The times., 1897-07-12
Three Hundred Visitors View
Art at the Gallery.
WILL CLOSE FOR THE SUMNER
The Red Hair of Judith aud the
White Horse IF Napoleon Kaiser
Wilhelm Asked to Drink-Love
should Ride Bike Greek Slave
Goes on Vacation.


1t win be closed ON Saturday to be re-
opened September 20.
Three hundred visitors trod the a:Dle
halls OF the Gallery yesterday. Most Of
these people Were there because they like
TO look at pictures They We're aot inter
es,ed in the painters, nor did they care about
the schools of painting represented. II vas
the theme OF the artist rather than the
technique of his art on which these people
commented They pnzed Il picture in pro-
portion to their satisfaction with The sub
ject 1t was these people who got fun lof
honest pleasure from their visit 10 the gal
leIy There were some visitors who really
enjoyed art
There Were many who had persuaded
themsel YES that they appreciated art.
but there was still a greater number OF
the visitors Who desired only to have other
people believe that their appreciation
was intense. The pleasure which the
members OF this last-named class extracted
from their visit was only the pleasure
OF satisfied conceit.
Usually, there is an unnatural dtInos-
pbere about the gallery Many people ap-
pear Ill at ease They are Self-cnnscience,
and feel that people are looking at them
instead OF at the pictures. They feel
thus -because they are looking at other
people instead Of DIT the pictures, Though
throughout this personal inspection they
affect absorption in art
There was less of this vain tension than
usual at the gallery yesterday Very many
of the visitors were from the middle ways
oflife aud quite q number Were Of humble
station. To these people the pictures were
a treat. They commented upon them quite
naturally and appeared not 70 care vino
overheard them They stood in groups be
fore favonte pictures and talked about
them in way which gave a grieved
expression to the folks who had comUdtted
to memory few art terms.
In the hail OF loaned pictures there is
Il portrait of John Sherman. IT represents
him as an elderly. though vigorous man
Before it stood husband and his wife.
They were old folks she wore hor.e-
made gingham dress and an ancient little
bonnet. He wore rough store-cIothes and
heavy boots that squeaked and grated as
he walked. His gray hair fell in uncut
tangIes about his sunfuTnt face and roll
ing collar. They Were strangers in Wash
iHSton- Pointing bis finger al the oil paint
ing OF Sherman he said;
He looks wei ia that picture, but he
is a run-down stoop-shouldered old man
now
An old veteran with an empty sleeve
halted before the portrait OF Grant aud
gave a tactical salute. He did not do IL
in dramatic style, but SaluteG the por
trait Of the great commander as though
it was his duty.
A gIoup stood before the portrait %
Kaiser Wilhelm and made mirthfuI com
ments, such as: He looks Dutchy, don't
he" wonder il he wouldn't like n
schooner?'' and Hes the man what's
agin the American hog"
youth in a cash suit and crimson
necktle, and with petty eIIi dIeS>ed
in summer white, was Criticising the
painting Burning Of the Bon Homm@
Richard" 1.-The perspective is foreshoTt-
encd and the ohiaIoscura is out Of Joint -
declared the youth, as Re struck a critical
pose and attracted crowd around him
Yes" continued tie youth, 'tte tone Is
Sigh dy vague, the coloring bold. and
then the moon is rising in one corner Of
the canvas and the light is falling from
from persons in the crowd which sounded
very much like "Oh. come off - Rats, ''
aud What's he giving uS?''
A fancy portrait OF Judith hangs in the
loan collection. Judith is painted with
red hair, and Just across the way is a
picture Of Napoleon mounted on his famtl-
lar steed Catch on to the red hair,
said one visitor, pointing into the face oi
Judith ''and there's the white horse, "
cried another visitor, pointing to the
picture OF Napoleon and his steed Then
there was a laugh ali round.
In the portrait hall is life-size picture
of Andrew Jackson. \ group of Govern
| nIent clerks who are within the classified
| civil service averted their heads as they
passed this portrait, for the eyes Of
| Jackson seemed to be upon them.
In the gallery of the Presidents hang.
| the portraits, in chronological order, of al
| those men who have filled the office o
| President of the United States At tn,
| end of the lipe there is A space of blank
| wall. Here said one visitor, indieatina
| n section OF plaster, lis where the picture
| of William Jennings Bryan VIII hang
| This came near precipitating politjca
| discussion in the gallery, but it was frown
ed down
In one OF the galleries are two paintin IS
| One is entitled Cattle at the Seashore
| The other shows an Immigrant train cross
| ing the prairie, and is styled ''Ships of tbs
| Plains An old man, after first looking
| at one picture and then al the other, sait
as soliloquy, Them painters got thing
| mixed.
! ~ n--,a and ife', created a s-,nd ,1aa1 NJ
| talk 1t is q picture which once caused 9
| spirited controversy between artists
| II represents a very thin female sheltered
under the wings of a brawny male cailat
Life The physique OF the female was
| freely commented on, and several of the Wis
| itors suggested that she ought to ride @
bike.
People standing before 1.-The Passing
Regiment identified it as the Light In
fantry coming down the Avenue. and hey
! wondered if the band wasn't playing the
National Fencihles' March"
The visitors did not neglect the Statlary
exhibit. On the east side OF Statuary Hall
| are several mutilated sculptures. There il
Theseus, with both hands and feet broker
! off; the River God without head, hands on
| feet: the two Horea. Ceres and Porsepine
! minus their heads, legs and arms. An ell
derly lady suggested to several other visi
| tors that the place looked as though troll
| Icy car had run through it.
| Many young ladies, accompanied by
! escorts, fail ed to see ''The Crouching
Venus" though they passed close to it,
( The Greek slave looked as pale as usual
and one young man gallantly Offered