Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-15
ART NOTES.

presenting his entire collection of paint
ings, tapestries, curios and bric-a-brac to
the Dutch government is rare. For, though
many collectors have left splendid requests
at death to museums and public institu-
tons, few have been willing to hand over
their cherished treasures for the public
during their lifetime Collecting may, as
some affirm, be a mania, but collector
finds pleasure of possession in each &C
QUESTION which none other can appreciate
Artists are commonly not only ardent, but
wise collectors, and to this rule Mesdag was
no exception. For years his own paintings
have brought good prices, and he has been
able to freely indulge in the accumulation
Of really valuable art collection. His
group Of paintings by men Of the Barbizon
school has long been coveted by dealers
and other private collectors, and liberal
offers have been made for 1t, but with
Dutch determination he has chung to his
original purpose of presenting 1t to MS
nation. This royal gift, which has recently
been formally accepted by the government,
treasury; and by it Holland is said to have
become richer in the works Of Corot than
France, wherein they were executed. There
are in this collection twenty examples OF
and three Of Millet, besides paintings by
Dupre, Troyon, Vollon, Delacroix, Diaz'
Jacques, Monticello and others equally IA
nous. The modern Dutch school Is also
well represented, among the works OF
which Joseph Israels' well-known canvas,
alone in the World" is conspicuous. Add
to these paintings collection of beautiful
Chinese and Japanese porcelains, rare Per-
sian rugs, Indian curios and old French
and Flemish tapestries, and the value OF
the gift and the generosity of the gtver can
be somewhat fairly estimated.
X
Dr. Denman w Ross is conducting a sum-
mer school of design at Harvard University
Cambridge. for the fifth season. There are
this year ninety students enrolled in this
school, the majority of whom are teach
ers or supervisors Of drawing in the larger
cities Of the United States. The course of
study Is practical, yet comprehensive, CIV
ing the basic principles of design and dem
onstrating their adaptation.
X
The county council of London supports an
interesting arts and crafts school in Regent
street, where. 1t is said. manufacturers find
skilled workmen. and talented men and wo-
men gain the means whereby they can OBJ
tain good livelihood. This school, which
Is under the direction Of Prof w. r. Letha-
by-whose writings on the applied arts are
well known in this country.-was founded
In 1885 and has already outgrOwn Its quar-
tiers, the registration last year being 1,00S
Instruction is given in bookbinding cabi-
netmakfng, carving, enameling, silver
smithing. brass and copper work, iluminat-
ing and embroidery, and many Of the stu
dents are working people perfecting them
selves in the night classes for higher posi-
lions.
X *
In Bavaria an effort is being made to
found at Munich a Central Museum of Sci
ence and Art which shall in organization be
similar to the Victoria and Albert Institute
of England. A subscription of $25, 600 has
been made toward It, and the prince regent
has offered the rooms of the old National
Museum to the committee of organization
The purpose is to have 1t partly under gov
eminent control with the hope that clubs
institutions and individuals will make 1t a
repository for valuable scientific and arts
tic objects. Herr Oscar Won Miller presi-
dent of the Bavarian Society of Engineers
Is the chief promoter of the scheme.
The rebuilding of the famous Campanile
of St Mark at Venice Is being carried on
with all possible speed and care. The foun-
dation was found intact. but to guard
against any repetition of the late calamity
piles have been driven in for ten feet
around 1t, on which broad concrete UNDER
pinn1ng has been built. The fall Of the
Campanile has been taken as warning by
the Venetian authorities who are now hav
Ing all the old buildings examined nv ex
perts and strengthened where any sign of
weakness is evinced
X X
The announcement made this week that
to Frederick MacMonnies had been award
ed the commission for the Mcclellan n,o,,-
nent TO be erected in this city has met with
very general satisfaction and apnrova1 Mr.
MacMonnies Is not only sculptor of great
ability, and none will doubt that he merit.
ca the distinction and came by 1t honor
apIy: The central pair Of bronze doors Of
the Library of Congress and the figure of
ona hespeare In the main reading room OF
to his capability ~ SAe1
Ihe citizens of Swarthmore Pa. bave
formed an association for the purpose NJ
erecting a monument to their erstwhiIe
townsman, Benjamin West. and the trus-
tees OF Swarthmore College have offered
TO deed over to the association the old
West homestead. which stands on the COL
lege campus. The monument is to cost
about $4,000, and is to be designed nv
Frederick MacMonnies, who. on his mo
ternal side, is lineal descendent of the
famous painter.
financially, the recent Academy exhibi-
ton at Burlington House. London. was a
great success. the sales amounting to over
100000. This is more than has been realized
by any one exhibition since 1899, and twice
as much as by last years, when the South
African war and the coronation combined
in making the picture market very dull
One hundred and fifteen sales Were
chronicled, and 91,26O-gtven for Nanier
Hemy's painting entitled ''Youth"~was
the highest price paid for single canvas
Robert Frederick Blum, whose death oc-
Cured recently, was one Of the youngest
members Of the National Academy of De-
sign president of the Painters in Pastel
and member of both the Society of
American Artists and the American Wafer
Color Society. In 1879 his first illustra
lions appeared in Scribner's Magazine. and
at the time of his death he was engaged
with A. B. Wenzel upon large mural
decoration for the New Amsterdam Thea
ter, New York. He was a native of Cincin
natl, studied in New York and in Italy. and