Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-12
ART NOTES..

The committee to make the awards for
the Corcoran School of Art at the close Of
the present scholastic season this year is
made up of one sculptor and two painters,
namely. Charles Niehaus. Edgar NJ. Ward
and Irving r. Wiles. all of New York. The
examination will probably be made on
Wednesday, the 30th instant, and the
awards made known. medals delivered, etc,
on the day or evening following,
Karl Bitter of New York has been ap-
pointed director of the sculpture of the Pam
American exposition at Buffalo. The ad-
visory committee of the Society of Mural
Painters for the exposition consists of John
La Fargo. George W. Maynard. James Iau-
her. Will II. Low and H. Siddons Now
bray.
At Fischers may be seen a little group of
four water coors by Ross Turner, an old
time Washington boy. whose work is rarely
seen here now.
The surprising price of s11 $50 was paid
for bust of Sir Walter Scott. by Chan
trey at the sale of Lord Peers effects in
London yesterday. The purchaser was Mr..
Duveen of London. whose firm has a
branch house in New York.
X *
At the annual meeting of the National
Academy, held in New York on Wednesday
evening, Messrs. Howard Russell Butler
and George r. Barse were made full acade-
merly of Washington was elected an as
Socate.
X
pf New York hav
pressed strangely erroneous ideas in regard
to the art exhibit now open in the portion
ot the Corcoran Gallery kindly granted for
that use One of them speaks of it as an
american Salon." and wants to know, such
being the case. why artists of that city and
other sections of the country were not in
vited to contribute to it? The assumption,
which is a mistaken one. and wholly I'M
warranted by the facts in the case. probably
had its origin in some of the over-iord
announcements that were made in regard
to the exhibition, before 1t was opened to
the public The simple fact appears to be
that the affair was projected by a few
ladies of social prominence and interested
in art, and inspired by the enthusiasm and
energy of Mrs. ]. B. Henderson. acting to-
gether for the sole purpose of enabling all
The artists of the city. professional and
amateur, to make showing of their work
on Il more comprehensive scale than has
been possible with the limited wall space
hitherto usually available, and, as to the
number or quality of exhibits, unrestricted
by the rules of the several art organza-
tons under which such displays have here
tofore generally been held. At no time was
it intended to have pictures from other
points than Washington, nor was there any
thought of Offering medals or awards of any
character. or, indeed, of doing more than
afording Washington artists who We're dis
posed to take advantage of it Oppor-
tunity to freely show what they could do.
In this respect and to this extent the out
come of the effort seems to have fully just-
fled the purposes originally in view. The
display has been much larger and undoubt-
edly shows more good work than those who
have not given personal attention to the
matter could have expected.
Though in no wise a part Of the exhibit
ton above referred to. nor. indeed, in any
way connected with 1t. the opening evening,
when q large attendance was present, was
thought to be a good occasion for the for
NAL presentation of a portrait of General
Grant to the permanent collections of the
gallery This was made, as was reported
at the time in the form of appropriate
address by Senator Depew, though, curiously
enough. the published accounts of the af-
fair made no mention of the name of the
donor. 1t is therefore proper to say here
that the painting in question was the gilt
of Mr.. jefferson Seigman. a prominent
banker of New York, who by this action
seems to realize the fact that a great public
gallery at the national capital is the most
appropriate repository for works of art
combining a high order of merit with great
historical interest. Though not generally
regarded as particularly fine work of art
judged as such, it has been pronounced by
members Of his family and those intimate
ly acquainted with General Grant to be a
remarkably faithful likeness of him at the
time he was in the field. portrayed; and
the philosophical donor is therefore enti-
tied to the thanks. not only of the gallery
for his appropriate gift, but also of the
public. for what his example may inspire
others to do in the same direction.