The Washington times., 1905-03-08
PEACOCK ROOM IN
FREER COLLECTION
88o Objects of Art Accred-
tied to Whistler.
REPORT MADE TO REGENTS
Valued at 100000 and to Be Added To,
Making Whole Worth Million.
100000 Home.
REPORT MADE TO REGENTS

\ subcommittee of the board of re-
gents OF the Smithsonian Institution has
prepared its report on the offer of Mr..
Freer. of Detroit This report deals
with the extent and nature of the art
collection which Mr.. Freer offers to the
institution on certain conditions.
The collection is valued by Mr. Freer
at s6o0,0o0. to which he agrees to make
additions to the extent of S400, 600 max
ing the whole worth approximately
$1,000, coo. IN addition MIR. FreeT offers to
build a special structure to cost $500. COS
for the housing of this collection.
The report makes no reference to the
conditions attached to the gift. such as
that no additions shall be made to the
collection in the Freer building, nor does
it make any recommendation in the
premises. leaving this TO the Judgment
Of the hoard of regents. which will con-
slider the matter fully at the next meet
ing.
The report says that the committee
spent several days in Detroit with MT
FTeer.
SIS Whistler Objects.
Eve made no actual count of the
many articles belonging tc the eollec-
tion. the report says. but for all pur-
poses contested with this report we
shall assume that Mr.. F'reer's enumer-
alton is correct; and so assuming, We
find in his estimate no less than $50
separate and distinct objects accredited
to Mr.. Whistler alone, TO which must
be added what is known as the Pea
cock Room, which may be regarded as
d Yeritable E PIuribus Unum, capable
of being viewed in separate panels as
well as in one harmonious whole.
This estimate of Mr. Freer includes
also about fifty framed canvases in
Tyron, Dewing, and Thayer, who are
American artists of distinction. And to
these he adds no less than 510 other
paintings described as the work of
Chinese and japanese artists who lived
between the tenth and nineteenth cen
tufies.
Ancient Pottery.
And aside from these works on can
vas, silk and screens. we have in Mr..
Freer's estimate about $50 pieces of
ancient pottery of uncertain dates. but
supposed 20 be the product in their re-
spective groups. of Chinese, japanese,
Korean, Persian, and other Asiatic
artists.
Beyond the difficulties presented by
the number and variety OF objects thus
to be examined and appraised, we found
that the paintings executed by Mr.
Whistler and the other American artists
named chiefly belong to what Is known
as the impressionist school of art
In this reference TO the old and new
schools OF art we must not be under
stood as approving or condemning either
at the expense of the other. We think
we are justified In believing that in mat
Iers of art the rule of survival or thf
fittest may be safely accepted II Is
the beautiful that appeals 70 the esthetlt
sense, and that which ple3ses most vii
finally become the true standard OF ex
cellence. And this standard wheI
fixed viii likely command the highes
value.
Art in the Smithsonian.
In view of the offer of Mr. Freer, t.
beoueath an art collection of such eX
ceptional value TO the Smithsonian, at
tention has been drawn TO the fact tha
the institution is properly concerned
with works of art. despite the fact tha
it has usually been regarded as who'll.
devoted to scientific matters.
On this point DIR. Cyrus Adler. wh'
was yesterday appointed assistant secre
tary of the institution and who ha
served in this capacity unofficially fo
some time, spoke as follows:
t'T1he Smithsonian Institution Is known
10 the world at large as a scientific es
tablishment, but as u matter of fac
there is no such limitation in the law es
tablishing it. The members of CongreS
OF sixty or seventy years ago in inter
ureting Smithsons words. for the in
crease and diffusion of knowledge among
men counted the fine arts under knoWi
edge. ana IN the 1unddTnSntal act eStaD
1ishing the institution. objects of art ar
mentioned before those of science
I'm the early days OF the institution
casts OF fine art objects were secured
and the collection of engravings an
etchings of George p. Marsh, a forme
minister TO Italy, were purchased, a col
lection at its time probably the mos
valuable in this country. With the es
tstblishn1ent of the corcoran Gallery an
the demands upon the funds of the insti
tuition for other purposes, the questio
Of the fine arts was rather held in abey
ance, but at no time was ii entirely los
sight OF, and in one room a few prin
cases and a few bookcases, devoted |
hooks upon the fine arts. attest the fac
that the Smithsonian Institution neve
enirely gave up the idea OF having col
iections of the fine arts or of includin
them in its sphere of operations
Moreover, the subject had bee
brought up recently and before the ofTe
Of Mr. Freer by the will of Harriet Ian
Johnston, and President Roosevelt re
ferred to it III his last message to Cor
gress.
O. ]. RICKETTS, ENDORSED