The Washington times., 1901-11-04
OPENED TO VISITORS.
First sunday of the Season at Cor
coran Art Gallery.

More than 100 people visited Corcoran
Art Gallery yesterday afternoon. 1t was
the first Sunday of the season that the
doors of the beautiful white building had
been thrown open to admit the public.
From now until the gallery IS closed for
the hot summer months. next June. vis-
itors will be admitted without charge
every Sunday afternoon between the
hours of 1:3O and 4:3O This opportunity
to view the paintings and statuary is a
great boon to those whom The cares OF
business prevent from visiting the gallery
at another time.
There is a marked contrast between the
personnel Of the crowd which throngs the
halls and corridors and mounts the grand
staircase Of Corcoran Gallery on Sun
day as compared with the visitors on
other free days" The votary of art
who delights to thumb diligently cata-
loguc, and to stand attentive fer an hour
before Il great master. was conspicuous
by his absence The people who visit
COrC9ran Gallery on Sunday come to look
Mt the pictures merely for the pleasure
they gain from the color and the theme
Theirs Is not n critical eye. and they de
rive for the most part as much pleasure
from the works Of obscure painters as
from the MASTERPIECES of great dicipIes of
the brush and palette.
Yesterday about the only catalogues in
sight were those ready for sale at the
doors Of the gallery. The majority of the
visitors did not spend great deal Of
time in contemplation of any single paint
ing OF statue The gallery was not
crowded at any time. but for the entire
afternoon all the exhibition rooms and
halls were well filed with visitors.
Paintings are pre-eminently the fore
most attractions with the public Five
times as many people stood before the
II hing ,.N ha
Ond floor as did on the floors below
where nearly all the statuary is dis
played And In the pictures themselves
those dealing with military subjects
than studies of stll life. or pastoral
scenes or portraits. even when cauvaSstS.
brist'ing with bayOnets, bloOd-stained
wheat fields or mettlCSOme chargers.
were inferior in conception and execution
to some likeness Of a Flemish peasant or
a Spanish duouna.
The gallery has it's regular clientele Of
Sunday visitors. persons who come on no
other day. but who put I'm an appearance
regularly on the Sabbath. These. for the
most part, are unable. on account of their
work to come on any other day. Some of
them are Old friends Of the attendants,
ana among them there is the true love of
art. They take the k"eneSt interest in
any addition To the gallery collection, and
are more TCplctr with Information than
the catalogues. and far more intelIigible
to the lay mind.
Whole families visited the gallery yes
terday Father and mother and children
appeared TO take the keenest pleasure In
inspecting the pictures and statuary. Ere
Quently one or the other of the parents
would deliver an impromptu lecture eN-
planning tho meaning to the younger mem
hers Of the party under their charge
Paintings Of animals excite the delight OF
children.
Those Sunday visitors who had not seen
the gallery since it was closed for the
a number of changes by which the ap-
pearance Of the gallery has been benefited