The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-07

some fine point OF view on New Year Eve.
watches till driven homeward by the cold
and the dark.
But the glorious morning effect, when
the sun was well up and the scene was
flooded with sunshine, was one portend-
ing, mighty, and splendid things.
The most dismal and confirmed pessi-
mist, standing there al that moment. must
! have renewed his acquaintance with Hope.
and turned optimist there and then. Nc
lover of Nature need wait for eventfuI
mornings 10 enjoy the delights Of winter
Let him take an electric car TO any of the
heights in the environs OF Washington
and no matter what the weather may be
Il is quite safe to predict that he will re-
turn TO his freside with only pleasant
memories OF pictures truer and finer than
million dollars could buy.
There is danger OF the DEVELOPMENT in
this country Of class OF connoisseurs
whose intimate knowledge OF nature is
based largely On the pictures they have
seen and studied. The school Is a good
one, but can never be complete without
postgraduate course at the academy of
all MISUNDERSTANDING
Midwinter is always the season when
one sees and hears most OF pictures in
America. In England and on the CONT
nent. spring and early summer is the pic
ture season.
When one is tired OF the ippant ray or
sensational art that presents Itself on ey-
cry hind clamoring for attention. art
pushed to the limit by merchants till Il
savors 81 bargain-coI inter- atmosphere il is
delightful to step INTO the Fischer Gallery.
There !. 50 rauch of art here done FOR its
own sweet sake that one may forget for
time ia-t he is not in some rare museum
or inn ortant private gallery. Passing
from enc art OLDEST to another, X Is a de-
light tC find the collection OF such a high
class and SO interesting. Nothing how
ever humble. fails to reveal its serious
character and conspicuous artistic quality.
One may meet with things not TO his lik-
ing, but not with things. paintings, ceram-
les, or art metal work, which have not
somewhere in worlds art centres a circle
OF cultivated admirers who have put their
stamp OF approval upon them With such
exacting taste has the collection been
chosen that none but an authoritative
critic would be justified in expressing an
uDfavorable opinion of any object on eY-
hibition. The individual taste of Mr.. |
Fischer is stamped on the collection
and i. is enough 10 say that the display
would be admirable in any great city in |
the world.
The one weak point In the collection. |
however, is, Il must seem to any native |
American. the utter absence of work by |
leading native artists. Not Washington |
artists, for TO these Mr. Fischer has ever
been most indulgent. From him the ablest |
OF local painters have received cordial eup
port and encouragement.
One can imagine a Londoner in the pres-
ence OF this splendid collection saving To
himself: This is very fine indeed, but
where are the native painters? Why are
they absent from SO important collec-
tom"
This condition ,=bts;ns In Boston and
other large cities. II Ia BY no means con-
lined to Washington. Howells expressed IL
:harmingly In that dainty satire. THE Let
Ter OF Introduction" This extract tells
he whole story:
The scene-a Boston drawing room.
where the host. Mrs. Campbell is showing
her guest, Mr.. Westgate, an Englishman.
he paintings which adorn the walls. The
Englishman is intensely interested in and
'un of admiration for everything Ameri-
AN.
Mrs. Campbell observes. after nromisinp
lin a treat at a local exhibition. "Our
are all by Frenchmen-alI We
,uy." Then j suppose you've got ouI,e
arge school of Boston artists In Boston ?"
ir Wesfgate remarks. to which Mrs |
campbell replies With some embarrass-
nent:
well, no; but we've very large school
Z nonresident Boston artists. Our paint
rs have TO 90 to New York to make a liy-
ng''
Westgate concludes naturally and says:
Then New York is the artistic centre Of