Evening star., 1897-02-23
Brilliant Throng at the Opening Of
the Art Gallery.
MANY DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
Arrangement Of the Art Treasures
Generally Approved.
A NJ E NJ OR ABLE EVEN

The opening of the new Corcoran Gallery
OF Art last night was an event that will be
memorable to every one who enjoyed the
pleasure of participating in it. Probably
no institution devoted to aesthetic purposes
was ever inaugurated in manner more in
harmony with its objects. The vast halls
whose walls inclosed chaste conceptions of
the chisel or striking creations of the brush
held at the same time living, reathing
animated assemblage of individual portraits
that presented altogether a composite pic
ture of the national capital in which every
phase of its remarkable life was depicted.
The representatives of the masses and the
representatives of the classes, If such dis
tinctions are permissible: the clerk and the
capitalist; the merchant and the millionaire:
the man Of labor and the man of leisure,
each accompanied by his wife, his mother,
his sistCr-or somebody else's sister-were
all present and mingled in common appre-
ciation of the inanimate beauties around
them.
The Lady at Fontainbleau,' that su-
preme representation of the most exact
aristocracy, and Fun and Fright" which
depicts the other extreme of the social
scale. were there on the walls, and so in
the throI gs that paused in admiration be-
fore them were the representatives also of
the great whole people for whose instruc-
uon, Improvement, elevation and education
the magnificent structure so appropriately
opened last night was endowed and erected
Admission to the gallery was by card, each
card admitting gentleman and ladies,
and II ON a survey of the asSemblage at 10
O'Clock 1t seemed as though every one of
the 5000 invitations issued had been taken
advantage of by a man and at least two
ladies. The intensely disagreeable weather
apparently had no effect On the holders of
the cards. Before o'clock, the hour
no 1ad for fha 70
probably 300 people crowded under the
canvas passage way from the curb on 18th
street to the art gallery entrance, and as
any more in the rain that beat down
steadily outside.
Great ThrOng.
The two hours from to 10 saw a steady
stream of visitors pouring through the
broad doorway, and at the latter hour a
line of Carriages extended up 17th street to
ii, with the exception Of the space across
Pennsylvania avenue. These contained
guests from dinner parties, teas and other
functions uptown, which poured their at
tractive humanity into the gallery during
the last hour. Almost every visitor signal
lied entrance to the building with an ex-
clamation Of surprise and admiration The
interior was bright with the luster of
countless electric lights, lending a newer
and more effective attraction to the nu-
merous marbles and casts which occupy
the lower floor on either side of the main
entrance. Further progress through the
building only served to heighten the good
impression first received. The magnificent
marble stairway that arises through the
center of the building by easy stages to
the picture galleries above was banked on
either side with palms, rubber plants and
other attractive foliage growths, and ar
ranged with an artistic taste that was we'll
In keeping with the surroundings. Ad-
mIrable arrangements had been made in
the northeast corner of the building for
the comfort Of the guests. large apart
ments having been arranged as retiring
rooms and for the accommodat ton of the