest best endeavors to Us Its pro promotion promotion motion the other apparently Indifferent ent to art for tor arts sake but at lit the th end Its greatest benefactor Is conspicuous A |